Theme of This Issue
Li Fangli, Director of the Preventive Medicine Department at Shenzhen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (Longgang), advocates for “harmonizing Yin and Yang, treating body and spirit together, and strengthening the foundation to prevent disease,” emphasizing a human-centered approach and the unity of heaven and humanity, which refers to the harmony between humans, nature, society, and the body and spirit.
Clinically, she employs the three-differentiation model of “Differentiating Body – Differentiating Disease – Differentiating Syndrome” as a method, using both acupuncture and herbal medicine to harmonize Yin and Yang, regulate the organs, and smooth the flow of Qi and blood through the meridians; she emphasizes preserving Qi and tonifying the kidneys to solidify the innate foundation, and strengthening the spleen to assist in the postnatal foundation.
Expert of This Issue
Li Fangli
Director of the Preventive Medicine Department at Shenzhen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (Longgang), Chief Physician, Professor, Master’s Supervisor, Postdoctoral Cooperative Mentor, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Preventive Medicine Quality Control Center, Outstanding TCM Practitioner in Shenzhen, First Session of Xinglin Famous Doctors in Shenzhen, and the First Session of Lingnan Excellent TCM Practitioners in Guangdong Province, known for her expertise in acupuncture and massage. She studied under Academician and TCM Master Wang Qi and TCM Master Lü Jingshan.
Currently, she serves as the Deputy Chairperson of the TCM Constitution Committee of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a Standing Committee Member of the TCM Beauty Committee; Chairperson of the Beauty and Anti-Aging Committee of the Guangdong Acupuncture Society, and a member of the first Beauty Chief Physician Qualification Management Committee in Guangdong Province. She has co-authored six professional books, including “Practical Beauty and Body Acupuncture Techniques,” and has received the third prize from the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with her papers awarded the Excellent Paper Award. She has innovated the “Surrounding Acupuncture Combined with Ear Taping Therapy” for treating acne (acne vulgaris), which has become a second batch of TCM technology promotion projects by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has undertaken multiple provincial and municipal projects and participated in two national key R&D projects.
Academic Thoughts
Li Fangli advocates for “harmonizing Yin and Yang, treating body and spirit together, and strengthening the foundation to prevent disease,” emphasizing a human-centered approach and the unity of heaven and humanity, which refers to the harmony between humans, nature, society, and the body and spirit.
Clinically, she employs the three-differentiation model of “Differentiating Body – Differentiating Disease – Differentiating Syndrome” as a method, using both acupuncture and herbal medicine to harmonize Yin and Yang, regulate the organs, and smooth the flow of Qi and blood through the meridians; she emphasizes preserving Qi and tonifying the kidneys to solidify the innate foundation, and strengthening the spleen to assist in the postnatal foundation.
She has innovated and developed a series of preventive health products based on years of experience, including “Spleen-Tonifying Dampness-Removing Ointment,” “Brain-Strengthening Kidney-Calming Ointment,” “Purple Ginseng Ding,” “Eighteen Children Beauty Formula No. 5,” herbal teas for body regulation, and seasonal medicinal dishes, which are well-received by the public.
Li Fangli specializes in combining acupuncture and herbal medicine to regulate constitution and prevent disease, such as in pre-disease states (e.g., borderline diabetes, borderline hypertension); skin diseases (e.g., acne, melasma, dermatitis, urticaria); endocrine disorders (e.g., obesity, irregular menstruation, menopausal syndrome); and sub-health states (e.g., fatigue, headaches, insomnia, allergies, nasopharyngitis, chronic pain, gastrointestinal dysfunction).
Case Examples
Case 1: Obesity, Spleen Qi Deficiency, Phlegm-Damp Accumulation
Mr. Pan (pseudonym), 28 years old, height 183 cm, weight 97 kg, has a robust build with a protruding abdomen.
In December last year, he visited the Preventive Medicine Department at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Shenzhen Hospital, complaining of easy fatigue, dizziness, and a feeling of heaviness as if wrapped in a damp cloth for the past six months, with oily skin that could even soak a tissue.
Mr. Pan usually has a good appetite and enjoys cold foods; when emotionally distressed or busy with work, he tends to overeat. He often experiences abdominal pain and diarrhea, accompanied by insomnia, excessive sweating, bitter mouth, chest tightness, loose stools, and irritability.His tongue was pale red with a white greasy coating, and his pulse was slippery.
This presentation indicates a pattern of Spleen Qi Deficiency with Phlegm-Damp Accumulation, and his constitution is characterized by phlegm-dampness combined with Qi deficiency.
The patient’s consumption of cold foods has long harmed the Yang of the spleen and stomach, leading to Yang deficiency and disordered spleen function, resulting in Qi deficiency; prolonged abnormal water metabolism has caused fluid accumulation, forming a phlegm-damp constitution, leading to obesity, heaviness in the head, fatigue, and loose stools, with a pale red tongue, white greasy coating, and slippery pulse. Additionally, the patient has insomnia, bitter mouth, and irritability, which can be attributed to liver Qi stagnation due to emotional distress, and excessive thinking has harmed the spleen, leading to unrest in both body and spirit.
Simultaneous treatment of body and spirit showed quick results, so the treatment plan was to soothe the liver, relieve depression, tonify the spleen, boost Qi, transform phlegm, and eliminate dampness. Acupuncture was combined with a self-made “Spleen-Tonifying Dampness-Removing Ointment” and “Light Body Health Education Golden Three Principles” to achieve body shaping and weight loss. The patient was also advised to meditate for an hour daily, either brisk walking or jogging, to calm emotions and clear the mind.
After one treatment course of acupuncture and herbal medicine, the patient reported feeling lighter, sleeping well, and improved mood upon follow-up. One month later, a phone follow-up indicated he had lost 10 pounds, and all symptoms had improved.
Appendix
“Light Body Health Education Golden Three Principles”
1. Diet: Breakfast can include staple foods, eggs, and vegetables; lunch should consist of 30% meat and 70% vegetables (one small bowl of staple food); dinner should be light, vegetarian, and eaten early (before 6 PM).
2. Key Point: No other food outside of three meals (water is allowed).
3. Exercise: Ensure at least 40 minutes of exercise daily, either brisk walking or running.
Case 2: Insomnia, Yin-Yang Disharmony, Liver Qi Not Contained
Ms. Yan (pseudonym), 45 years old, is one of the workers in Shenzhen. On May 16, 2023, she came to the hospital for consultation, complaining of persistent difficulty falling asleep, waking easily during the night, and difficulty returning to sleep for the past two years, occasionally feeling anxious, irritable, and fatigued, with a generally poor appetite. She had intermittently taken sleeping pills, and her menstrual cycle had been regular but with a low volume.Her tongue was pale with a thin white coating, and her pulse was thin and wiry.
This presentation indicates a pattern of Yin-Yang Disharmony, as the patient is entering middle age, with declining Yin and blood, compounded by excessive worry, leading to stagnation of Qi in the middle burner, resulting in disharmony between the liver and spleen, Yin-Yang disharmony, and blood not nourishing the spirit, causing insomnia. The key to treating this condition is to regulate the spirit, so the treatment plan was to smooth the Qi mechanism, nourish blood, and calm the spirit. The “Head Acupuncture for Calming the Spirit” combined with a self-made “Lily Calming Ointment” was used to harmonize Yin and Yang, nourish Yin and blood to calm the spirit, along with the “Dantian Tranquil Heart and Calm Qi Method” to achieve a calming effect for sleep.
After one session of acupuncture and three doses of medicine, the patient reported that she could sleep well that night, with improved sleep the next day, and slight recurrence on the third day. She was advised to continue acupuncture twice a week and take the original medicine along with the “Dantian Tranquil Heart and Calm Qi Method” for one hour daily. After one week, her sleep normalized, and all symptoms disappeared; she was advised to continue practicing the method and to follow up if any discomfort arose.
Appendix
“Dantian Tranquil Heart and Calm Qi Method”
Select a quiet environment with good air quality, with no restrictions on posture, slowly regulate breathing, allowing the abdomen to rise when inhaling and fall when exhaling, sinking the Qi to the Dantian (three inches below the navel), and keeping the mind in a state of emptiness and tranquility. Practice for 0.5-1 hour daily.
Case 3: Acne, Lung and Stomach Damp-Heat, Disharmony of Chong and Ren, Qi and Blood Stagnation
Ms. Zhu (pseudonym), 24 years old, is a student. On August 30, 2020, she visited the hospital, reporting a six-year history of recurrent facial acne, particularly on the forehead, cheeks, and around the mouth, accompanied by pustules and nodules, significant redness and swelling, oily skin, with acne worsening before and during menstruation, delayed menstruation, dark color, and low volume, along with dry mouth, bitter taste, poor sleep, constipation, irritability, and restlessness. She usually has a diet rich in fatty, sweet, and spicy foods. Her tongue was red with a yellow greasy coating, and her pulse was wiry and slippery.
This presentation indicates a pattern of Lung and Stomach Damp-Heat, characterized by a damp-heat constitution, likely due to irregular diet and a preference for fatty, sweet, and spicy foods, leading to damp-heat in the spleen and stomach, resulting in a damp-heat constitution; the damp-heat pathogen obstructs the meridians, and the stagnant Qi and blood lead to disharmony of Chong and Ren, manifesting as acne. The excess heat in the lungs and stomach is reflected in the red tongue with a yellow greasy coating, and Qi and blood stagnation is indicated by the wiry pulse.
Therefore, the treatment should address both internal and external factors, so the plan was to clear heat and drain dampness, regulate Chong and Ren, and invigorate Qi and blood. The “Surrounding Acupuncture Combined with Ear Acupressure Therapy” was employed, along with an internal formula “Eighteen Children Beauty Formula No. 5” and external application of “Purple Ginseng Ding” to promote local Qi and blood circulation to enhance acne resolution. The patient was advised to reduce intake of fatty and rich foods and avoid staying up late.
After three days of treatment, the facial oiliness and acne significantly reduced, but she still experienced constipation, so peach kernel was added to enhance the heat-clearing and bowel-moving effects, and treatment continued for another week. One month later, a follow-up call indicated she was recovering.
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Editor | Liang Shuting
Initial Review | Liu Tingting, Li Fangli
Final Review | Yang Yihua
Operational Services | Jingbao Media
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