Rheumatology

The Department of Rheumatology of Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine was established in the early 1990s. In 2012, it became a national key specialty development unit and was also designated one of the fourth group of key medical specialties in Xiamen. Under the leadership of Chief Physician Chen Jinchun, the Department of Rheumatology has achieved rapid development in recent years and has become a key specialty of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a key specialty of Xiamen. It currently has 30 beds and 13 physicians, including 4 holders of senior professional titles, 1 doctoral supervisor, and 3 master’s supervisors. With strong technical capabilities, it has formed a technical team integrating medical care, teaching, and scientific research. The team follows the hospital motto of former President Chen Yinglong, “May I regard another person’s illness as my own illness; saving another person’s life is my own life,” carries forward the academic thought of National Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhu Liangchun, and integrates research on medicines from ancient and modern times. It selects medicines that both conform to the principles of pattern-based medication in traditional Chinese medicine and have specific therapeutic targeting for relevant diseases in modern pharmacological research. It has also introduced modern therapeutic equipment such as shock-wave therapy devices and, in combination with the theories of traditional Chinese medicine meridians and acupoints, has developed various characteristic traditional Chinese medicine therapies, including targeted transdermal delivery of Chinese medicines, fumigation and washing, and topical medicinal applications. In the treatment of rheumatic and kidney diseases with traditional Chinese medicine combined with Western medicine, particularly rheumatic and immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, and adult-onset Still’s disease, good therapeutic results have been achieved.

Principal Specialist Chen Jinchun: Discipline leader; professor at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; doctoral and master’s supervisor. He serves as a council member of the China Association of Chinese Medicine and concurrently as deputy director of its Rheumatology Professional Committee, deputy director of its Editorial and Publishing Branch, and deputy director of its Foreign Exchange Branch; he is a member of the National Association of Young Scientific and Technological Workers, vice-president of the Fujian Association of Chinese Medicine, deputy director of the Rheumatology Branch of the Fujian Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, president of the Xiamen Association of Chinese Medicine, and vice-president of the Xiamen Medical Association and Xiamen Medical Doctors Association. He has received such honors as the Seventh China Physician Award, the Second National Selection of One Hundred Outstanding Young Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Outstanding Hospital President of Fujian Province. He was also selected as an expert reviewer for National Foundation Committee projects and as a leading talent of Xiamen. He specializes in using integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine to treat rheumatic diseases and hepatobiliary diseases. He proposed the theory that phlegm and blood stasis cause rheumatoid arthritis and advocates treating rheumatoid arthritis by resolving phlegm, invigorating blood, and unblocking the channels. He has published more than 50 papers in various international, national, provincial, and municipal academic journals, including 3 papers in SCI-indexed journals, and has published 5 academic monographs. He has led 1 project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and has led or supervised multiple national, provincial, and municipal scientific research projects.

Qiu Mingshan: Academic successor, deputy chief physician, and graduate supervisor at Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He has been engaged in clinical work for 19 years. He is a member of the Rheumatology Branch of the China Association of Chinese Medicine, deputy director of the Rheumatology Branch of the Fujian Association of Chinese Medicine, deputy director of the Pain Branch of the Fujian Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, and a member of the Nephrology Branch of the Fujian Association of Chinese Medicine. He is an editorial board member of the national academic journal Rheumatology and Arthritis. He is dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine research and clinical practice in rheumatic and immune diseases and kidney diseases. He has inherited Professor Chen Jinchun’s academic thought and devoted himself to studying classical formulas, combining classical formulas with Professor Chen Jinchun’s academic thought to further develop the theory that phlegm and blood stasis cause disease. He has published more than 30 articles and has led or participated in multiple national, provincial, and municipal scientific research projects.

Introduction to the Department’s Characteristic Diseases

Wangbi/Wanbi (rheumatoid arthritis): This disease is caused by wind-, cold-, and dampness-related pathogenic factors lodging in the joints and obstructing qi and blood. It is characterized by pain, swelling, and morning stiffness in the small joints and corresponds to rheumatoid arthritis in Western medicine. In recent years, drawing on the understanding of successive physicians regarding phlegm and blood stasis causing bi syndrome, our department has concluded that pathological changes involving phlegm and blood stasis run through the entire course of Wangbi and constitute an important pathological mechanism in its development. On the basis of pattern differentiation and treatment, we apply the principles of regulating and unblocking the movement of qi and resolving phlegm, invigorating blood, and unblocking the channels throughout treatment of Wangbi. Clinically, on the basis of the formulas and medicines used to treat each pattern, our self-formulated simplified formula for resolving phlegm and invigorating blood is added as appropriate. This is combined with traditional Chinese medicine acupoint applications, shock-wave therapy, and acupoint injections. Through internal and external treatment, joint swelling can be effectively improved and the disability rate reduced.

Gout: This condition is caused by damp turbidity and blood stasis obstructing and stagnating in the joints and channels, resulting in impaired circulation of qi and blood. Its main clinical manifestations are redness, swelling, and pain in joints such as the toes and fingers, sometimes accompanied by fever. We consider spleen deficiency to be the root of the disease and congealed damp turbidity to be its manifestation. On the basis of pattern differentiation and treatment, we attach importance to strengthening the spleen and stomach and transforming damp turbidity. During the acute phase, oral traditional Chinese medicines that clear heat, drain dampness, unblock the channels, and relieve pain are used mainly in combination with external application of Baizhi, producing obvious pain-relieving and swelling-reducing effects. During remission, treatment focuses on strengthening the spleen, promoting urination, and transforming turbidity. Medicines such as Smilax glabra, Bixie, and Plantago seed are selected because they not only dispel damp turbidity and unblock painful bi syndrome but also promote uric acid excretion, thereby strengthening the therapeutic effect.

Spinal bi/Dalou (ankylosing spondylitis) is a chronic progressive disease that mainly affects the sacroiliac joints, the bony processes of the spine, the paraspinal soft tissues, and the peripheral joints, and may be accompanied by extra-articular manifestations. In severe cases, spinal deformity and joint ankylosis may occur. We classify this disease into the kidney-deficiency and Governor Vessel cold pattern and the kidney-deficiency and damp-heat pattern, treat it according to pattern differentiation, and combine treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion, external medicinal applications, and fumigation-and-washing formulas. Most symptoms can be relieved, disease progression delayed, and the rate of disability reduced, with good results.

Specialty Preparations

1) Phlegm-Resolving and Blood-Invigorating Formula: This formula was created by Professor Chen Jinchun on the basis of the theory that phlegm and blood stasis cause disease. It advocates treating rheumatic arthritis with the method of resolving phlegm, invigorating blood, and unblocking the channels. This has become a characteristic of the department and is listed as a routine departmental formula. It is widely used clinically and has received good responses.

2) Baizhi acupoint application: Baizhi, or Angelica dahurica, harmonizes and promotes the blood vessels, dispels wind and cold, eliminates dampness, and unblocks the channels. It is widely used for pain caused by soft-tissue contusions, osteophyte formation, muscle strain, rheumatic myositis, fractures, costochondritis, periarthritis of the shoulder, intercostal neuralgia, and other diseases.

3) Rhubarb acupoint application: Rhubarb is cold in nature and bitter in taste. In addition to its oral effects of purging toxic heat, breaking up accumulations and stagnation, and moving blood stasis, it also has a strong antibacterial effect. Experiments have confirmed that rhubarb has antibacterial effects against most bacteria. It inhibits Staphylococcus aureus, streptococci, diphtheria bacilli, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus anthracis, Salmonella typhi, paratyphoid bacilli, dysentery bacilli, and pathogenic fungi. It is therefore often used externally to treat disease. In addition, topical application of rhubarb to joints can clear heat, reduce swelling, and relieve pain, so it is particularly effective for patients with acute arthritis.

4) Clove and cinnamon acupoint application: Clove belongs to the myrtle family and warms the middle, warms the kidneys, and directs rebellious qi downward. Cinnamon can supplement fire and assist yang, guide fire back to its source, dispel cold and relieve pain, and invigorate the blood and free the channels. When the two are used together and applied to Shenque, they can strengthen the spleen and warm the middle, dispel cold and stop diarrhea, and direct rebellious qi downward and stop vomiting.

5) Fever reduction with Evodia fruit: Evodia fruit is pungent, bitter, and hot in nature and enters the Liver, Spleen, and Stomach channels. It soothes the Liver and directs qi downward, directs rebellious qi downward and stops vomiting, warms the middle and relieves pain, and dispels cold and dries dampness. External application of Evodia fruit to the Yongquan acupoint can guide fire downward and achieve a good fever-reducing effect.

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