Study On The Theory Of Health Preservation Of Elderly In Traditional Chinese Medicine

As early as the pre-Qin period,ancient Chinese sages began to think about the aging of life and research on how to prolong life,and through the enrichment and development of successive generations of doctors,a theoretical and practical system of Chinese medicine for the elderly was gradually formed.As the ageing process accelerates,the government actively advocates "healthy ageing" and attaches importance to improving the health level and quality of life of the elderly.Chinese medicine has great advantages in preventing and treating geriatric diseases and prolonging life expectancy,and the wisdom of the doctors of the past generations has yet to be further explored and used for the present.This study aims to clarify the concept of health preservation of elderly in traditional Chinese medicine and sort out the relevant contents of it in the literature since the pre-Qin Dynasty,and summarize and refine the principles and methods of health preservation of elderly around the physiological and pathological characteristics of the aged,to propose a more systematic and instructive theory of health preservation of elderly,which can provide a reference for solving the elderly problem today.Based on the objective,documentary research methods are adopted to sort out the content of health preservation of elderly in Chinese medical treatises from the preQin Dynasty to Qing Dynasties,to clarify the origin and development of theories on health preservation of elderly;while theoretical research methods are used to refine reasonable views on health preservation of elderly with interpretations from the perspective of Chinese medical theory and a summary of practical health care methods applicable to modern elderly people.This study is divided into five parts:conceptual analysis,origin and development research,characteristics overview,theory elaboration,and meaning exploration,to study the TCM theory of health preservation for the elderly.1.The conceptual analysis section examines the concepts of "老","衰","寿" and"生长壮老已",which are closely related to the health preservation of elderly,and the scope of the concept of health preservation of elderly is clarified."老" means old in age,"衰" means a weakened state,and "寿" means living a long life.The traditional Chinese view of life is that "生长壮老己" is an inevitable law of life,but it is possible to achieve the continuation of the state of "old but not declining" through health preservative practices.Health preservation of elderly is the practice of a series of principles and methods based on the special physical characteristics of the elderly to achieve a better quality of life at the end of one’s life.2.The section on the origin and development of health preservation of elderly is divided into four historical periods:the pre-Qin period,Han,Jin,Sui,and Tang Dynasties,Song,Jin,and Yuan Dynasties,and Ming and Qing Dynasties.The pre-Qin period was the foundation period for the health preservation of elderly.The traditional culture of respect for the elderly and the concept of health preservation of elderly in the Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor provided the cultural background and theoretical foundation for the emergence and development of health preservation of elderly.The Han,Jin,Sui,and Tang Dynasties were the periods of inheritance and development of health preservation of elderly when theories of it were summarized and interpreted,and the prevention and treatment of geriatric diseases were emphasized.The Song,Jin,and Yuan Dynasties were the formative periods of health preservation of elderly.Represented by Chen Zhi’s Yanglao Fengqin Book of Song Dynasty,a large number of treatises on health preservation of elderly emerged,which enriched and developed the principles and methods of health preservation of elderly and formed a more complete theoretical system of it.The Ming and Qing dynasties were the period of perfection for the health preservation of elderly.The theoretical level was improved,the prevention and treatment of geriatric diseases became more mature,the methods of elderly health care were more practical,and the health preservation of elderly achieved further development and prosperity.3.The elderly have special characteristics in terms of physiology and pathology.Physiologically,the deficiency of the zang-fu viscera leads to the deficiency of both yin and yang,qi and blood,which in turn leads to the dysregulation of yin and yang;emotional disorders resulting in qi stagnation;and the deficiency leads to the pathological characteristics of excessive pathogen such as phlegm and stasis,resulting in a variety of diseases,and the deficiency in origin and excess in surface are the basic disease mechanism.At the same time,the elderly are susceptible to external evil attacks due to the lack of solidity in their couples,and the combination of chronic illnesses and external evils makes them complex and lingering,and it is the norm for the elderly to live with illness.Therefore,it is also an important part of the health preservation of elderly to enable them to prolong their lives with illness.4.The theoretical elaboration of health preservation of elderly is divided into two parts:the principles and methods of health preservation before illness and after illness,due to the special characteristics of the elderly.According to the physiological characteristics of the elderly,which are mainly deficiency and emotional disorders,the principles of health preservation of elderly are summarized in eight aspects:nourishing the heart,protecting the spleen and stomach,abstaining from desire and preserving essence,conforming to the four seasons,combining movement and tranquillity,cultivating interest,living arrangements and the care from offspring,of which nourishing the heart and spleen and stomach as the first priority,while taking care of the kidneys.The heart is the master of the zang-fu viscera,and if the heart is disturbed,the zang-fu viscera will be shaken,so the elderly should "abstain in gaining" to nourish the heart;the spleen and stomach are the foundation of the afterlife,and if they are damaged,there will be no source of qi and blood produced,so it is emphasized that the elderly should care for their spleen and stomach;one should also abstain from the desire to nourish the kidneys,to reduce the consumption of the kidney essence,keep the qi flowing smoothly with moderate Daoyin exercises,and follow the four seasons in diet and living.Guidance for the elderly in the areas of spirituality,diet,exercise,and living to prevent illness are provided,and emphasis on the role of children in the health preservation of elderly is brought up.Based on the fundamental pathogenesis of the deficiency in origin and excess in surface in the elderly and the characteristics of chronic and multiple illnesses at the same time,the principle of health preservation of elderly with diseases emphasize the combination of treatment and maintenance,the combination of reinforcement and elimination,and a combination of food and medicine,Daoyin and massage,acupuncture and scrapping,etc.And there are specific prevention and treatment methods for common geriatric diseases,such as chest paralysis,stroke,asthma,back and knee pain,constipation and diarrhea,sleeplessness,and so on,in terms of external prescriptions,food therapy,Daoyin methods,and things that patients should avoid.5.The significance of health preservation of elderly in modern society is that firstly,it emphasizes the role of active health care during old age in prolonging life,and should be nourished before old age;it advocates the elderly to give full play to their subjective initiative and actively self-nourish,while the support from family and society is also crucial.The elderly should improve their physical and mental health using spiritual,dietary,exercise,living and other aspects of health preservation methods;and through food therapy,Daoyin,acupuncture and massage and other appropriate techniques to regulate disease,combining treatment and maintenance to improve the quality of life of the elderly,to achieve prolonged life with diseases,so that they can better enjoy the care from their children,promote family harmony and spend a better life in old age.In conclusion,health preservation of elderly in TCM is rich in connotation and there is much room for exploration.This study is a preliminary exploration of the theoretical system of health preservation of elderly,intending to provide a theoretical basis for the development of modern health care for the elderly and inspire solving the elderly problem today.