2. Combining the Pathogen Perspective with the Body’s Response Perspective

2. Combining the Pathogen Perspective with the Body’s Response Perspective

Western medicine places great emphasis on the pathogenicity of pathogens and has achieved remarkable success in this area. Research on pathogenic microorganisms has led to the development of various antibiotics, which have proven highly effective against most infectious diseases. However, when it comes to sequelae resulting from infection—such as deficiency of vital energy, disharmony of qi and blood (including dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system, immune system, and metabolic system)—the purely pathogenic perspective alone cannot yield satisfactory results. TCM, on the other hand, focuses on the body’s responsiveness. The Inner Canon states, “When vital energy is preserved within, evil cannot invade,” and “Where evil gathers, qi must be deficient,” laying the foundation for TCM’s understanding of the body’s response. Throughout history, TCM has employed methods such as “tonifying and consolidating vital energy” and “activating blood circulation and removing stasis” to regulate the autonomic nervous system, metabolism, and immune system. In light of this, antibiotic therapy is more effective during the acute phase of infectious diseases, but once the condition transitions to chronic, TCM-based regulation becomes necessary. Let us take osteomyelitis as an example to illustrate this point. During the acute phase of osteomyelitis, the pathogenic bacteria (along with their toxins) directly affect the affected area, presenting a clinical picture dominated by infection. Treatment at this stage should involve antibiotics combined with TCM herbs that clear heat and detoxify and activate blood circulation and remove stasis.

Once osteomyelitis enters the chronic phase, systemic infection symptoms subside, leaving local bone destruction, compensatory hyperostosis of the cortical bone, non-healing sinus tracts, and purulent discharge as the main clinical manifestations. At this point, there is no need to administer Western antibiotics; instead, TCM-based treatments focusing on tonifying and consolidating vital energy, eliminating phlegm and dispersing nodules, and activating blood circulation and removing stasis, adjusted as needed, can achieve excellent therapeutic effects. Similarly, for acute pancreatitis, antibiotics combined with TCM herbs that promote bowel movement and regulate qi can be used; whereas for chronic pancreatitis, TCM herbs that soothe the liver and strengthen the spleen and promote bowel movement and regulate qi are sufficient. Likewise, antibiotics work very well for acute bronchitis, while TCM-based regulation is effective for chronic bronchitis. In clinical practice, there are also some diseases whose pathogens have not yet been identified by modern medicine, or although the pathogens have been identified, no effective drugs targeting them have been developed. In such cases, TCM-based treatments remain the most effective option, including viral hepatitis, nephritis, aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia, and connective tissue diseases. By regulating the body’s response, TCM provides feedback on the true pathogens of these diseases, thereby achieving therapeutic goals to a certain extent.

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Part One: Academic Thought

Published by Heji Book Publishing House