Diagnosis according to Pattern Discrimination

This is the main difference between Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine.

Pattern Discrimination: The manifestation of human sickness/imbalance indicating the nature, location, or cause of sickness or imbalance. 

That means, no matter what the patient's disease diagnosis is, the treatment is based on the patient's combination of patterns. This also means a particular Pattern diagnosis may manifest into different diseases, or the opposite, a particular disease may have different Pattern diagnosis.

Example: The Pattern; Spleen Qi Deficiency could manifest as Fatigue, anemia, fatigue after eating, abdominal bloating that gets worse as the day goes on, difficulty to focus or think clearly, heavy limbs and loose stool.

Now take the symptom of loose stool: This could manifest as the Patters of Spleen Qi Deficiency, Cold in the Large Intestine, or Kidney Qi/Yang Deficiency.

Disease Patterns are constantly shifting due to changes in diet, lifestyle, and the environment (physical, emotional, spiritual) around them. Thus the patient's pattern and treatment will change as they progress to wellness. 

Examples of Disease Patterns

Liver Disease Patterns

Simple Patterns: Binding Depression of Liver Qi, Liver Fire Flaming Upward, Ascendant Hyperactivity of Liver Yang, Liver Wind Stirring Internally, Liver Blood Vacuity, Cold Stagnating in the Liver Vessel

Combined Patterns: Dual Deficiency of the Liver and Spleen, Heart-Liver Blood Deficiency, Liver-Stomach Disharmony, Liver-Spleen Disharmony, Liver Qi Invading the Stomach, Liver Qi Invading the Spleen, Spleen Dampness and Liver Depression, Liver Fire Invading the Lung, Liver-Kidney Yin Deficiency, Liver-Gallbladder Damp-Heat.

Spleen Disease Patterns

Simple Patterns: Spleen Qi Deficiency, Spleen Yang Deficiency, Spleen Yin Deficiency, Center Qi Fall, Spleen Deficiency with Damp Encumbrance, Cold-Damp Encumbering the Spleen, Spleen Failing to manage the Blood, Damp-Heat Brewing in the Spleen