Chinese Herbal Medicine and Traditional
Chinese Medical Science.
China is one of the four countries in the world with an ancient
civilization. The history of traditional Chinese medicine can be
traced back to antiquity. Through several thousand years of medical
practice, Chinese people have accumulated rich experience in fighting
against illness and thus creating a unique and integrated system
of medical theories. Even today it still benefits the people all
over the world.
Ginseng
Chinese
Caterpillar Fungus
Tong
Ren Tang National Pharmacy of China
Chinese
Doctor diagnose the patient by feeling pulse
The traditional Chinese medical theory
is based on yinyang theory. It consists of two parts, which are
the method of diagnosis and treatment. The traditional Chinese medical
diagnosis includes observing patient’s color, listening to patient’s
sound, asking patient’s symptom, and feeling patient’s pulse. The
treatment is based on differentiation of symptoms, which are yin
or yang, exterior or interior, cold or heat, deficiency or excess.
Yin Yang is the universal view of ancient Chinese. They believed
everything in the universe is in an entity of Yin and Yang (the
negative part and the positive part). These two forces produce and
overcome each other and they also transform alternately in ebb and
flow. When the yang moved to its utmost it rested and the Yin produced.
Yin and Yang are opposite and interacted. Yang signifies heaven,
sun, light, vigor, penetration and male... It is symbolized by dragon
and associated with azure color and odd numbers. Yin signifies earth,
moon, darkness, quiescence, absorption and female…. It is symbolized
by the tiger and is associated with orange color and even numbers.
Chinese people also believed that human being is one integral part
of nature. So the Yin and Yang also exists in human body. The traditional
Chinese medicine is based on the balance of yin and yang in the
human body, and illness is considered as a disruption of this balance.
The Chinese doctors help the patients to balance their yin and yang
to keep healthy. The human body is divided into yin and yang. The
internal organs are also divided into yin and yang. The traditional
Chinese medicine believes our human body has a lot of main and collateral
channels and acupuncture points. The vital energy flows along these
channels and the yin yang balance between all the organs is maintained
by the continuous flow of vital energy. If the vital energy is blocked
on its way people will be sick. So acupuncture is a very common
way to stick needles into the acupuncture points to make the channel
through.
Feeling pulse is most difficult and complicated in the traditional
Chinese medicine. Experienced doctors can judge your health condition
by taking your pulse. If they take your left pulse they know the
condition of your heart, liver and right kidney. If they take your
right pulse they will know the condition of lung, stomach, spleen,
and left kidney.
Chinese take herbal medicine to cure disease. These herbs are from
natural plants without side effect. They can nourish the body and
inner organs. Traditionally, comply with the prescriptions the patient
will decoct medicinal herbs and take the bitter liquid. Today pharmaceutical
plants distil medicine from the natural herbs and make them into
pills. So it is quite easy for the patients to take herbal medicine.
There are around 8,000 kinds of herbs can be used as herbal medicine
in China but 700 kinds are commonly used. Some animal organs and
minerals are also used as medicine in China. Some herbs are valuable
such as ginseng, Chinese caterpillar fungus, saffron crocus and
so on. The national pharmacy (Ton Ren Tang) is world famous,
where the famous doctors can give you a free pulse checking and
give you a prescription. Summaries of the latest research concerning Chinese herbal
medicine By Hans R. Larsen MSC Che Chinese herb proven in arthritis therapy
Dallas, Texas. A team of researchers from the University of Texas
and the National Institutes of Health reports that an extract of
the Chinese herbal remedy Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TWHF) has
proven effective in the treatment of severe rheumatoid arthritis.
TWHF has been used for centuries in China to treat rheumatoid arthritis,
ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, and IGA nephropathy. Preliminary
studies in animals have shown that TWHF extracts have anti- inflammatory
and immunosuppressive effects comparable to those of prednisone.
The researchers prepared their extract by extracting finely ground
powder obtained from peeled TWHF roots with ethanol (alcohol) and
ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate extract was dried and put in capsules
each containing 30 mg of the extract yielding a total of 9.9 micrograms
of the active components triptolide and tripdiolide.
Thirteen patients with long standing rheumatoid arthritis participated
in the trial. The initial dosage was 30 mg/day; this was gradually
increased to 570 mg/day over a 12-18 month period. Nine of the patients
went through the whole program. The patients all experienced marked
improvement and one went into complete remission on a dose of 390
mg/day. Morning stiffness was the first symptom to improve. At baseline
it lasted an average of 265 minutes. On a dose of 390 mg/day it
reduced to 10 minutes. ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) went
from 55 mm/hour to 22 mm/hour on a dose of 480 mg/day. Sixty per
cent of the patients experienced significant (more than 20 per cent)
improvement on a dose of 180 mg/day. A dose of 300-480 mg/day was
required for maximum benefit. This is comparable to the dosages
used in China and was found to be entirely safe. The researchers
are currently conducting a much larger, double- blind, controlled
study to confirm the benefits of TWHF extracts. Tao, Xuelian, et
al. A phase I study of ethyl acetate extract of the Chinese antirheumatic
herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F in rheumatoid arthritis. Journal
of Rheumatology, Vol. 28, October 2001, pp. 2160-67 Chinese herb alleviates rheumatoid arthritis
DALLAS, TEXAS. Extracts of the roots of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook
F (TwHF) have been used for centuries in China to treat rheumatoid
arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), ankylosing spondylitis,
psoriasis, eczema, scleroderma, and other autoimmune and inflammatory
diseases. Originally, a hot water extract of the plant was used,
but this approach had many adverse effects. In the 1970s two new
extracts were developed; one is an ethyl acetate extract while the
other, now known as T2, is a chloroform-methanol extract.
One randomized, double-blind trial involving 70 patients with RA
compared the effect of 20 mg of T2 taken three times daily with
a placebo. Approximately 90 per cent of the patients treated with
T2 experienced significant improvement. Trials involving several
hundred patients with SLE have shown significant beneficial effects
of T2 and a much reduced need for prednisone. Favourable results
have also been reported in the treatment of systemic sclerosis and
various kidney disorders.
Although highly effective in many cases, T2 can have adverse effects
especially on the gastrointestinal tract. Says Drs. Tao and Lipsky
of the University of Texas "Treatment with extracts of TwHF
is effective in most patients with rheumatic disease; however, close
medical supervision is essential in order to avoid serious adverse
effects." [117 references]
Tao, Xuelian and Lipsky, Peter E. The Chinese anti-immunosuppressive
herbal remedy Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. Complementary and Alternative
Therapies for Rheumatic Diseases II, Vol. 26, No. 1, February 2000,
pp. 29-50 Ancient Chinese herb rediscovered
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. The World Health Organization has come out
in support of the use of wormwood extract (from the Qinghao plant)
in the fight against malaria. Malaria affects over 250 million people
and kills over 2 million children annually in the tropical world.
The use of Qinghao for medicinal purposes was first reported in
168 B.C. In the early 70's Chinese scientists rediscovered the herb
and by 1979 they had conducted extensive clinical studies which
proved its effectiveness in combating malaria. Western pharmaceutical
companies have now spent 13 years in trying to synthesize the active
component of wormwood. Their synthetic product has yet to undergo
human testing with the result that this life-saving drug is still
not available outside of China and Vietnam. The Chinese have proven
the efficacy and safety of wormwood for over 2000 years; yet the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration still classifies it as dangerous.
The Lancet, March 14, 1992, pp. 649-50 Chinese herbal therapy combats dermatitis
LONDON, ENGLAND. Doctors at the Royal Free Hospital in London have
completed an evaluation of an ancient Chinese remedy for dermatitis.
The combination used consisted of a mixture of 10 herbs and was
first described in the Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor published
between 300 and 100 BC. 40 adult patients with longstanding, widespread,
atopic (genetically predisposed) dermatitis participated in the
trial which lasted 5 months. Each patient was randomly allocated
to receive either the herbal remedy or a placebo of similar taste
and texture for an 8- week period. Followed by a 4-week wash-out
period, the group originally receiving the herbal remedy received
the placebo for 8 weeks and vice versa. The active herbs (and the
placebo herbs) were prepared as a decoction each day and 200 ml
of it consumed while still warm. 31 of the patients completed the
study. Both groups showed a rapid and continued improvement in the
extent of erythema (redness of the skin) and surface damage during
the time they consumed the Chinese herbal remedy. The authors of
the study conclude that the remedy is effective in treating adult
atopic dermatitis, but warns that further experiments are needed
to ensure its safety especially in patients suffering from liver
or kidney complications.
The Lancet, July 4, 1992, pp. 13-17 Acupuncture effective in combating nausea
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM. Exerting manual pressure on the Neiguan
acupuncture point (located about three finger-widths above the wrist
on the inner arm) has long been a popular measure for alleviating
nausea and motion sickness. Now British researchers report on a
study designed to evaluate the scientific validity of this therapy.
They reviewed the results of 33 clinical trials involving the use
of stimulation it by needles, acupressure or electricity. The conditions
being treated involved nausea or vomiting in connection with pregnancy,
chemotherapy or surgery. In four of the trials acupuncture was administered
under anesthesia and was found to be ineffective. In 27 of the remaining
studies acupuncture was found to have a positive effect.
Vickers, A.J. Can acupuncture have specific effects on health? A
systematic review of acupuncture antiemesis trials. Journal of the
Royal Society of Medicine, Vol. 89, 1996, pp. 303-11 Acupuncture helps smokers to quit
OSLO, NORWAY. Researchers at the University of Oslo have just released
a study showing that acupuncture can be highly effective in helping
motivated smokers to quit or at least markedly reduce their tobacco
consumption. Their experiment involved 46 men and women with an
average age of 39 years (mean). They had been smoking about 20 cigarettes
a day for about 20 years. At the start of the study the participants
were randomly split into two groups. The treatment group (TG) received
acupuncture and acupressure treatments using acupuncture points
which had previously been found useful for inducing smoking cessation.
The control group received treatment using points with no anti-
smoking effect. The active treatment involved electroacupuncture
at the Lieque and Kongzui points, ear acupuncture at Shenmen and
two points relating to the mouth and lungs, and ear acupressure
at Shenmen and points relating to the mouth, lungs, and trachea.
The control treatment involved points related to the knees, neck,
shoulder, and lumbar vertebra. After receiving acupuncture treatments
twice a week for three weeks the subjects in the TG reduced their
cigarette consumption by 75 per cent versus a 39 per cent reduction
in the control group. Among the participants in the active treatment
group, 31 per cent had completely quit smoking at the end of the
three weeks while none of the subjects in the control group had
quit. The researchers conclude that acupuncture treatment involving
the proper points may help motivated smokers to quit or at least
reduce their cigarette consumption drastically.
He, Dong, et al. Effects of acupuncture on smoking cessation or
reduction for motivated smokers. Preventive Medicine, Vol. 26, March/April
1997, pp. 208- 14 Alternative therapies gain status in Germany
BERLIN, GERMANY. Homeopathy and acupuncture have long been considered
medically acceptable therapies in Germany and are covered by the
standard health insurance. Other newer alternative therapies such
as ozone therapy have not been accepted by the medical establishment
and are not covered. This is all about to change due to a new law
just passed by the German Parliament. Until now new treatments were
evaluated for acceptability by a committee of medical specialists
"according to the current state of scientific knowledge."
The new law changes this wording to read "according to the
current state of scientific knowledge in that particular form of
therapy." This essentially means that new alternative therapies
will be evaluated by practitioners of those therapies rather than
by medical doctors. Medical doctors are aghast at the new law, but
medical insurance specialists point out that the German public clearly
wants access to alternative treatments and that "no German
government can afford to cut them from the list of approved treatments."
Charles, Dan. German law embraces alternative medicine. New Scientist,
June 28, 1997, p. 6 Acupuncture cures chronic hiccups
INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA. Chronic hiccups is a fairly common disorder,
yet little is known about its cause and conventional treatment with
surgery or drugs is largely ineffective. Now Dr. Andreas Schlager,
MD of the University of Innsbruck reports the use of Korean hand
acupuncture to successfully treat a case of persistent hiccups in
a 70-year-old patient. The patient who also suffered from coronary
heart disease, reflux esophagitis, and hiatal hernia had experienced
uncontrollable hiccups for three months. When examined he was hiccuping
continuously throughout the day. Dr. Schlager treated the patient
with Korean hand acupuncture at points K-F3 (located on the palm
side of the hand in the middle of the distal phalanx of the fifth
finger) and K-A12 (on the palm above the third metcarpal bone).
For the first two treatments Dr. Schlager used regular acupuncture
needles in 30-minute sessions. This was followed by continuous acupressure
applied to K-F3 for 24 hours a day using special discs with raised
dots fastened with adhesive tape. The hiccups stopped completely
after the second treatment. A further preventive treatment was applied
for three days using laser acupuncture for 60 seconds at each point.
Three months later the patient underwent gastroscopy and the hiccups
recurred. Two sessions of Korean hand acupuncture stopped them again
and no further episodes have occurred since (now 12 months ago).
Says Dr. Schlager "Korean hand acupuncture should be the treatment
of choice for chronic hiccups before applying other methods."
Schlager, Andreas. Korean hand acupuncture in the treatment of chronic
hiccups. American Journal of Gastroenterology, Vol. 93, November
1998, pp. 2312-13 (letter to the editor) Acupuncture prevents breech birth
NANCHANG, CHINA. The threat of a breech birth (buttocks rather than
the head appear first in the birth canal) is particularly high among
women having their first child. A breech birth can often be avoided
by external manipulation (ECV) prior to labor, but in some cases
necessitates the use of cesarean delivery with the accompanying
dangers and discomforts for both mother and child. A team of Chinese
and Italian researchers reports that moxibustion (stimulation of
acupuncture points with burning herbal preparations containing moxa
[Artemisia vulgaris, mugwort]) can markedly reduce the risk of breech
birth by increasing fetal movement and can actually turn the fetus
around so that a normal head-first birth (cephalic presentation)
is achieved. Their study involved 260 women in their 33 week of
a first pregnancy who had all had an ultrasound diagnosis of breech
presentation. Half the women were given a daily 30-minute treatment
with moxibustion (self-administered at home) for one or two weeks
while the other half served as a control group. The moxibustion
was aimed at stimulating acupuncture point BL 67 (Zhiyin, located
beside the outer corner of the fifth toenail). During the 35th week
of pregnancy 75.4 per cent of the fetuses in the moxibustion group
had changed to the cephalic (head-first) position as compared to
only 47.7 per cent in the control group. The fetuses in the moxibustion
group also showed greater mobility with an average of 48.45 movements
per hour as compared to 35.35 in the control group. Twenty-four
of the women in the control group and one in the moxibustion group
later underwent ECV to turn the fetus around. Despite the greater
use of ECV in the control group the number of babies delivered head-first
was still significantly higher (75.4 per cent) in the moxibustion
group than in the control group (62.3 per cent). The researchers
conclude that moxibustion performed for one or two weeks starting
in the 33-week of pregnancy is an effective and safe method for
converting breech presentations in first-time pregnancies.
Cardini, Francesco and Weixin, Huang. Moxibustion for correction
of breech presentation. Journal of the American Medical Association,
Vol. 280, November 11, 1998, pp. 1580-84 Acupuncture goes mainstream
TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA. The merits of acupuncture were debated at
a recent Consensus Development Conference held by the National Institutes
of Health (NIH). The assembled medical doctors and other practitioners
agreed that there now is evidence that acupuncture is effective
in the treatment of postoperative and chemotherapy-induced nausea,
nausea associated with pregnancy, and pain following dental surgery.
The panel also concluded that acupuncture may be effective in stroke
rehabilitation and in the treatment of addiction, headaches, menstrual
cramps, fibromyalgia, low-back pain, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome,
and tennis elbow. The volume of acupuncture research being done
by Western practitioners is steadily increasing. NIH is funding
a three-year, US$ one million study to evaluate the effects of acupuncture
on osteoarthritis of the knee. Other grants have been awarded for
the study of acupuncture in the treatment of back pain, dental pain,
and depression. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Services
is funding a two and a half year study on the use of acupuncture
in the management of headaches. With an increasing number of health
insurance plans now paying for acupuncture treatments it would appear
that this 3000 year old medical technology is finally entering the
mainstream of Western medicine.
Hsu, Dora T. and Diehl, David L. The West gets the point. The Lancet,
Vol. 352 (suppl IV), 1998, p. 1 Tai Chi benefits heart surgery patients
TAIPEI, TAIWAN. Tai Chi Chaun (TCC) is an ancient Chinese martial
art which, in recent years, has become very popular in the West
as a means of improving and maintaining health. TCC is an ideal
low-cost exercise as it does not require any special equipment and
can be performed anywhere. Recent studies have shown that TCC, despite
its relatively low intensity, improves aerobic capacity and is effective
in reducing anxiety, tension, and mood disturbances. Now researchers
at the National Taiwan University Hospital report that patients
recovering from coronary artery bypass surgery also benefit from
regular TCC exercises. The study involved 20 men aged 53 to 64 years
who had undergone bypass surgery and who had completed the standard
phase II cardiac rehabilitation program (bicycling three times weekly
for three months at 50-60 per cent of heart rate range). Nine of
the men were assigned to the TCC group and the remaining eleven
acted as the control group. The TCC group, led by a qualified instructor,
performed TCC exercises every morning (20 minutes of warm-up exercises,
24 minutes of TCC, and 10 minutes of cool-down exercises). Each
set of TCC included 108 classical postures and provided an exercise
intensity of 48-57 per cent of heart rate range. The control group
walked three times a week for 50 minutes in a nearby park at a speed
which resulted in a heart rate range of 50-60 per cent. The aerobic
fitness of both groups was measured at the start of the study and
one year later using a standard bicycle ergometer. At the end of
one year the average peak VO2 (a measurement of aerobic fitness)
had increased by 10.3 per cent in the TCC group, but had decreased
slightly in the control group. The peak work rate also increased
in the TCC group by about 11.9 per cent (from 135 to 151 watt) while
it decreased slightly in the control group (from 131 to 128 watt).
The researchers conclude that TCC improves cardiac fitness in bypass
patients. They also note that the TCC program seemed more attractive
to the participants than the walking program. The members of the
TCC group attended an average of 3.8 times weekly as compared to
an attendance rate of only 1.7 times weekly in the control group.
Lan, Ching, et al. The effect of Tai Chi on cardiorespiratory function
in patients with coronary artery bypass surgery. Medicine and Science
in Sports and Exercise, Vol. 31, May 1999, pp. 634-638
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