Profiles of Traditional Chinese Medicine Schools

Many schools of academic doctrines have emerged throughout the development history of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） due to geographic, time, Shicheng （mentor-apprentice system） and academic diversities. Classic TCM School, Classic Formula School and Febrile Disorder School, though all lacking a clearly demonstrable or continuous Shicheng relationship, are nevertheless so classified because of their consistency in reference to the classic TCM works. Each of the Four Famous Masters of Jin and Yuan Dynasties had its distinctively different academic doctrine, resulting in the establishment of individually integrated academic schools. The emergence of the Warming and Tonifying School in late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties was realized as a means to rectify the ill effects of the cool and cold medications prevalent at the time. On the other hand, the advent of the Warm Disease School and the rise of the Confluence School embodied the close relationship carried by TCM academic schools to contemporary historical background. Looking at this development history, it is evident that the development of TCM academic schools could flourish only if it allows dissenting, yet mutually tolerant, opinions. In present medical environment where TCM and Western medicine are of equal importance, Classic TCM Schools, TCM Modernization Schools and Integrative Medicine Schools should all receive emphasis to foster development.

Words of the Editor-in-Chief——Academic discussion is an effective measure to promote scientific development

Van Loon et al.＇s paper ＂The response of stromatolites to seismic shocks： Tomboliths from the Palaeoproterozoic Chaibasa Formation, E India＂ with a new term ＂tomboliths＂ and original viewpoints should be published, but some contents need to be discussed. Shanmugam＇s paper ＂The response of stromatolites to seismic shocks： Tomboliths from the Palaeoproterozoic Chaibasa Formation, E India： Discussion and liquefaction basics＂ pointed out some queries and problems about Van Loon et al.＇s paper. It is an academic discussion paper and should be published as well. However, some main problems, such as the new term＂tomboliths＂ and its origin of seismic shocks, ＂whether stromatolites or tomboliths are soft-sediment deformation structures or not＂, etc., also need to be discussed. Academic discussion is an effective measure to promote scientific development. The more thorough academic discussions are carried out regarding academic problems, the more scientific facts and truths will become clear. All participants in this discussion are contributors. It is active to carry out the policy of ＂A hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend＂ by our Journal of Palaeogeography.

GAO's governor vessel-regulating and collaterals-unblocking technique for headache

Governor vessel-regulating and collaterals-unblocking technique is a specific acupuncture therapy for treatment of headache of ＂GAO＇s acupuncturemoxibustion academic school in Yanzhao land（around Hebei Province area）＂.This method is a specific acupuncture therapy for treatment of various types of headache through combining GAO＇s four groups of empirical paired acupoints with governor vessel-regulating needling,z？w？liúzhù acupoint opening needling and meridian sinew needling in Yanzhao land correctly according to the clinical conditions of patients.Immediate effect can be obtained,and the duration of treatment can be shortened through appropriate clinical application,so that good long-term effects can be obtained.In this paper,the specific manipulations and theoretical basis of this needling method will be illustrated,and two cases will be attached for explanation.

Efficacy observation on Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-calming acupuncture for insomnia

Objective：To observe the effect of Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-calming acupuncture on insomnia and further develop the academic idea on Gao＇s lineage acupuncture.Methods：A total of 68 insomnia cases were randomly allocated into an acupuncture group（n=34） and a medication group（n=34） according to their sequences of consultation.Patients in the acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment once a day,5 d a week,for 4 weeks.Patients in the medication group took 1 mg of Estazolam before sleep for each dose,one dose a day,for 4 weeks.Before and after treatment,the sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index（PSQI）,and the efficacy was assessed using the PSQI reductive rate.Results：After treatment,the global PSQI score and scores of each component in the acupuncture group were significantly decreased（all P〈0.01）.The global PSQI score in the medication group was significantly decreased（P〈0.01）.Except for sleep disturbance,scores of the rest of components were significantly decreased（P〈0.01 or P〈0.05）.The between-group difference was statistically significant in global PSQI score（P〈0.01）.Except for sleep latency and duration,scores of the sleep quality,efficiency,disturbance and daytime dysfunction in the acupuncture group were significantly lower than those in the medication group（all P〈0.05）.In addition,the recovery and marked effect rate in the acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the medication group（P〈0.05）.Conclusion：The Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-calming acupuncture is safe,reliable for insomnia and has better efficacy than Estazolam.

Observation on instant analgesic effect of Governor Vessel-regulating and collateral-unblocking acupuncture method for primary headache

Objective： To observe the instant analgesic effect of Governor Vessel-regulating and collateral-unblocking acupuncture method in treating primary headache and to inherit and carry forward the academic achievements of Gao＇s acupuncture school in Yanzhao （Hebei Province） area. Methods： Eighty eligible primary headache patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group following their visiting sequence, 40 patients in each group. The observation group was intervened by Yanzhao Gao＇s Governor Vessel-regulating and collateral-unblocking acupuncture, and the control group was intervened by ordinary acupuncture method. The visual analogue scale （VAS） was used to evaluate the headache intensity before and after the first treatment session in the two groups, to compare the instant analgesic effect of the two acupuncture methods. Results： After the first treatment session, the VAS scores dropped significantly in both groups （both P〈0.05）. The change of VAS score after the initial treatment in the observation group was significantly different from that in the control group （P〈0.05）. The percentage of patients with headache completely vanished instantly after the first treatment was markedly higher in the observation group than that in the control group （P〈0.05）. Conclusion： The two acupuncture methods both can produce a significant instant analgesic effect in treating primary headache, while Yanzhao Gao＇s Governor Vessel-regulating and collateral-unblocking acupuncture method is superior to ordinary acupuncture method.