Advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating Liver Fibrosis

1.What is liver fibrosis?

Liver fibrosis is the result of liver tissue damage caused by various chronic liver diseases, and then the excessive repair of the liver. It is the early reversible stage of liver cirrhosis. Traditional Chinese medicine does not have the concept of liver fibrosis, but according to its symptoms and clinical manifestations, it can be classified into the categories of "flank pain", "jaundice", "accumulation", "swelling", "liver accumulation", etc., and can be divided into liver and gallbladder damp-heat syndrome, liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome, liver depression and qi stagnation syndrome, phlegm and blood stasis syndrome, liver and kidney yin deficiency syndrome, etc. It is believed that the liver is affected by evil spirits or injured by emotions, fatigue, and diet, resulting in disorder of qi and blood circulation, damaging the positive energy. Over time, the circulation of qi, blood, yin and yang, and body fluids is disordered. After a long time, it will lead to accumulation of symptoms and masses, leading to the formation of liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis.

2. How to diagnose liver fibrosis?

Accurate diagnosis of liver fibrosis is a key link in determining the condition, deciding treatment methods and evaluating prognosis. The diagnosis of early liver fibrosis is particularly important, which is beneficial to controlling the development of the disease or promoting its reversal.

Western medicine diagnosis of liver fibrosis includes: history of chronic liver disease, clinical manifestations, liver tissue pathological examination, liver transient elasticity test, imaging examination, etc.

TCM diagnosis of liver fibrosis: combining symptoms with syndrome differentiation and treatment. Common clinical manifestations include fatigue, loss of appetite, abnormal bowel movements, discomfort or swelling or pain in the liver area, sleep disorders, dark red or pale tongue, varicose veins under the tongue, and stringy and thin pulse.

3.How to treat liver fibrosis?

Liver fibrosis is a reversible early pathological process of all chronic liver diseases. If not diagnosed and treated early, it may progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer. The goal of treatment is to control its further development or even reverse it, thereby improving the patient's quality of life and prolonging survival.

There is no specific Western medicine for the treatment of liver fibrosis. It mainly focuses on etiological treatment, such as long-term effective inhibition of hepatitis virus replication, abstinence from alcohol, and formulation of a reasonable diet plan.

Traditional Chinese medicine plays a multi-target, multi-pathway, and multi-component anti-liver fibrosis role and has good clinical effects. The combination of Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of liver fibrosis is considered to be an effective way to control the occurrence and development of liver fibrosis.

TCM treatment of liver fibrosis mainly treats the liver, spleen and kidney, and often needs to distinguish dampness, poison, phlegm, blood stasis and deficiency, advocates strengthening the body and eliminating evil, and has established treatment principles and methods such as soothing the liver and regulating qi, clearing away heat and detoxification, clearing away heat and removing dampness, soothing the liver and strengthening the spleen, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and nourishing the liver and kidney. It includes Chinese patent medicines and Chinese herbal decoctions.

Acupuncture therapy, acupoint application and other external treatments can effectively stimulate the meridian acupoints on the body surface and ears, soothing the liver and spleen, clearing away heat and removing dampness, promoting qi and blood circulation, nourishing qi and yin, and replenishing the liver and kidneys, so as to adjust the qi, blood, yin and yang of the internal organs and improve the body's immunity. It can improve the level of liver fibrosis to varying degrees and reduce the deposition of fibrous connective tissue in the liver.

4. Summary

The combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of liver fibrosis can play to their strengths, avoid their weaknesses, give full play to their respective advantages, promote liver function recovery, and slow down or inhibit the progression of liver fibrosis.

The Department of Hepatology of our hospital is a key specialty of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is also a member unit of the Capital Medical University You'an Liver Disease and Infectious Disease Specialty Medical Alliance and a member of the Yangtze River Delta Traditional Chinese Medicine Liver Disease Medical Alliance.

Our department uses the theory and methods of combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine to diagnose and treat various liver diseases, and widely carries out clinical appropriate diagnosis and treatment techniques of traditional Chinese medicine (traditional Chinese medicine, fumigation, plaster, body acupuncture, ear acupuncture, foot bath, etc.) to prevent and treat liver diseases and related complications. We are the first in Tongling to introduce the liver transient elastic imaging device (Fibro-Touch), which can quickly and non-invasively complete the comprehensive evaluation of liver fibrosis and fatty degeneration, and realize the diagnosis, screening, tracking, and monitoring of various liver injuries and early liver fibrosis; we carry out liver puncture biopsy to diagnose unexplained liver damage, and combine the ascites ultrafiltration concentration peritoneal infusion instrument with the department's special preparation "Xiaozhongsan" for external application to treat refractory ascites caused by cirrhosis and liver cancer.