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TCM Healing Medicine
In The News
Alaskans face health challenges unlike anywhere else in the
"Lower 48"; socioeconomic, seasonal, cultural health
disparities to name a few - but the progress and
promise of Traditional Chinese Medicine is exciting,
since it easily embraces the challenges built into our
life and lifestyles here, honoring these, and offering
cost effective, natural solutions that are universal in appeal.
We're honored to continue growing this integrative health
in our Alaska community.
Western medicine organizations and institutions,
formally organized for a little over 180 years now,
increasingly in study of Traditional Chinese Medicine;
3000 thousand years old, has, in recent years,
are confirming what eastern medicine institutions
have documented and demonstrated for thousands
of years ...a further advantage: new studies use new methods
and language more familiar to the western world,
and 'modern' science methods can now measure 'ancient' science methods.
This page references Traditional Chinese Medicine studies, conditions and conclusions.
There are hundreds of such studies, and groundbreaking explorations in progress worldwide.
As global medical communities continue to merge, studies will continue to be published and available.
Here are just a few.
Read for your enjoyment, expand for your core healing!
Prevention, Treatment of COVID-19 using TCM: A review
TCM is effective in preventing COVID-19, and medical staff can prevent an iatrogenic infection by taking a decoction made based on the principles of TCM. As of March 13, 2020, new cases of COVID-19 in China have decreased in number to single digits. TCM's curative effect was outstanding, with a national participation rate of over 90%. More than 70,000 people were cured of COVID-19 and discharged from the hospital. Only approximately 10,000 patients are currently being treated, and the total treatment time is approximately 2 months.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7439087/
TCM herbal medicine for treating novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia: Protocol
This is the first systematic review to examine empirical evidence of the application of traditional Chinese herbal medicine for COVID-19 pneumonia. After the pneumonia outbreak with COVID-19, the State Administration of TCM in China led an expert team to formulate a traditional Chinese herbal medicine treatment program.
On 24 January 2020, the first case of a cured patient in Beijing being discharged from hospital after traditional Chinese herbal medicine treatment with symptomatic therapy was reported .
Later, another cured patient was reported following traditional Chinese herbal
medicine therapy, prompting the wider application of traditional
Chinese herbal medicine for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.
- https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-020-01343-4
A review of Traditional Chinese herbal medicine in management of COVID-19
Traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCM) has been used for over 5,000 in over 300 epidemics that the nation has faced. When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged early this year, treatment with TCM was reported to have been used with over 90 percent efficacy. TCM has been used as a first-line treatment for COVID-19 disease since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Qingfei Paidu decoction for example, has been used in a three-day course leading to an over 90 percent efficacy.
This literature review from the use of TCM among COVID-19 patients has shown that these herbal preparations may have direct antiviral activities. These preparations relieve two significant COVID-19 symptoms, lung congestion and diarrhea. The authors write, “There is good reason for us to learn from ancient wisdom and accumulated clinical experience, in combination with cutting edge science and technologies, to fight with the devastating COVID-19 pandemic now and emerging new coronaviruses in the future.”
COVID-19 Deaths Plummet With Chinese Herbal Medicine
Treatment principles include opening the lungs and relieving cough, resolving dampness and detoxifying, tonifying qi, and strengthening the middle burner (jiao). The focus is on promoting healthy qi and expelling pathogenic factors, while regulating the internal environment, enhancing immune function, increasing antiviral activity, reducing inflammation, improving symptom relief, preventing organ failure, and reducing mortality.
The criteria for discharge included absence of fever for ≥72 hours, significant improvements in both lungs as shown by chest computed tomography, remission of respiratory symptoms, and two negative throat-swab tests for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (at least 24 hours apart).
Treatment of Mental Disorders in COVID-19 Survivors
Clinical investigation about the mental health status of patients and survivors of COVID-19 also indicated that COVID-19 was accompanied by higher possibility of psychological disorder such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. Disturbance of immune cytokines in patients with COVID-19 was also an inducing factor of mental diseases.
In regards to TCM, COVID-19 survivors are in a state of internal heat and Yin deficiency during recovery period, which leads to the abnormality of seven emotions. Therefore, the COVID-19 survivors have the tendency to develop mental disorder. “Lily disease”, “hysteria” and “deficient dysphoria” are Yin deficiency and internal mental diseases recorded in ancient Chinese medicine books. Their symptoms are very similar to those of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Western medicine has many side effects and high recurrence rate in the treatment of mental diseases.
Thus, the use of traditional Chinese medicine such as “Lily disease”, “Hysteria disease” and “Deficient dysphoria disease” could be a better treatment plan option for survivors of COVID-19 suffering from mental diseases. Lily Bulb and Rehmannia Decoction, Lily Bulb and Anemarrhenae Decoction and Ganmai Dazao Decoction were used to treat the depression after the recovery of COVID-19. Suanzaoren Decoction, Huang lian E jiao Decoction, Zhizi Chi Decoction, was suggested for anxiety. Moreover, Lily Bulb and Rehmannia Decoction and Guilu Erxian Decoction were the decoctions for PTSD.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7524684/
Chinese herbal medicine for coronavirus disease 2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis
In general, this systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that CHM maybe beneficial for the treatment of COVID-19 in improving clinical symptoms, imaging, and laboratory indicators, shortening the course of disease, and reducing the number of severe cases. CHM, especially classical Chinese herbal formulas, could be used as potential candidates for COVID-19 in this battle.
Acupuncture for Pain
Evidence-Based Nonpharmacologic Strategies for Comprehensive Pain Care
In a 2017 major Integrative pain approach study, (Office of the Army Surgeon General, National Academies of Science, NIH National Pain Strategy, 72 North American institutional member organizations, medical centers, and health systems) - acupuncture therapy was shown to:
- improve pain outcomes
- decrease surgery recovery time
- lessen hospital re-admissions and overall surgical costs
- for some organizations, has become a recommendation for first line care; The American College of Physicians (ACP): for acute and subacute low back pain, The American Pain Society; adjuvant to postoperative pain and reduce opioid use
- be as effective, and superior to, parenteral morphine for pain relief, onset of action, with fewer adverse effects
- provide effective post-surgical pain reduction, reduced opioid need, lowered opioid-related side effects (nausea, dizziness, sedation, pruritus, urinary retention), and with benefits at 48 hours post surgery
- relieve pain better than analgesics, with an additional benefit of anxiety reduction, for acute pain
- reduce hospital readmission due to uncontrolled pain, and emergency room pain relief comparable to pharmacotherapy, with significant, improved levels of pain relief satisfaction
- effective, safe, and well tolerated for post-tonsillectomy pain in children
- be safe for pediatric and pregnancy
- reduce in pain, burn injury reddening, pigmentation, scarring and PTSD when offered as first aid immediately after, or optimally within 48 hours
- offer a substantially lowered adverse risk overall compared to many drugs and other accepted treatment procedures for same conditions, with lowered cost and side effects
sources: http://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2603228/noninvasive-treatments-acute-subacute-chronic-low-back-pain-clinical-practice, https://www.usnews.com/news/healthcare-of-tomorrow/articles/2017-11-21/alternative-pain-therapies-could-aid-efforts-to-quell-opioid-crisis-but-barriers-to-treatment-remain
In a recent study,
5690 patients who completed acupuncture treatment for acute, sub-acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, the mean treatment success rate was 79.7%, with highest rates of 93%. Pain reduction overall amounted to a 67% decrease.
Patients experienced an improvement of least 50% on the Global Assessment Index,
(5 variables: pain intensity, pain frequency, analgesic consumption, incapacity levels, sleep disorders)
The consumption of analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs was also considerably reduced.
In 2017, The Food and Drug Administration released
recommendations regarding acupuncture as a
treatment for pain, as an opioid alternative,
and that health care providers treating pain
become familiar with acupuncture as an
important pain treatment.
AsIn 2016 The American College of Physicians began recommending non-surgical treatments, such as acupuncture, as a first option choice for lower back pain treatment.
source: https://www.statnews.com/2017/05/10/pain-acupuncture-chiropractic-fda/
Acupuncture For Anxiety
The 2009 WHO World Mental Health Survey found that anxiety disorders are consistently the most prevalent form of a mental health disorder, with a lifetime prevalence of approximately 12% and a 12 month incidence averaging approximately 11%. A 2014 UK survey of 2300 adults showed that 19% felt anxious
a lot or all of the time, 61% experienced anxiety daily and 48% stated that anxiety
had stopped them from doing something. There is a general trend for women
to suffer with anxiety disorders to a greater degree than men.
Acupuncture is a promising intervention for patients with
chronic anxiety symptoms that have proven resistant to
other forms of treatment.
A group of patients with particularly chronic anxiety, unresponsive to the usual interventions and reliant on health service resources, when treated with acupuncture, showed significant, marked reductions in mean state anxiety scores; a lasting result.
Chinese Herbs For Anxiety
Acupuncture For PTSD
Long after the original impact, physical and emotional trauma still affects the nervous system, which, many times stays frozen and ‘on alert’ until a discharge of that held energy can occur. Energetic movement created by acupuncture facilitate that release. Acupuncture for PTSD does not involve exposure-oriented therapy (requiring patients to reconstruct traumatic incidents), which Pentagon studies reveal as preferable to many PTSD affected veterans.
A small ear bead, or pressed needle (resembling a small snap button, with adhesive), can be placed on a point known to specifically address stress, anxiety and heightened sensitivity can extend calming benefits after a treatment session. Improved sleep patterns via acupuncture has shown promise with PTSD individuals, helping also to reduce PTSD (and sleep deprivation), related symptoms.
For Insomnia Relief
Acupuncture is widely used in the treatment of depression-related insomnia.
To present, a large number of studies have reported that acupuncture treatment as effective in treating depression-related insomnia
source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5329663/
In several randomized, controlled studies, acupuncture was shown to be superior to pharmaceuticals;
improving the number of total sleep duration
by greater than 3 hours.
Acupuncture with herbs was
significantly better than herbs alone,
increasing sleep rates overall, and was
superior to acupuncture with sleep medications.
Unlike sleep medication use, there were
no serious adverse effects to acupuncture treatment.
source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156618/
Acupuncture For Sleep Apnea Relief
In a first of its kind, Brazilian study, researchers found that 10 weeks of acupuncture treatment of patients with moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), led to significant, dramatic improvement, strengthening the genioglossus, (tongue muscle), improving overall health via related conditions affected by sleep apnea (healthy sleep, circulation, oxygen intake).
Likelihood of the sleeper’s tongue dropping back and blocking the airway, and the reduction of inflammation in the genioglossus increased swallow, breathing and digestive functions.
Additionally, physicians cited acupuncture, as enormously valuable where the cost of apnea machines is prohibitive, and for patients with difficulty adhering to nighty apnea machine protocols and use.
Followup 2016 Stateside studies confirmed acupuncture as dramatically effective in the improvement of all AHI, (Apnea-Hypopnea Index) apnea index, hypopnea index, and SaO2 levels, and a treatment for OSA with no adverse side effects, and other benefits.
5/abstract, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4834396/, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2016/8792167/
For Depression Relief
For centuries, Chinese herbal formulas (CHFs) have been widely used in the treatment of depression, achieving better therapeutic effects than placebo and having fewer side effects than conventional antidepressants.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is attracting increasing attention as a method for meeting the demands for higher remission rate, faster onset, persistent antidepressant action, and fewer adverse effects.
A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found electroacupuncture (mild electric current transmitted through the needles to be as effective as fluoxetine (generic Prozac), and other antidepressants, in reducing depression symptoms.
A separate study found that acupuncture may help treat medication side effects.
In a more recent study, patients with generalized anxiety disorder, who received acupuncture treatment, experienced an 82% to 89.6% improvement.
sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5036551/, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-acupuncture-treat-depression/, http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1678-acupuncture-alleviates-depression-and-anxiety
Chinese Herbs for ADD/ADHD
At the end of one study, the effective treatment rate for children treated with Chinese herbs was 86%, many showed no ADHD symptoms, some had higher IQ scores, and the majority showed marked improvement.
Another study showed an effectiveness rate of nearly 85%. At the end of this study, children showed higher levels of norepinephrine (NE), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), creatinine (Cr).dopamine (DA), and 3-4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC).
Children in another study were treated using a liquid form of Chinese herbs. By the end of the study, children had better attention and higher grades. The effectiveness rate for this treatment was 94 percent.
sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7549382, https://www.scribd.com/document/328138044/Traditional-Chinese-Medicine-in-the-Treatment-of-ADHD
Accelerated Surgery Recovery
Acupuncture improved recovery rates post surgery and lowered medication dosages
pre-surgery for patients receiving a variety of procedures.
Patients receiving acupuncture had significantly less post-surgical pain.
TCM: Osteoarthritis of the Knee
The research confirms that acupuncture
reduces pain and inflammation due to osteoarthritis of the knee.
The MRI documentation demonstrates that
acupuncture initiates cartilage repair.
“Acupuncture treatment showed better curative effect
than physiotherapy, suggesting that acupuncture
may be a superior non-operative treatment for
KOA [knee osteoarthritis] compared with physiotherapy.”
- source: American journal of translational research 8, no. 9 (2016), "Influence of acupuncture in treatment of knee osteoarthritis and cartilage repairing."
Cognitive and Memory Function
Recent studies indicate
prophylactic and early-begun acupuncture treatment
applied to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI),
associated with dementia via Alzheimer's Disease (AMCI),
indicated significant positive effects on cognitive and memory functions
in clients using acupuncture as treatment, adjunct to existing medications.
Restoration of Function
After Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, particularly among children and young adults.
Sometimes life threatening, TBI can cause a range of debilitating consequences affecting cognitive, motor, communication, emotional, and behavioral facilities, and can often go unnoticed in injuries presumed mild, and/or untreated, with causal effects noticed much later after the actual brain injury.
From the Chinese medicine point of view, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, phlegm resuscitation, stimulation and regulation of Qi, blood and organ flow, a strengthened immune system response, elimination of pathogenic factors, and established equilibrium, amongt others, would be goals of treatment.
A number of studies indicate acupuncture may be
beneficial in the acute treatment, and overall rehabilitation of TBI.
In one study, following treatment the patient, an experienced snow-boarder experienced improved vision, decreased tremors and increased fine motor skills -
which were impaired from a TBI event.
Previous studies found that acupuncture could significantly improve the ischemia and hypoxia after TBI, promote the regeneration of nerve injured tissues thus facilitating facilitate the recovery of TBI, while giving assistance to the growth factors necessary to promote ongoing recovery.
New data concludes acupuncture improves neurological function and recovery.
The Promise of Neurological Recovery Using Acupuncture for related conditions, has spurred a marked increased in studies.
Relief for IBS
Post treatment, IBS-D patients experienced a
90.7% total effective rate for IBS-D patients,
and a 34.9% complete recovery rate.
Recipients noted
abdominal discomfort relief,
anxiety relief, and sleep improvement.
source: Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Clinical Observation of Acupuncture-moxibustion in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome, 2018
Fibromyalgia
10 weeks of acupuncture decreased
pain scores in fibromyalgia patients
by an average of 41 percent.
Relief lasted for at least 1 year.
- Pain Treatment Unit, Dona Mercedes Primary Health Center, Seville, Spain
Inflammatory Responses
Inflammation is part of the body’s natural response to injuries.
We can have inflammatory reaction from everyday stressors (foods we consume, exposure to hazardous environments or conditions), or via more sudden events such as an injury.
Persistent inflammation can lead to further damage. Sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, Crohn's disease, and related diabetes and obesity - longer in forming - manifest significant health challenges. Chronic inflammation is involved in a variety of disease processes, many of which increase morbidity; therefore, inflammation relief is important.
Specific anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapeutic biochemicals are stimulated by acupuncture, including cytokines; molecules that help reduce inflammation.
Acupuncture successfully down-regulates tumor necrosis factor alpha, which results in an anti-inflammatory response.
Mediated by the vagus nerve, key, to many homeostatic actions, the cholinergic response directly controls a pro-inflammatory response by way of the inflammatory reflex.
sources: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273104.php