Pattern Classification in Kampo Medicine

Abstract

Pattern classification is very unique in traditional medicine. Kampo medical patterns have transformed over time during Japan's history. In the 17th to 18th centuries, Japanese doctors advocated elimination of the Ming medical theory and followed the basic concepts put forth by Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui Yao Lue in the later Han dynasty (25–220 AD). The physician Todo Yoshimasu (1702–1773) emphasized that an appropriate treatment could be administered if a set of patterns could be identified. This principle is still referred to as “matching of pattern and formula” and is the basic concept underlying Kampo medicine today. In 1868, the Meiji restoration occurred, and the new government changed its policies to follow that of the European countries, adopting only Western medicine. Physicians trained in Western medicine played an important role in the revival of Kampo medicine, modernizing Kampo patterns to avoid confusion with Western biomedical terminology. In order to understand the Japanese version of traditional disorders and patterns, background information on the history of Kampo and its role in the current health care system in Japan is important. In this paper we overviewed the formation of Kampo patterns.

The Kampo Medicine Rokumigan Possesses Antibiofilm, Anti-Inflammatory, and Wound Healing Properties

“…Today, 148 Kampo formulations are regulated by the Japanese national health insurance system and prescribed by licensed medical professionals as well as authorized Kampo practitioners [13, 14]. Despite that, few studies have been conducted to elucidate the medicinal properties and mechanisms of action of Kampos.…”

Preclinical Toxicological Investigation of Siddha Formulation Visha Sanjeevi by Acute and 28 Days Repeated Oral Toxicity Studies in Wistar Rats

“…20 As per the regulatory and safety standard requirements it become mandate for the researcher and investigators to ascertain the dose optimization and validation procedure for investigational products before extrapolating actual therapeutic trials. 21,22 This core practice enhance the potential of evaluating of safety and benefits on those who volunteering the trials pertains to herbal preparation. These standardized operational procedures provoke exemplary way on careful monitoring of drug induced adverse events and also to formulate the risk-benefit ratio determination in clinical trial programme.…”

Predicting Japanese Kampo formulas by analyzing database of medical records: a preliminary observational study

“…The non-specialist variable set included age, sex, BMI, subjective symptoms, and the two essential and predictable traditional medicine pattern diagnoses—excess–deficiency and heat–cold—according to Kampo specialists. The specialist variable set included ten abdominal examination findings, which are especially important traditional measurement methods, and eight body constituent patterns, in addition to all of the predictor variables of the non-specialist variable set [8, 17]. …”

“…Physicians specialized in Kampo medicine use four methods of procedures to make their diagnoses including: inspection, hearing, enquiry, and palpation. Based on the information obtained through these complex procedures, the diagnoses are formed through the process of applying the differential diagnoses for “disharmony symptoms” in the areas of excess–deficiency, heat–cold, and body constituents (Qi, blood, and fluid) to chronic health conditions [8]. However, because there are many ingredients of Kampo formulas and countless traditional medicine pattern diagnoses, it is difficult for non-specialist physicians to accurately and promptly choose a suitable Kampo formula.…”