Approach to Chinese Medical Diagnosis

In CM, diagnostics applies the methods of diagnosis to collect clinical information and, based on this information, to assess the state of health and the cause and status of illness of the patient. It is a discipline that comprises theories, methodology and skills, and has a rich content. It is fundamental to all branches of clinical CM. In CM diagnosis depends upon the physician's ability to collect clinical information, to analyze and to infer logically, all without resorting to the use of any apparatus. It is possible to infer the pathological changes in the interior of the body from observation of external symptoms because the human body is an organic whole. All parts of the body are intimately and inseparably linked by the meridians. Because of this meridian system, certain pathological changes in an organ are always accompanied by tenderness in the organ's corresponding acupoints. Conversely, by finding the tender acupoints the physician can infer which organ is affected by illness.