Systemic and pathogenetic approach: a new look at traditional Chinese medicine

Abstract

A mere focused medical specialization and standardization, the lack of a holistic, systemic view of the human body, leads to a deadlock in the further development of modern medicine. P.K. Anokhin's functional systems theory (1935) made a breakthrough in medical science, setting it in a new direction. So far, however, the fundamental aspects of this theory have not been fully applied in practice. Till the present day, there is an endless accumulation of scientific facts that are not united by a holistic ideology. Nevertheless, the truly systemic approach proclaimed in the twentieth century by P.K. Anokhin has been used by mankind since ancient times, particularly in Chinese traditional medicine (CTM). Its basic postulates, the concept of Yin-Yang, Wuxing (system of five primary elements), the idea of acupuncture points and body channels, do not contradict up-to-date scientific data, and every year they draw new confirmations of their relevance. At the same time, they provide a clear vision of the general patterns of the whole body function and the interaction of its parts. The authors propose a transition to a whole new level of knowledge of the human body, called the «systemic and pathogenetic approach.» It allows considering an illness according to CTM as a result of dysfunction of an integral system of a body. Properly set medical thinking based on this approach will lead to adequate diagnosis and the choice of the proper treatment for many diseases.