This outstanding book examines the causes of pain according to TCM. It is a book that goes beyond the basic theories of Chinese medicine by applying them to the specific theme of pain. It is extremely useful not only for students seeking to understand correct pathomechanism and symptom diagnosis according to Chinese medicine, but as well for practitioners who on a daily basis seek to relieve their patients of common painful discomforts and ailments. This is certain to be a text that is well received by clinicians at many levels of experience.

This work casts light on the different causes of pain as the basis for choosing the right treatment method. For example, several patients may display the identical pain symptom, but that symptom may be brought about by several different causes. Thus, different treatments may be needed to treat the same pain symptom, which is known as “unlike treatment of like disease.” This is a concept that is universal in Chinese traditional medicine but given little consideration in the current Western biomedical model.

Causes, pathomechanism, symptom diagnosis are broadly discussed, then given focus in ensuing chapters on pain due to headache, trigeminal neuralgia, cervical spondylosis, stiff neck, periarthritis of the shoulder, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, intercostal neuralgia, herpes zoster, chronic gastritis, gallstones, cholecystitis, ulcerative colitis, urethritis and cystitis (strangury), menstrual pain, chronic lumbar strain, prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc, sciatica, knee pain, and arthritis. Each condition is given a careful and complete description and detailed analysis. Each contains full prescriptions both for Chinese medicinal and acupuncture therapy.

The Chinese medicinal formulas in this book have been written by Professor Zhang Chunrong, who divides his time between researching, authoring, teaching and seeing patients at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Professor Zhang’s academic achievements are outstanding. Thus, his choices of formulas and variations are based on an extremely well-founded academic foundation. They can be apppreciated by anyone who has completed studies of Chinese medicinals and formulas and are an excellent means for furthering skill in applying the principles of Chinese Medicine to the treatment of pain.

The acupuncture prescriptions were written by Dr. Liu Dequan, vice chief doctor of the Beijng Xuanwu TCM Hospital , who has seen patients all day, six days a week, for over 40 years, averaging more than 80 patients on a normal day. Because of this wealth of experience, and because he comes from a family tradition of CM practitioners, his treatments are often anything but “by the book” and are perfectly adapted to the individual case of the patient. Nevertheless, he strictly applies the principles of Chinese medicine in his therapeutic decision. Therefore, his acupuncture prescriptions are both a clinical treasury and a chance to step away from textbook knowledge and learn the “way of thought” (si lu) that Dr. Liu has developed using the principles Chinese medicine according to the nature of change.

The back matter includes a useful Chinese – Latin table of medicinals, and a Pinyin-English table of acupuncture points.