New paradigm of research - The Politics of Paradigms

[Guest guest]

Rey,

I very much appreciate your comments, and I agree with you when you

write: 'these clinial evaluation data generated are what I consider the

clinical evidence that validates the efficacy of TCM therapies.'

 

Perhaps we could introduce into this discussion the phrase 'the

politics of paradigms' (in reference to Laing's insight that

experience is a political issue, as in his phrase 'the politics of

experience'). The politics of paradigms comprises issues such as 'the

war for the minds of men' (Chomsky). In the politics of paradigms,

we're considering belief systems, power issues, commercial issues,

etc., not only separately, but in relation to one another.

 

I'm not against research in the abstract, but my concern, along with

others in this forum, is that deep and far-ranging issues are involved

in these matters that need to be given serious consideration. Unschuld

has also stressed this point.

 

The fallback position is to clearly keep in mind the valuable point

you expressed: 'these clinial evaluation data generated are what I

consider the

clinical evidence that validates the efficacy of TCM therapies.'

 

Best wishes,

Wainwright

 

 

 

-

" rey tiquia " <rey

 

Friday, November 14, 2003 5:31 AM

New paradigm of research

 

 

Nov.14,2003

 

 

Hi Wainwright,

 

I really enjoy reading your philsophical insights.

 

I think you are right about Prof. Smallwood's enterprise on

biomedicalization. He is acting in accordance with his own professional

bias. It was very clear from the whole tone and content of his

presentation.

And this is also very clear about his comments on 'evidence' or evidence

based- medicine which are the buzz words which comes out of the mouths of

every biomedical practitioner.

 

However, when it comes to TCM or CM we also have a very clear

idea of

'evidence' i.e. clinical evidence. The Chinese word for evidence is zheng4

whose combined script meaning refers to speaking uprightly . Xie Guan

defines zheng 4 as Òdisease conditions within the body which are

discovered externallyÓ ti nei bing zhuang zhi faxian hu wai [ Xie Guan ,

Zhongguo yixue da cidian [Chinese Medical Dictionary ,Vol.4] ,Tong Xian

Da Zhong Publishing House,Beijing, l988 reprint of l921 edition China,

p.4487 ]. Zheng is also what we refer to as 'pattern' in 'pattern

differentiation. In contemporary times, the Chinese word zheng is

referred to as zheng hou which I translate into English as 'clinical

pattern'.

 

And in this whole process of pattern differentiation or bian zheng

lun zhi in chinese, we differentiate clinical signs and symptoms to

establish the pattern or the zheng hou. This is the bian zheng phase

of the TCM clinical encounter And on the basis of the clinical

pattern established , we prescribe the treatment which is a phase referred

to in Chinese as lun zhi.

 

In clinically evaluating the efficacy of therapy or therapies

administered to a specific patient, changes in the zheng hou or signs

and symptoms or the " disease conditions which are discovered extenally "

are also the most reliable indicators of clinical efficacy.

 

Herbs, acupuncture points, foods, or massage therapy are chosen

and administered on the basis of pattern differentiation . The clinical

efficacy of these therapies are also assessed on the basis of changes

in the clinical pattern i.e. changes in the symptoms.

 

This clinical evaluation is undertaken by employing the Four

examination techniques si zhen as an evaluation template. Instead

of using the Four Examination Techniques of observing, listening,

palpating and inquring to gather data for eventual diagnosis, the

Four Examination Techniques undergoes transformation into the

FOUR EVALUATION TECHNIQUES Si Ping and are used instead to observe,

palpate, listen/smell and interrogate symptoms to gather data to evaluate

the efficacy of therapies administred.

 

These clinial evaluation data generated are what I consider the

clinical evidence that validates the efficacy of TCM therapies.

 

Rey Tiquia