TCM diagnosis Based on Syndrome Differentiation:
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of medicine. It has been practiced for over 3000 years in China and Asia and over one-quarter of the world's population now uses one or more of its component therapies. After conventional western medicine it is the world’s second most used medical system. TCM treatment combines the use of medicinal herbs, acupuncture and therapeutic exercises such as Qi Gong.

As a separate system of medicine it is not possible to compare it with western medicine as it works on a totally different set of principles. Both systems can treat the same disease but their way of diagnosing, treating and even the outcomes they are looking for in treating the same diseases, such as hepatitis C, are completely different.

For example, in western medicine the object of treatment for hepatitis C is to eradicate the virus. But in Chinese medicine eradicating the virus is not the aim. Instead it focuses on strengthening the body, clearing away toxins, and regulating the circulation of energy and blood throughout the body so that you feel better and your liver is functioning better. The treatment can, almost as a by-product, slow down liver damage and reduce liver enzyme levels

Diagnosis in Western Medicine:
Several tests are available for diagnosis, but the most widely used test works by detecting antibodies to HCV. Antibodies are substances made by your body's immune system to defend against a specific infection. It takes time for antibodies to be produced, so the test may be falsely negative if it was performed too soon (less than 4 to 10 weeks) after exposure to the virus. Falsely positive tests may also occur, although the newer tests make this less likely.

Patients with a positive antibody result should also be tested using a 'PCR' assay. The PCR measures the amount of virus in the blood, known as the 'viral load' or 'viral titer'. A positive viral load indicates active infection and the test may be positive as early as 2 weeks after infection. A negative viral load may mean that the infection has resolved, or it may mean that the infection is active in the liver but not shedding virus into the blood stream at the time the test was done.

In patients with positive antibodies, tests are also available to identify which of the 6 common genotypes of the virus is causing the infection. This can help determine the best treatment plan. In the United States, genotype 1 is the most common.

Liver biopsy is the ultimate test to determine whether the virus is causing liver damage. It is not necessary for diagnosis, but provides useful information about the stage of disease (the amount of liver damage that has already occurred), and helps to decide whether treatment is needed.