Pingdingshan University, Henan, China.
*Corresponding author: Xichao Xia
Pingdingshan University, Henan, China.
Email ID: 625475834@qq.com
Received: Dec 27, 2024
Accepted: Jan 20, 2025
Published Online: Jan 27, 2025
Journal: Annals of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Copyright: Xia X et al. © All rights are reserved
Citation: Wang F, Yang Q, Wang Y, Li L, Xia X, et al. Traditional Chinese Medicine Nursing: A new perspective from combination of Huang Di Nei Jing and Contemporary Medicine. Ann Tradit Chin Med. 2025; 2(1): 1006
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) plays an important role on a global scale and has unique advantages in promoting overall health and preventive care. TCM nursing can be traced back to the earliest classic of Huang Di Nei Jing. Few views of life care, dietary care and psychiatric care not only exhibit value of time in health preservation and the patient care, but also contribute to evaluate the level of nursing. One trend of combination of TCM and contemporary medicine has gradually become an important direction for nursing. To take advantage of scientific cognition, technological innovation and practical experience functions as a booster for progress of TCM nursing. With the dissemination and promotion of TCM, nursing, a broad landscape of TCM nursing should be come true in the future that make greater contributions to global human health.
Keywords: Traditional Chinese Medicine nursing; Combination; Huang di neijing; Contemporary medicine.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) nursing, as an important part of TCM, has played an important role in medical practice in China and other areas since ancient times [1]. Its theoretical foundation is rooted in ancient philosophical concepts such as the doctrine of Yin-Yang, Five Elements and meridians, that emphasize holistic concepts and balanced treatment [2]. TCM nursing can be traced back to the earliest classic of Huang Di Nei Jing, which is the earliest surviving medical text in China [3]. It summarizes the medical care experience before the Qin and Han dynasties, and its content is profound and broadness [3,4]. In this book, it builds a close connection among the universe, the earth and human beings from a macroscopic point of view [5,6]. Arrange of basic theories and methods of Chinese medicine are emerged in the Huang Di Nei Jing, it also establishes the theoretical system of Chinese medicine for analysis of illnesses [5,6]. It has made great contributions to disease analysis, disease prevention, disease treatment, prognosis and rehabilitation, etc., which also contains a wealth of nursing theories and methods [5,6]. Meanwhile, it is worthy to collate and generalize knowledge from different views, that has an important role for TCM nursing [3,4]. With the development of contemporary medicine, application of TCM nursing has received widespread attention in contemporary medicine. In the current study, it is great interesting to integrate traditional medicine theory by comprehensive analysis of TCM nursing and contemporary medicine development in order to promote human health.
The theoretical foundation of TCM nursing is rooted in the theoretical system of Huang Di Nei Jing, which includes Yin-Yang, Five Elements and meridians [3,4]. These theories have a profound reflection about human life activities and the mechanisms of disease occurrence. From the modern medical view, operation of the body is accomplished by the nine major systems of the human body, the nine major systems interact with each other [7]. One problem occurred in one system will inevitably cause a problem in the other systems [8,9]. These views are line with the theory of Huang Di Nei Jing. Therefore, it is demonstrated that the function of human body is based on the harmonious and orderly operation of the nine systems. Fulfillment of body function is depended on the energy derived from daily intake of food as the material foundation [10]. Meanwhile, the nine systems of the body’s operation are close related with the external environment. The nine systems of internal operation keep with a state of order and harmony, that is positive respond to interference and influence of external environment. In this condition, internal operation mechanism and external response mechanism are under in an optimal state, that contribute to maintain health and achieve best state [7,10]. Once this mechanism is broken out, the body’s physiological functions will be disordered. Lastly, it will lead to the occurrence of diseases [7,10]. Diseases are often occurred in ones who have unbalance between internal function and external response, especially those have sick for a long time. Therefore, life care and ordinary nurse are extreme important for everyone.
In the Huang Di Nei Jing, it is attention to the importance of a lifestyle approach in order to body care and disease prevention, such as dietary habits, sleep status, and exercise and health care. It emphasizes the importance of rhythm of four seasons change, in which adjusting lifestyle is contribute to promote body function adapted to changes of external environment [5,6]. Meanwhile, it is helpful to established the body’s equilibrium. Therefore, adjusting body’s intrinsic functioning mechanism is regarded as key element in the Huang Di Nei Jing with respecting nursing body care [11]. With the temperature rises in the spring and summer, we should go to bed late and get up early, and extending time of lunch break in one day, so as to supplement enough sleep time [11]. With the weather gradually transforming cooler in the fall, we should go to bed early and get up early in one day. In the winter, weather becoming very cold, we should go to bed early and get up late in order to ensure body temperature and increase immunity. These suggestions should be helpful to improve the effect of family nursing and child nursing.
The nine systems of body include different tissues and organs, the run of these organs are based on the source of food intake. Food will provide energy to every cell of organ through digestion and absorption, so that the cells, tissues, organs, and systems begin to run dynamically. In a dynamic process of life operation, moving state of blood, body fluids, lymphatic fluid can be seen in the body [12]. At the same time, heat generation, movement and dissipation are also detected in the body. Once the dynamic process goes wrong, dysfunction of body will inevitably be occurred at the level of tissues and organs, which will subsequently affect the realization of system’s functions. With respect of existence of mutual restraint among nine systems, procedure of other system will also step into wrong [7,12]. Lastly, few abnormal signs should inform to the whole body. In the Huang Di Nei Jing as well as TCM, when the body is occurred in disorder or disease, it is necessary to restore body function into a normal state as soon as possible. It is recommended physical measures to adjust body into a positive state, such as Shadow Boxing, Five Animal Games, Eight Brocade, Tendon Reborn and so on. Aftermath of disease, Shadow Boxing, Five Animal Games, Eight Brocade, Tendon Reborn are suggested to exercises by combining one’s hobbies and physical condition. In this period, appropriate exercise plays a promoting role in the circulation of blood and the operation of heat, that can strengthen body immunity, prevent diseases occurrence, achieve effective exercise [5]. Notably, it is also reminded that exercise can’t not be excessive and beyond the limit in the Huang Di Nei Jing, especially in one patient. As to every kind of exercise, it is important to find a suitable for oneself in respect of constitutional difference of everyone. These practices provide references for clinical nursing and rehabilitation nursing.
In the Huang Di Nei Jing, a great of efforts are involved into to the discovery of laws derive from changes of natural environment. Based on the adapting changes of body function along with environment, a various of strategy are summarized and used to prevent disease in the early stages [3,4]. In the ordinary life and living activities, we should emphasize temperature changes brought about by the change of climate according laws of nature. If our activities are violated with law, body will be attacked by different types of external factors. Once body cannot endure this injury, the internal operation of body is under in a state of disorganization that cause the occurrence of disease. In the state of fast-paced life, it is unavoidable to deal with large of complex problems derived from work, society, family [12,13]. In the process, overworked phenomena may bring about an erupting disease. Considering here, movement of live should return to the laws of nature function so that the body can be sustained in a positive state healthy life. Movement of every life is obliged to regulation and law of living, if regulation and law are destroyed, body will be injured and become illness. Therefore, combination regulation of internal operation and law of natural environment is important to elevate the effect of nursing in the clinical practice.
The digestive system, as an important part of the nine systems of the human body, plays an active role in food intake, digestion and absorption. Compared with other living individuals, human beings are belonging to omnivores. During the long evolutionary process of human beings, the digestive system has gradually developed the structural characteristics and functional attributes for the intake and digestion of different types of food. Therefore, it suggested that human beings can consume corn, wheat, rice and soybeans to replenish energy for the body’s primary needs in the Huang Di Nei Jing [12,13]. Meanwhile, human beings also can consume fruits such as apples, pears, bananas, peaches and watermelons, that work as a supplement to replenish the need for basic food [14]. Notably, body may consume animal meat such as cows, goats, fishes and chickens to replenish high energy [15]. Interestingly, it is indicated that intake of vegetables is contribute to increase the peristaltic capacity of the stomach and intestines. As to different stage of patients, these views provide an arrange of guide for food choice in the clinical nursing.
In terms of food intake, a series of insights are fund in the Huang Di Nei Jing. Dietary behavior of individual should be obliged to a regular manner in the daily, ovoid intake of food too full, too salty, too fatty, too sweet, and too partial. If the single substance or special element of ingested food exceed the receptive capacity of the stomach, small and large intestines, these foods result in a burden on the digestive system [16]. Perhaps, it should bring about impair on the digestion and absorption in indefinite condition. Therefore, food is not functioning as active role, but a negative player. In the Huang Di Nei Jing, the dietary principles are applied in the patients care, such as regular and quantitative, avoiding gluttony and multiple meals, and over-starvation and over-fullness.
In the Huang Di Nei Jing, the quantity of food is advised in the daily, the quality is also limited. Temperature of food intake is restricted that should suitable for acceptance of the stomach, small intestine and large intestine, so as to minimize or avoid stress reactions. The temperature of ingested food should not be too high or too cold, but should be moderately warm [13]. In the rational temperature range, food can be smoothly accepted by the digestive system that contribute to enhance the peristaltic ability of the stomach and intestines, increase production of digestive enzymes, and build a stable ecosystem of flora. Interestingly, ingested foods are divided into sour, sweet, pungent, bitter, and salty species according to the characteristics perceived by the human taste system in the Huang Di Nei Jing [16]. It is suggested that the taste of ingested food should be suitable for one’s palatability and digestive acceptance. Meanwhile, paranoia and taste hobbies should be avoided in order to reduce the negative effects on the body. Food intake should be varied and sustain a reasonable mix of sugars, lipids, proteins, minerals and vitamins. As to the old people, it is suggested to reduce intake of sweet and fatty food, avoid excessive alcoholism, and reduce spoiled foods. These suggestions are helpful to patients in the clinical nursing and family care, especially to old people and child.
It is worth noting that drugs may work as double-edged sword in the Huang Di Nei Jing [15]. Drug can play a positive therapeutic effect on diseases, while it is recognized the negative effects of drug on the body. In the process of disease treatment, it is important to pay attention to the fact that the use of drug should not exceed the limits of the body [15]. Once disease is fully controlled, the use of drug should be reduced and avoided. On the other hand, the role of food should be fully utilized in order to improve the body’s immunity. When the main problems and contradictions of the disease are solved by medication, dietary treatments should be utilized to increase the body’s energy supply, enhance immunity and resistance. Combination of medication treatment and food role is important strategy to improve patient’s status in the clinical nursing.
In the Huang Di Nei Jing, it is suggested that there is a close relationship between emotions changes and physical health [17]. In the nursing, it is important to deal with the transmit of patient’s emotions in one’s daily life and reduce the occurrence of negative emotions [18]. It is proposed that too anger should harm the liver and gallbladder, too ecstasy harm the heart and blood vessel, excessive worry harm the digestive system, excessive worry harm the respiratory system, excessive fear harm the reproductive system [19]. In clinical nursing and family care, positive physiology may play a key role in the treatment, suck as maintaining inner peace, enjoying happy mood, maintaining stable emotion. Therefore, Physiological effect is involved into dealing with problems derived from work, family and life in an orderly manner. In the TCM nursing, it is suggested that maintain a peaceful mood, that is helpful to disease treatment [20]. Main idea of peaceful mood guide patients to take a positive attitude towards external things, advocate the nature of emotional and spiritual activities [20]. Meanwhile, the nursing doctrine of reasoning and enlightenment is created.
A serious of modern research have gradually revealed the scientific connotation of Huang Di Nei Jing theory, that pave a road for the practice and development of TCM nursing [21]. It is believed that everything in the universe existed is under the role of mutual opposition and mutual unity, ultimately it results in a synergy of movement and development. Meanwhile, occurrence of physiological and pathological phenomena is also affected by the synergy in body. With the increase of patients with chronic diseases, the application of TCM nursing has a bright future in chronic disease management [22]. With gentle, safe and effective features, TCM nursing has unique advantages in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of chronic diseases [23]. Personalized nursing is one important trend in the development of TCM in the future [24]. With the progress of medical technology and requirement for health, TCM nursing will pay more attention to the individual differences and needs of patients, adopt targeted nursing programs, and provide personalized services [25].
Application of TCM Nursing combines the theory and practical experience of TCM, that aims to conduct scientific and systematic research on TCM Nursing. Notably, one trend of combination of TCM and contemporary medicine has gradually become an important direction for nursing. One new pattern of nursing is designed with a holistic and personalized model, that take advantages of TCM and contemporary medicine to providing more comprehensive care and effective nursing.
Disclosure statement: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.