Bridging East & West: How TCM patterns connect with Western diseases 🌿💊

Hi friends!

Today we want to dive into a question that so many TCM students ask:

👉 “Can I find a TCM diagnosis that matches every Western medical condition?”

The short answer? No. But the real answer? It’s even better than that.

Because this is where studying Western pathology and TCM patterns together becomes really exciting—and so, so important for your future practice.

1. How Western Medicine Works

Western medicine names a disease—something like hypertension, COPD, or IBS. It studies the pathophysiology (what’s happening in the body), and then treats it with pharmacology—prescription drugs designed to manage the condition.

Example:

Hypertension → managed with drugs like Lisinopril (an ACE inhibitor), or Hydrochlorothiazide (a thiazide diuretic). These relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and prevent complications like stroke or heart attack.

Depression → managed with SSRIs (like fluoxetine/Prozac), SNRIs, or sometimes benzodiazepines for anxiety. These target neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine.

This is powerful and life-saving medicine. And as future practitioners, you must understand it—both for your exams and for the safety of your patients.

That’s why we created the Pathology & Pharmacology Deck 💊.

It helps you learn:

• Common diseases
• The drugs used to treat them
• Side effects and cautions you need to know as a TCM practitioner

2. How TCM Works

Now here’s the difference: TCM looks for the pattern of imbalance behind the symptoms.

This is why you can’t say “hypertension = one TCM diagnosis.” You have to ask:

What’s the tongue look like?

What’s the pulse?

What’s the overall presentation?

That’s what guides your differential diagnosis.

3. Let’s Compare Side by Side

Here are a few examples where we can see Western vs. TCM side by side:

Hypertension (Western: high blood pressure)

• Western treatment: ACE inhibitors (lisinopril), beta blockers (metoprolol), calcium channel blockers (amlodipine).
• TCM possibilities:
  • Liver Yang Rising → dizziness, headache, red eyes.
  • Yin Deficiency with Yang Hyperactivity → tinnitus, night sweats, dry throat.
  • Liver Fire Blazing → anger, irritability, bitter taste.
  • Phlegm-Damp → heaviness, chest oppression, obesity.

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

• Western treatment: Inhalers (albuterol, tiotropium), steroids, oxygen therapy.
• TCM possibilities:
  • Lung Qi Deficiency → weak voice, shortness of breath.
  • Kidney Yang Deficiency → fatigue, cold limbs.
  • Kidney Yin Deficiency → dry throat, night sweats.
  • Phlegm-Heat in Lungs → loud wheezing, yellow sputum, chest fullness.

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

• Western treatment: Antispasmodics, dietary management, SSRIs or stress management.
• TCM possibilities:
  • Liver Qi Stagnation overacting on Spleen → bloating, alternating diarrhea/constipation, stress-related.
  • Spleen Qi Deficiency → fatigue, loose stools, poor appetite.
  • Damp-Heat in Intestines → urgency, mucus in stool, abdominal pain.

Depression

• Western treatment: SSRIs (fluoxetine, sertraline), SNRIs, sometimes psychotherapy.
• TCM possibilities:
  • Liver Qi Stagnation → mood swings, sighing, chest tightness.
  • Heart & Spleen Deficiency → palpitations, fatigue, poor concentration.
  • Phlegm-Damp Obstructing the Mind → heaviness, brain fog, low motivation.

Migraines

• Western treatment: Triptans, NSAIDs, beta blockers for prevention.
• TCM possibilities:
  • Liver Yang Rising → unilateral headache, dizziness, irritability.
  • Blood Stasis → sharp, fixed, stabbing pain.
  • Qi & Blood Deficiency → dull, lingering headache worse with exertion.

4. Why You Need Both Decks

This is why we built the study system the way we did:

☯️ Diagnosis Deck → trains you in differential diagnosis. You’ll pick up a card for insomnia or cough and explore multiple possible TCM patterns, learning to spot the key signs that set them apart.

💊 Pathology & Pharmacology Deck → keeps you grounded in Western knowledge. You’ll know what diseases are, what treatments patients are on, and what side effects you need to watch for.

When you study both together, here’s what happens:

• Your exam prep (CALE, NCCAOM, Pan-Can) becomes much smoother—you cover both biomedical and TCM sections.
• In clinic, you’ll be prepared. A patient tells you, “I have hypertension and I’m on lisinopril,” and you’ll instantly connect both sides:
  • Western: ACE inhibitor, risk of cough side effect.
  • TCM: Check tongue, pulse, symptoms

That’s the true bridge between East and West.

5. Pro Study Tips

1. Pair decks together: When you study hypertension in the Pathology & Pharmacology Deck, immediately flip to the Diagnosis Deck and ask, “What TCM patterns could show up in this case?”
2. Always check tongue & pulse: Memorizing symptoms isn’t enough. Differential diagnosis is built on these foundations.
3. Think in bundles: Our Starter Pack (Diagnosis + Foundations) gives you the basics. But if you want the complete East-West view, add Pathology & Pharmacology.

Studying TCM isn’t about memorizing a one-to-one map of “disease = pattern.” It’s about training your mind to see patterns of imbalance while also respecting the biomedical side—because that’s the world your patients live in.

That’s why we built these decks: to make studying smarter, easier, and way more practical.

With gratitude,
Bora & Isaac
Boncho Friends