Bone Scans and TCM

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/18/2002 9:10:19 PM Central Standard Time, mbuyze writes:

 

 

 

From a TCM perspective, what meaning (if any) does decreased bone

density have (as indicated by a bone scan)?

 

 

Michael

 

If I read our threads correctly, we MUST say that decreased bone density on a bone scan can have no meaning in Traditional , since the Emperor's physicians did not perform them. And isn't it true that most of the diagnostic data on which a physician bases his diagnosis in TCM is entirely that which can be felt, tasted, smelled ... sensed?

 

 

Guy Porter

DrGRPorter

[Guest guest]

Guy:

 

Interesting point. It reopens the old thread about how to

incorporate WM findings---earlier limited to reading lab tests.

Strictly speaking in TCM, changes in bones density would probably

not be an issue outside of the general phenomenon of brittle and

weak bones---easily broken---in the elderly and some diseases. But

we should not be naive when it comes to findings from other systems.

We should make use of everything around us. Translation should not

be focused solely on past concepts, but incorporate new ideas to

prevent it becoming too insular. But we need to be careful because

this process is often criticized as " making stuff up " (MSU) because

it doesn't have a literal basis or connection in the classics. Some

of the worst recent efforts are the attempts by Deke Kendall, Felix

Mann, and others to rewrite the foundation of CM in light

the " correct " conclusions held by WM. While some argument can be

make that CM has models that are prototypical of Western systems,

their attempts seem largely political in character and not strictly

intellectual. These controversies sometimes make this old ex-

Catholic altar boy long for the Latinization of CM terms by Porkert.

 

Some processes take place over long periods of time---for example,

when an x-ray shows 5% loss of density over a period of a year or

more--and may not show signs or symptoms accessible to CM until some

critical point is reached, like a broken hip. The first chapter of

the Suwen only gives us a very broad and generalized picture of

aging. So Western pathophysiology can add important details---many

of which can be observed in pulse diagnosis.

 

The function of building bone is a reflection of kidney yang, and

the actual substantialness of the bone a reflection of kidney yin.

We see both types of kidney herbs (along with others) in bone

formulas.

 

Jim Ramholz

 

 

 

 

, drgrporter@a... wrote:

> If I read our threads correctly, we MUST say that decreased bone

density on a bone scan can have no meaning in Traditional Chinese

Medicine, since the Emperor's physicians did not perform them. And

isn't it true that most of the diagnostic data on which a physician

bases his diagnosis in TCM is entirely that which can be felt,

tasted, smelled ... sensed?