Towards the Standardization of Abdominal Strength in the Abdominal Palpation Diagnostic System of Kampo Medicine: Development of an Abdominal Strength Model in the Fukushin Simulator

摘要

Introduction: In the Kampo medical system, there is an abdominal palpation system of diagnosis indigenous to Japan called Fukushin. In this system, the physician palpates the patient's abdomen and interprets the physiological signs to obtain an "abdominal pattern", which is of paramount importance in the diagnosis of the patient's condition. One part of abdominal diagnosis is a determination of abdominal strength, important in determining excess and deficiency patterns, a key part of Kampo diagnosis. To aid in the determination of abdominal strength, we modified an existing Fukushin simulator used in abdominal palpation training to incorporate an abdominal strength model.Material and method: We built costal and sternal bones using synthetic plastics and formed a thorax and pelvis. For the insides, we used urethane foam and other materials such as polyester and cotton to enable five gradations of abdominal resistance from weak to strong.Result:'We have developed 5 models reproducing different abdominal strengths, ranging from weak resistance to palpation to a strong resistance.Conclusion: It is to be hoped that the abdominal strength model will aid in training physicians in Kampo abdominal palpation and in standardizing Kampo diagnosis.