Pattern differentiation biàn zhèng lùn zhì · 辨证论治

The core reasoning step of TCM: convert what was gathered at the examination into a pattern, then choose a strategy to match that pattern. The classical phrase adds 论治 — treatment follows the pattern.

Two patients with the same Western diagnosis may be given different TCM patterns and therefore different treatments. That difference is the whole basis of TCM treatment design, and also the reason it is hard to test in a standard trial format.