RHEUMATOLOGY IN CHINESE MEDICINE

While rheumatological disorders (e.g., joint and other musculoskeletal pain) are perhaps the most commonly seen problems in clinics of Chinese medicine, until now there has been no comprehensive book on this important subject. Rheumatology in Chinese Medicine is the first of its kind in any language. Part one lays the groundwork for the traditional Chinese approach to rheumatology. Included is a detailed discussion of the makeup of the human organism, and the interaction between movement and the channels. Classical ideas underlying etiology and the diagnosis of pain are also explored. Part two is a translation of the chapters on painful obstruction (bi) and lower back pain from one of the best modern Chinese books on internal medicine. The history of traditional Chinese approaches to these disorders is related, followed by a full discussion of each of the associated patterns and treatment regimens (primarily herbal). Clinical research regarding the use of traditional methods in the treatment of biomedicallydefined diseases is summarized. Part three presents the authors own approach to rheumatological disorders, which utilizes many aspects of the modern French energetic acupuncture models, including barrier and trigger points. After a brief introduction to the French Acupuncture Association's methodology, the authors discuss how acupuncture (and, in some cases, Western phytotherapy) can be used to treat such problems as degenerative joint disease, rheumatoid arthritis and postmenopausal osteoporosis. The balance of part three is devoted to an account of the physiology, pathology and treatment of each of the joints with acupuncture. Part four contains a rich selection of translations from over a dozen premodern classical texts regarding rheumatological disorders. These run the gamut of Chinese medical history, from the Inner Classic and Discussion of Cold-induced Disorders to Confucians' Duties to Their Parents and Essential Readingsfor Those in the Medical Lineage. With much material that is new to the traditional Chinese medical literature in English, Rheumatology in Chinese Medicine is certain to become a seminal work in this field.