Rheumatology

【Department History】 The Department of Rheumatology was established in 1999 and was the earliest department in Shenzhen primarily dedicated to the treatment and research of rheumatic diseases using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

【Department Honors】 It is currently a Key TCM Specialty of Guangdong Province and a Specialty with TCM Characteristics of Shenzhen. It took the lead in establishing the Anti-Gout Alliance of the Clinical Inheritance and Innovation Research Center for TCM in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area; the Rheumatology Professional Committee of the Shenzhen Association of Chinese Medicine; the Gout Professional Committee of the Shenzhen Society for Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine; and the Rheumatic Disease Chronic Disease Health Management Professional Committee of the Shenzhen Association of TCM Health Services. It is also a deputy-chairperson institution of the Rheumatology Branch of the China Association of Chinese Medicine and of the Rheumatology Joint Prevention and Treatment Innovation Community. It has received such honors as the “First Batch of Science Popularization Studios of the China Association of Chinese Medicine,” awarded by the China Association of Chinese Medicine; Ailibi’s “Best Clinical Specialty of Chinese Medicine Hospitals in China”; and “Advanced Collective in Health and Medical Science and Education Management in Shenzhen.”

【Department Leadership】 Professor Zhang Jianyong (张剑勇), a renowned TCM physician of Guangdong Province, serves as the academic leader and administrative director of the department and has made outstanding contributions to its development and advancement. In 2024, Professor Xie Jingjing (谢静静) became the person in charge of the department and has presided over its work.

【Research Scope】 Guided by academic research, the department will establish “3+x” subspecialties and areas of disease expertise. Its research covers common diseases such as gout, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, and postpartum body pain, as well as complex, difficult-to-diagnose, and severe conditions such as systemic sclerosis, vasculitis, connective-tissue-disease-associated interstitial pneumonia, and macrophage activation syndrome.

【Department Services and Operations】 The department currently has two inpatient wards with 62 beds. It has a medical and nursing team of 33 people, including 11 people with doctoral degrees, 1 doctoral supervisor, and 3 master’s supervisors. Its annual outpatient service volume exceeds 50,000 visits. The department has established specialty clinics for gout, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, connective tissue diseases, and other conditions. With support from Shenzhen’s Medical and Health “Three Famous” Project, the department has twice introduced the rheumatology team led by Professor Jiang Quan (姜泉) of Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, substantially improving the department’s specialist medical capabilities. The department follows the guiding principles of “when TCM can be used, do not use Western medicine; use TCM first and Western medicine second; uphold TCM while drawing on Western medicine; and integrate Chinese and Western medicine,” fully leveraging the advantages of TCM’s “characteristic therapies that reduce toxicity and enhance efficacy.” It has independently developed three provincial-level TCM preparations—Hushen Tongfeng Tai Granules (护肾痛风泰颗粒), Ciling Huazhuo Granules (慈苓化浊颗粒), and Jinling Jiangzhuo Granules (金苓降浊颗粒)—as well as more than 10 agreed prescriptions, and has carried out distinctive TCM therapies such as cupping, Governor Vessel moxibustion, and gua sha. It was the first to introduce medical equipment such as musculoskeletal ultrasound and a nailfold microcirculation detector, and has actively developed new programs including needle-knife endoscopy, intraorbital electroacupuncture, and modified labial gland biopsy. As a core institution, it has also participated in formulating 12 national-level guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases using TCM or integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine. In scientific research, it has received 6 provincial- or ministerial-level Science and Technology Progress Awards, led more than 30 national-, provincial-, and municipal-level research projects, and published more than 260 papers in SCI-indexed and core journals. The department established the Shenzhen Gout Care Club and the “解语风湿” video and Douyin accounts, integrating science popularization into chronic disease management, and received the title of “National Outstanding TCM Health Club.” Looking ahead, the department will continue integrating medical care, teaching, research, prevention, health care, rehabilitation, and translational work; serve patients with rheumatic diseases throughout the country; and build a model of health education.

【Department Group Photo】