Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common group of rheumatic diseases in childhood. It refers to arthritis affecting one or more joints that begins before the age of 16 and persists for 6 weeks or longer, after other known causes have been excluded. TCM Pattern Differentiation and Medication Reference References
Reactive arthritis is a group of sterile arthritides that occur following infection in specific parts of the body, such as the intestines or genitourinary tract, and are associated with an abnormal immune response. Symptoms do not necessarily occur at the same time as the primary illness, and the joint changes are not caused by direct…
Adult-onset Still’s disease is a clinical syndrome of unknown etiology characterized primarily by fever, joint pain and/or arthritis, myalgia, rash, sore throat, and lymph node enlargement, accompanied by an increased peripheral blood granulocyte count and involvement of multiple organ systems. TCM Pattern Differentiation and Medication Reference References
Behçet’s disease (BD), also known as Behçet disease or the oral-ocular-genital triad, is a chronic systemic inflammatory vasculitis. It is characterized primarily by recurrent oral ulcers, genital ulcers, eye inflammation, and skin lesions. It may also affect the blood vessels, nervous system, digestive tract, joints, lungs, kidneys, epididymis, and other organs. Most patients have a…
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a syndrome characterized by muscle pain in the neck, shoulder girdle, and pelvic girdle, morning stiffness, and systemic features such as fever and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). TCM Pattern Differentiation and Medication Reference References
Scleroderma is a systemic autoimmune disease of unclear cause, characterized clinically by localized or diffuse skin thickening and fibrosis. It can affect internal organs, including the heart, lungs, digestive tract, and kidneys. Systemic scleroderma is also called systemic sclerosis. TCM Pattern Identification and Medication Reference References
Inflammatory myopathies are a heterogeneous group of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases characterized primarily by involvement of the proximal muscles of the limbs, with symmetric muscle weakness as a prominent feature. Other organs are often affected at the same time. Polymyositis and dermatomyositis are the most common forms. TCM Pattern Differentiation and Medication Reference References
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a diffuse connective tissue disease mediated by autoimmunity, with immune-mediated inflammation as a prominent feature. Its clinical manifestations are diverse, and the disease often alternates between remission and exacerbation. The presence in serum of various autoantibodies, including antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and involvement of multiple organ systems are key clinical features…
Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that primarily affects the exocrine glands. Clinically, damage to the salivary and lacrimal glands and reduced function lead to dry mouth and dry eyes. In addition, other exocrine glands and organs outside the glands may be affected, resulting in multisystem involvement, including the lungs, kidneys, digestive system,…
Rheumatoid arthritis is a common autoimmune disease whose main clinical presentation is symmetrical polyarthritis. It is characterized by chronic inflammation of the joint synovium and progressive joint damage. Its primary pathological changes are chronic synovitis and pannus formation, which can erode cartilage and bone and lead to joint destruction. TCM Pattern Differentiation and Medication Reference…
Gout is a crystal-associated arthropathy caused by the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. It is directly associated with hyperuricemia resulting from disordered purine metabolism and/or reduced uric acid excretion, and falls within the category of metabolic rheumatic diseases. Gout specifically refers to acute characteristic arthritis and chronic tophaceous disease. It may be complicated by…
Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease in which bone strength declines for various reasons, increasing bone fragility and significantly raising the risk of fracture. It is a common systemic disease with a gradual onset and a prolonged course. It is more common in middle-aged and older adults and in postmenopausal women. Bone mineral density and bone…
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disease involving degeneration, fissuring, ulceration, and loss of articular cartilage, arising from multiple factors. Its cause is not fully understood; its development is associated with factors such as age, obesity, inflammation, trauma, and genetics. Pathological features include degeneration and destruction of articular cartilage, sclerosis or cystic changes in the subchondral…
Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a group of clinical syndromes of unknown etiology, characterized primarily by widespread pain and marked physical discomfort. It is often accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbances, morning stiffness, and psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. FMS is classified as primary or secondary. Primary FMS is idiopathic and is not associated with…
Postpartum Bi syndrome refers to muscle, limb, or joint soreness or pain, heaviness, numbness, and impaired movement occurring within 100 days after childbirth, miscarriage, or induced labor, following exposure to external pathogenic factors. It may be accompanied by sweating, aversion to wind, and sensitivity to cold, with symptoms worsening in cold or rainy weather. Recurrent…
