1. History

Founded in 1999, the Departmentof Rheumatology was the first department in Shenzhen dedicated to the TCM-basedtreatment and research of rheumatic diseases.

2. Honors & Accreditations

The department holds multipleprestigious designations and has played a leading role in establishing keyacademic alliances:

Government & Institutional Designations:

Key TCM Specialty of GuangdongProvince

Shenzhen TCM Characteristic Specialty

First Batch of Popular Science Studios, Chinese Society of TraditionalChinese Medicine

Best Clinical Specialty, Chinese TCM Hospitals (AiLiPi Rankings)

Advanced Collective in Science, Education and Health Management, Shenzhen Health Commission

Alliances & Societies Led or Co-Led:

Initiator, Anti-Gout Alliance, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area TCMClinical Inheritance and Innovation Research Center

Initiator, Rheumatology Professional Committee, Shenzhen Association of TraditionalChinese Medicine

Initiator, Gout Professional Committee, Shenzhen Society of Integrated Chinese andWestern Medicine

Initiator, Rheumatism Chronic Disease Health Management Professional Committee,Shenzhen TCM Health Service Association

Academic Leadership Roles:

Vice-Chairman Unit, Rheumatology Branch, Chinese Society of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Vice-Chairman Unit, Rheumatism Prevention and Treatment Innovation Community

3. Leadership

Prof. Zhang Jianyong — Academic Leader and Administrative Director (Guangdong Province FamousTCM Doctor), with outstanding contributions to departmental development

Prof. Xie Jingjing — Department Head (since 2024)

4. Clinical Scope & Research

Guided by academic research, thedepartment has established a "3+X" sub-specialty framework with designated dominant diseases.

Common Conditions:

Gout

Rheumatoid arthritis

Sjögren's syndrome

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Ankylosing spondylitis

Osteoarthritis

Postpartum body pain

Complex and Severe Conditions:

Systemic sclerosis

Vasculitis

Connective tissue disease-relatedinterstitial pneumonia

Macrophage activation syndrome

5. Clinical Operations &Capacity

Facilities:

2 inpatient wards

62 beds

Medical Team (33 members):

11 Doctors (PhD holders)

1 Doctoral Supervisor

3 Master's Supervisors

Annual Clinical Volume:

Outpatient visits: 50,000+

Specialty Clinics:

Gout Clinic

Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinic

Spondyloarthropathy Clinic

Connective Tissue Disease Clinic

Academic Collaboration: Under Shenzhen's "Three Famous" Medical Project (Famous Doctors,Hospitals, and Clinics), the department has twice partnered with Prof. Jiang Quan'sRheumatology Team from Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy ofChinese Medical Sciences, significantly elevating the specialty's clinicalstandards.

6. Treatment Philosophy &Modalities

Core Principle: "TCMwhenever possible; TCM first, Western medicine second; TCM as the foundationwith Western medicine as reference; integration of Chinese and Westernmedicine" (能中不西，先中后西，衷中参西，中西融合)

The department fully leveragesTCM's advantages in characteristic therapies and toxicity reduction withefficacy enhancement.

Proprietary TCM Preparations (Provincial-Level):

Hushen Tongfengtai Granules (护肾痛风泰颗粒, Kidney-Protecting Gout-Relieving Granules)

Ciling Huazhuo Granules (慈苓化浊颗粒, Turbidity-ResolvingGranules)

·

Jinling Jiangzhuo Granules (金苓降浊颗粒, Turbidity-Lowering Granules)

Consensus Prescriptions: 10+ formulations

TCM Characteristic Therapies:

Cupping therapy

Du-meridian (Governor Vessel)moxibustion

Gua sha (scraping therapy)

Advanced Diagnostics & Procedures:

Musculoskeletal ultrasound

Nail fold microcirculation detection

Acupotomoscopy (minimally invasiveneedle-knife arthroscopy)

Intraorbital electroacupuncture

Modified labial gland biopsy

Clinical Guidelines: As a core participating unit, the department has contributed to theformulation of 12 national TCM or integrated TCM-Western medicine rheumatology diagnosisand treatment guidelines.

7. Research, Innovation &Patient Engagement

Research Achievements:

6 Provincial/Ministerial-Level Science and Technology Progress Awards

30+ National, Provincial, and Municipal research projects

260+ Published papers in SCI-indexed and core Chinese journals

Patient-Centered Initiatives:

Shenzhen Gout Love Club — integrating health education into chronic disease management

"Jieyu Fengshi" (解语风湿, Rheumatology Explained) — video channels on WeChat andDouyin (TikTok)

Recognition: Awarded the title of "National Excellent TCM Health Club"

8. Vision & Mission

Moving forward, the departmentwill continue to integrate medical care, education, research, prevention, health maintenance,rehabilitation, and translational medicine into a unifiedframework. Committed to serving rheumatic disease patients nationwide, westrive to set the benchmark for health education and chronic disease managementexcellence.