Remarkable Traditional Chinese Medicine | The “Four-Step Method” for Relaxing Muscles, Unblocking Collaterals, and Activating Joints—Easily Relieve Years of Knee Pain

Lin Hui, reporter for the Dahe Daily

“It’s been more than five years, and this condition has kept recurring—my joints have been achy, and it’s been quite difficult to go up and down stairs or to squat and stand. But after this treatment, my symptoms have markedly improved. It truly is a blessing to have met Dr. Guo!” Last Wednesday, as she was being discharged, 56-year-old Ms. Zhang repeatedly expressed her gratitude to Professor Guo Jiayi, Director of the Research and Treatment Center for Non-Surgical Therapy of Bone and Joint Diseases at Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital of Henan Province (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital).

Ms. Zhang has suffered from knee osteoarthritis for five years, with pain in both knees and difficulty in flexion and extension. Two months ago, unwilling to undergo surgery, she sought treatment from Director Guo Jiayi, renowned for her expertise in this field.

Upon admission, Ms. Zhang experienced significant pain in both knee joints, making it difficult to ascend or descend stairs and to squat, with marked limitation of knee flexion and extension.

After a thorough examination, Professor Guo Jiayi formulated a treatment plan for Ms. Zhang, incorporating the four-step therapeutic approach of Pingle Guo’s Bone-Setting, Tendon-Relaxing, Channel-Unblocking, and Joint-Activating Method, along with topical application of traditional Chinese herbal preparations and acupuncture. In addition, she prescribed oral administration of a decoction of traditional Chinese herbs tailored to Ms. Zhang’s specific condition.

After two weeks of treatment, Ms. Zhang’s joint pain has significantly improved, and she is now able to walk normally and climb stairs with ease.

Upon discharge, Director Guo Jiayi advised Ms. Zhang that, although her symptoms had markedly improved, she must not become complacent; instead, she should actively manage her knee joint at home to better prolong its functional lifespan.

This is the Guo Jiayi team of Pingle Guo’s Orthopedic Clinic, a “brand-name” institution renowned throughout Henan Province and across the country. They are committed to alleviating patients’ suffering with superior techniques and faster treatment times.

Pingle Guo’s Orthopedic Therapy boasts a history of more than 220 years and is renowned as the “Whampoa Military Academy” of traditional Chinese medicine orthopedics in China.

As the eighth-generation descendant of the Pingle Guo School of Orthopedic Manipulation, Guo Jiayi has studied this traditional medical art since childhood under the guidance of her grandfather, Professor Guo Weihuai, the sixth-generation inheritor of the school, and her mother, Professor Guo Yansi. She later furthered her training under the seventh-generation inheritors, Professors Guo Yanjin and Guo Yanxing, as well as National Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine Professor Wei Guikang, thereby thoroughly mastering the authentic techniques of the Pingle Guo School of Orthopedic Manipulation and becoming a provincial-level representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage “Pingle Guo School of Orthopedic Manipulation.”

Inheritance is not mere replication; it is a vibrant process of renewal. Building upon the theoretical foundations of the Pingle Guo School of Orthopedics, Guo Jiayi has continuously innovated and advanced its academic thought. Grounded in the Pingle Guo School’s “Balance Theory,” she has, under its guidance, developed the comprehensive “Bone-Nourishing Theory” system of the Pingle Guo School of Orthopedics.

Guo Jiayi stated, “Our bodies are like countless scales: the left and right sides form a pair of scales, so they must be in balance; likewise, the muscles and bones also function as a pair of scales, requiring balance between them. Once this balance is disrupted, it can lead to the onset of disease.” She added, “Manual techniques can be used to stimulate and correct imbalances in the patient’s muscles and bones, thereby restoring relative homeostasis and promoting recovery from illness.”

The Four-Step Method of Shujin Tongluo Huoguan in PingLe Guo’s Orthopedic Manipulation is precisely the result of Guo Jiayi’s synthesis, guided by the “PingLe Guo’s Orthopedic Balance Theory” and informed by years of clinical experience, building upon the traditional PingLe Guo’s Orthopedic techniques for treating tendon disorders.

“When applying manual techniques, we must pay close attention to the body’s overall integrity as well as the patient’s specific local anatomical and pathological features of the muscles and bones. During manipulation, we should always consider the patient’s systemic condition, gaining a thorough understanding of the whole picture through diagnosis, balancing the root with the symptom—addressing the acute manifestation first while attending to the underlying cause in due course,” said Guo Jiayi. “The key is to maintain holistic balance in our minds and localized precision in our hands, tailoring treatment to each individual, consistently respecting the appropriate degree of force, avoiding overcorrection or excessive intervention, and never sacrificing one aspect for another or resorting to brute force.”

As the eighth-generation descendant of the PingLe Guo School of Orthopedic Manipulation, Guo Jiayi has witnessed and actively contributed to the school’s rapid development during the era of reform and opening-up. She is among the outstanding experts nurtured in this period, having participated in, put into practice, and borne witness to the evolution of traditional Chinese medicine techniques in orthopedics and traumatology. Deeply steeped in the ancestral art and culture of TCM bone-setting, she upholds the guiding principle of the great tradition of TCM—that “the sky is the greatest, the earth is the greatest, but the patient is the greatest”—and has devoted herself to her family’s legacy. Through direct transmission from the lineage, she has inherited and further developed these time-honored skills, bringing healing and relief to countless patients.

Today, Guo Jiayi has risen to the rank of Chief Traditional Chinese Medicine Physician and serves as Director of the Center for Research and Treatment of Non-Surgical Therapies for Bone and Joint Diseases at the Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital of Henan Province (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital), Director of the Pingle Orthopedic Academic Thought Research Laboratory, and Head of the National TCM Academic School “Pingle Guo’s Orthopedic School Inheritance Studio.” She also holds several other important positions, including Vice Chair of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Branch of the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vice President of the Specialty Committee on Bone and Joint Diseases of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, Vice Chair of the Joint Disorders Specialized Committee of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Branch of the China Association for the Promotion of TCM Research, Vice Chair of the Health Management Branch of the Henan Medical Association, and Executive Vice Chair of the World Federation of Manual Medicine. In addition, she serves as Vice Chair of the CPPCC Committee of the Chanhe Hui Autonomous District of Luoyang City, a Member of the Standing Committee of the Luoyang Municipal People’s Congress, and Deputy Chair of the Luoyang Municipal Committee of the Agricultural Workers’ Party.

“Without inheritance, innovation loses its foundation; without innovation, inheritance loses its value,” says Guo Jiayi. She emphasizes that inheritance is the very foundation of TCM’s development, while innovation is its vital driving force. As a generation of inheritors who both carry forward the past and usher in the future, she is committed to “preserving the essence of tradition while upholding core principles and embracing innovation.” With a historical perspective, a forward-looking vision, an open mind, and a spirit of innovation, she is dedicated to the continued inheritance and advancement of the PingLe Guo School of Orthopedics.