For Universal Understanding of Kampo Medicine in which Context is a Keyword / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

In order to have a more “universal understanding” of Kampo medicine, it helps to explain the “fundamental concepts” and the “theoretical framework” of Kampo medicine, in latest life science knowledge with a key word “context.”Ki, Ketsu and Sui are the three elements which compose the cellular environment (context), and shoulder the maintenance of life's activities, which are dependent on metabolic changes and information flow. The function and structure of the living body are normally led by Ki, Ketsu and Sui.The five parenchymatous viscera (lungs, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys) are not only organs which maintain the cellular environment, they also act as higher control systems which control organ activities. These five viscera as higher control systems create conditions (context) throughout the body and control the life activities of each organ in an integrated manner.In a sick person, these organ life activities take on a kind of “fighting style” which can change from moment to moment, with natural disease progression and/or treatment intervention. The classic text Shokanron describes these changes in fighting style as the “six stages of disease”, and indicates formulation choices based on variations in the body's fighting style.From the viewpoint of a connection with Western medicine and a dialog with traditional Chinese medicine, explaining Kampo medicine in ways which anyone can understand by creating a universal understanding of its fundamental concepts and theoretical framework, is our mission for the 21st Century.