Eight Principles Differentiation

CORE DEFINITION

The 'Eight Principles' in Eight Principles Differentiation are concepts abstracted from concrete things. Using the eight principles to differentiate and summarize syndromes is a method of syndrome differentiation that analyzes the commonalities of diseases, and it is one aspect of the application of the eight principles concept in traditional Chinese medicine. The eight principles refer to the eight guiding principles of syndrome differentiation: exterior, interior, cold, heat, deficiency, excess, yin, and yang. Among them, yin and yang are the general principles, which can summarize the other six principles. That is, yin syndrome includes interior, deficiency, and cold syndromes, while yang syndrome includes exterior, excess, and heat syndromes. Among the eight principles: exterior and interior observe the location of the disease; cold and heat observe the nature of the disease; yin and yang observe the category of the disease. Eight Principles Differentiation is the foundation of syndrome differentiation. In the process of diagnosing diseases, it plays a role in simplifying complexity and grasping the key points. It is applicable to syndrome differentiation of various diseases in all clinical departments, while other classification methods of syndrome differentiation are specific deepenings of Eight Principles Differentiation.