This document discusses self-healing and self-organization from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. It views health as a dynamic state where a system is open to information exchange without losing its characteristics. Disease occurs when a system is pushed beyond a threshold by triggers. Symptoms represent attractors that can be used for diagnosis and treatment. Treatment aims to design interventions for complex systems using methods like biomarker fingerprinting to address multiple subtypes of diseases like diabetes.

1. Self-healing and Self-organisation:
new perspectives from an old
traditional healthcare system
Yan Schroën

2. … ability to adapt and self-manage in the
face of social, physical and emotional
challenges

3. Towards a systemic definition of health and
wellbeing:

4. An organism
is a complex,
dynamic, self-
organizing
system far
from
equilibrium

5. Dynamic Systems Theory
In studying self-organizing systems a shift in focus occurs:
From objects to relationships
From quantity to quality
Mapping of patterns
of relationships

6. “1 manifests itself in 3”
Yi Jing
1 2
3
3 = Qi

7. Qi
• Connection
• Communication/Information
• Movement
Energy
Matter
Life

8. Energy storage under energy flow

25. Upward
organization

26. Downward
causation

27. The I and the Oneness

33. Towards a systemic definition of health and
wellbeing:
Health is a dynamic state in which a system is
maximally open and there is an optimal exchange of
information, without loosing the characteristics of
the system itself.

34. 34
Vernetztes Denken in
der biomedizinischen
Forschung,
Rainer H. Straub; 2013
Disease
Health
Trigger
Threshold to
symptoms

35. Frequent
urination
tiredness
thirst
Low
backpain
Weakness
of knee
Ear
ringing
Attractor
Kidney Qi
deficiency

40. Symptoms

41. Symptoms Systemtheory: Ba Gang
ZangFu
JingLuo
etc.

42. Syndrome
Symptoms Systemtheory: Ba Gang
ZangFu
JingLuo
etc.

43. Syndrome
Symptoms
DIAGNOSE
Systemtheory: Ba Gang
ZangFu
JingLuo
etc.

44. Syndrome
Symptoms
DIAGNOSE
Systemtheory: Ba Gang
ZangFu
JingLuo
etc.
Treatment principle

45. Syndrome
Symptoms
DIAGNOSE
Systemtheory: Ba Gang
ZangFu
JingLuo
etc.
Treatment principle
Treatment

46. How to design a intervention for a complex system?12 subtypes of Diabetes II:
Biomarker fingerprinting
DMII subtype 8
DMII subtype 2
DMII subtype 5
DMII subtype 10 DMII subtype 11
DMII subtype 3
DMII subtype 6
DMII subtype 4
DMII subtype 7
DMII subtype 9
DMII subtype 12
DMII subtype 1

47. Diabetes II
Qi & Yin Xu
Qi & Yin Xu
met stagnatie
Qi & Yin Xu
met
DampHitte
 Spleen deficiency – Liver Qi stagnation
 Spleen deficiency with Damp
 Spleen deficiency with Blood stagnation
 Damp Heat and Qi stagnation
 Kidney and Stomach Yin deficiency
 Yin deficiency with rising Yang
 Lung Yin deficiency
 Liver Yin deficiency
 Heart Yin deficiency
 Qi and Yin deficiency
 Qi and Yin deficiency with Blood stasis
 Yin and Yang deficiency

48. Visceral
adiposity
LDL elevated
Glucose toxicity
Fatty liver
gut
inflammation
endothelial
inflammation
systemic
Insulin resistance
systemic
inflammation
Vioxx
Salicylate
Atorvastatin
Fenofibrate
Metformin
Glibenclamide
LXR agonist
Rosiglitazone
Pioglitazone
Sitagliptin
Hepatic IR
Adipose IR
Muscle metabolic
inflexibility
adipose
inflammation
Microvascular
damage
Myocardial
infactions
Heart
failure
Cardiac
dysfunction
Brain
disorders
Nephropathy
Atherosclerosis
β-cell failure
Reversible process
β-cell Pathology
High cholesterol
High glucose
gluc Risk factor
Hypertension
dyslipidemia
ectopic
lipid overload
Ìrreversible process
Hepatic
inflammation
Stroke
IBD
fibrosis
Retinopathy
Metabolically
healthy
Physical inactivityCaloric excess

50. Thank You