scholarly journals Can Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis Be Parameterized and Standardized? A Narrative Review

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 177
Author(s):  
Luís Carlos Matos ◽  
Jorge Pereira Machado ◽  
Fernando Jorge Monteiro ◽  
Henry Johannes Greten

The integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Western health systems and research requires a rational communicable theory, scientific proof of efficacy and safety, and quality control measures. The existence of clear definitions and the diagnosis standardization are critical factors to establish the patient’s vegetative functional status accurately and, therefore, systematically apply TCM therapeutics such as the stimulation of reflex skin areas known as acupoints. This science-based conceptualization entails using validated methods, or even developing new systems able to parameterize the diagnosis and assess TCM related effects by objective measurements. Traditionally, tongue and pulse diagnosis and the functional evaluation of action points by pressure sensitivity and physical examination may be regarded as essential diagnostic tools. Parameterizing these techniques is a future key point in the objectification of TCM diagnosis, such as by electronic digital image analysis, mechanical pulse diagnostic systems, or the systematic evaluation of acupoints’ electrophysiology. This review aims to demonstrate and critically analyze some achievements and limitations in the clinical application of device-assisted TCM diagnosis systems to evaluate functional physiological patterns. Despite some limitations, tongue, pulse, and electrophysiological diagnosis devices have been reported as a useful tool while establishing a person’s functional status.

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Carlos Matos ◽  
Jorge Pereira Machado ◽  
Fernando Jorge Monteiro ◽  
Henry Johannes Greten

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a systematic healthcare system developed from clinical experience based on a scientific model of regulation. TCM relies on unique theories and practices to treat diseases and enhance health. These practices include Chinese herbal medicine and dietetics, acupuncture and moxibustion, and other non-medication therapies such as Chinese bodywork or manual therapy, known as “Tuina”, and traditional biofeedback exercises, known as “Qigong” and “Taijiquan”. The integration of TCM in Western health systems and research requires a rational communicable theory, scientific proof of efficacy and safety, and quality control measures. Understanding the structural concepts of the TCM language makes possible the parallelism to Western physiology, and the inherent rational use of the reflex therapeutic systems, anti-inflammatory mechanisms and mental training involved, for example, in acupuncture and “Qigong”. The results of TCM clinical trials and fundamental research on its nature and mechanisms have encouraged the development and application of well-designed research strategies such as double blinding in acupucture to overcome limitations and resistances in integrating these practices into the existing biomedical paradigms of the West. This review aims to overview some TCM theoretical concepts and the evidence-based clinical application of TCM’s leading practices to create an easy-to-consult and condensed source of information, available for the healthcare community, facilitating the understanding and communication between conventional health professionals and TCM practitioners and acupuncturists.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhixian Lin ◽  
Jiangfeng Chen ◽  
Sunya Han

Objective: Chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (CIOM) is an extremely serious complication of cancer. In China, the heat-clearing (Qingre) and detoxifying (Jiedu) traditional Chinese medicine QRJD-TCM gargle has been widely used to treat CIOM. To date, no systematic evaluation has been conducted on the clinical efficacy of QRJD-TCM gargle in treating CIOM. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of QRJD-TCM gargle in the treatment of CIOM.Methods: Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing QRJD-TCM gargle with conventional Western medicine mouthwash (CWMM) for CIOM were confirmed by systematically searching PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, Wanfang Database, and Sinomed until October 20, 2020. Two researchers independently assessed the risk of bias according to the Cochrane risk-of-bias criteria. Excel 2010 was used in setting up a database of extracted information, and RevMan 5.3.0 was used in analyzing included trial data. The composition of the QRJD-TCM gargle was evaluated.Results: A total of 25 articles were included in this meta-analysis. Results showed that compared with CWMM, QRJD-TCM gargle can reduce the incidence of CIOM (OR = 0.23, 95% CI [0.18, 0.29], p < 0.00001) and severity of CIOM (grade I–II: OR = 0.36, 95%CI [0.28, 0.46], p < 0.00001; grade III–IV: OR = 0.15, 95%CI [0.09, 0.28], p < 0.00001). In addition, QRJD-TCM gargle improved the effective rate of CIOM (OR = 15.91, 95% CI [7.93, 31.89], p < 0.00001).Conclusion: QRJD-TCM gargle is effective in preventing and treating CIOM. However, more standard, double-blind, and multicenter randomized controlled studies are needed to further confirm the efficacy of QRJD-TCM gargle in the prevention and treatment of CIOM.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiwen Li ◽  
Yuning Chen ◽  
Yunfeng Lai ◽  
Qing Yang ◽  
Hao Hu ◽  
...  

The usage amount of medicinal plant rapidly increased along with the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry. The higher market demand and the shortage of wild herbal resources enforce us to carry out large-scale introduction and cultivation. Herbal cultivation can ease current contradiction between medicinal resources supply and demand while they bring new problems such as pesticide residues and plant disease and pests. Researchers have recently placed high hopes on the application of natural fostering, a new method incorporated herbal production and diversity protecting practically, which can solve the problems brought by artificial cultivation. However no modes can solve all problems existing in current herbal production. This study evaluated different production modes including cultivation, natural fostering, and wild collection to guide the traditional Chinese medicine production for sustainable utilization of herbal resources.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengyang Chen ◽  
Xisheng Wang

According to the report of the National Cancer Center, there are about 4.5 million new cancer patients and 3 million deaths in China every year. How to effectively implement a comprehensive system of prevention and control measures and reduce the incidence rate of malignant tumors in the country, so that the mortality rate of cancer is effectively controlled is a problem that needs to be solved urgently. In particular, it is worth mentioning that in China, the addition of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of malignant tumor plays an important role in improving the therapeutic effect, reducing the toxic and side effects of comprehensive treatment, improving the quality of life, and "survival with tumor" of end-stage cancer patients. Professor Wang Xisheng has been engaged in the field of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of cancer for more than 40 years. In his long-term clinical practice, he has accumulated rich experience in the prevention and treatment of malignant tumors. This article introduces Professor Wang's thinking on cancer in clinical practice and the "Fu Yuan Fu Heng method" in the treatment of malignant tumors for reference.  


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