Which Conditions Are Suitable for Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Patients frequently ask: “I have a certain illness—should I see a Western doctor or a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner?” To address this, the author interviewed Dr. Zhu Mingfang, Head of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Shanghai Ren'ai Hospital, who clarified many patients’ doubts.
1. After Major Illness or Physical Weakness
After serious illness or in physically weak individuals, symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, insomnia, indigestion, and night sweats commonly occur. At this stage, TCM is particularly effective because it emphasizes holistic regulation, helping weakened individuals quickly regain physiological balance.
2. Gynecological Disorders
Conditions like dysmenorrhea, menstrual irregularities, functional bleeding, infertility, menopausal syndrome, pregnancy-related issues, and postpartum ailments—including severe morning sickness, postpartum anorexia, and lactation suppression—are best treated with TCM. Herbal medicines are carefully used to avoid adverse drug effects that could harm pregnant women and infants.
3. Pediatric Diseases
Children, especially young ones, cannot describe their symptoms accurately, and parents often struggle to convey them precisely. TCM pediatrics uses traditional diagnostic methods—observation, auscultation, inquiry, and pulse-taking—combined with modern laboratory tests. Through comprehensive analysis, accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment are achieved.
4. Complex and Difficult Disorders
For patients after tumor surgery or chemotherapy, or those with advanced cancer, TCM can assist in recovery, extend survival, and improve quality of life. For difficult conditions such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, oligospermia, azoospermia, female infertility, coldness, neurasthenia, facial paralysis, paralysis, hair loss, psoriasis, vitiligo, etc., TCM may produce unexpected therapeutic effects.
5. Conditions Without Clear Diagnosis
When people feel unwell but medical examinations reveal no organic disease, TCM is recommended. Symptoms such as qi deficiency, night sweats, tinnitus, limb numbness, cold extremities, abdominal distension, constipation, loose stools, frequent urination, thirst, chest tightness, irritability, depression, lethargy, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, and forgetfulness are suitable for TCM evaluation.