by Andres Vergara, L.Ac, M.Ac. and Michele Collins, RH (AHG), MPH
Chinese medicine is a broad umbrella term that refers to many different modalities which use similar diagnostic theories and understandings to address a wide variety of conditions, most notably acupuncture and herbs. In the January 22nd internet radio show episode titled Into to Chinese Medicine Medicine: Chinese Medicine 101, of Holistic Healing with Herbs and Chinese Medicine, we offer an overview of Chinese medicine in which we interview 3 practitioners to show how they use this system in a their own clinics. Acupuncture is the placing of fine sterile needles at specific acupoints on the body in order to activate the body’s Qi. This can have profound implications in the treatment of pain, and in promoting the body’s natural recuperative power, immunity, as well as physical and emotional health. It can also improve overall function and well-being. It is a safe, painless and effective way to deal with a wide variety of medical problems. There is a great deal of current western research validating the use of acupuncture which is underscored by the statement made by the 1997 NIH consensus statement on Acupuncture. They stated, “There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture’s value to expand its use into conventional medicine.”
Chinese herbal medicine has been practiced longer and more extensively than acupuncture and during our recent time studying in China, we saw that it was a modality considered to be even more important than acupuncture for complex disorders. In China there is extensive published research on the effectiveness of various herbal formulas in bettering and reversing a wide range of diseases. In addition, there is a huge body of research in peer reviewed journals such as the Journal of Chinese Herbal Studies, Journal of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, New Chinese Medicine, Beijing Chinese medicine, Jiangsu Chinese medicine, Anhui Journal of Clinical Chinese medicine and many others. As might be expected in a country that has over 3,000 years of history practicing Chinese herbal medicine, there have been many studies of various formulas showing their efficacy for a wide variety of ailments. Not all of this material is being translated into English. However, people such as Bob Flaws, L.Ac., are making very appreciated efforts to translate research findings from Mandarin into English to make them more widely accessible to practitioners of Chinese medicine.
In this article, we are providing an annotated description of a sampling of studies that show the benefits of acupuncture and herbs. Please note that most of the studies we cite here are supporting the benefits of acupuncture because most of the studies of Chinese medicine in the western world tend to focus on acupuncture an not herbal medicine.
Here are two good websites that offer summaries of more research about the effectiveness of Chinese medicine, particularly herbal medicine.
Herbal Studies
An Australian study with more than 3,500 women in 39 individual trails across 4 countries showed that “all measures of effectiveness confirmed the overall superiority of Chinese herbal medicine to placebo, no treatment, anti-inflammatory drugs, the contraceptive pill, acupuncture and heat compression” said the lead author of the report, Xiao Shu Zhu, from the University of Western Sydney’s Centre for Complementary Medicine Research. This study concludes that Chinese herbs are more effective at resolving period pain than conventional drugs and acupuncture. They also found that herbs reduced the recurrence of the condition over 3 months.
Click here for summaries of more research about the effectiveness of Chinese medicine, particularly herbal medicine.
Acupuncture Studies
In a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, they found that 51% of medical doctors understand the efficacy and value of acupuncture. They also found that medical doctors refer patients to acupuncturists more than any other alternative care provider. “A review of the incorporation of complementary and alternative medicine by mainstream physicians”, Astin, JA, et al., Arch Intern Med., 1998; (158).
A German Study published in Archives of Internal Medicine in 2007 involved 1,803 patients and 13,475 treatments to relieve lower back pain concluded that acupuncture “constituted a strong treatment alternative to multimodal conventional therapy, giving physicians a promiing and effective treatment option for chronic lower back pain”. The Institute for Work and Health, “Massage for Lower Back Pain”, Spine, 2009, July 15: 34 (16).
In 2008, the British Medical Journal reported that acupuncture can increase the success rate of in-vitro fertilization, as well as the number of viable pregnancies without the use of drugs that might harm the growing fetus. “Effects of Acupuncture of Pregnancy and Live Births Among Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization; Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”, British Medical Journal, 2008: 336: 545, published February 7, 2008.
In a 2008 Swedish study involving 215 cancer patients, the authors found that acupuncture has the potential to not only eliminate the need for additional drugs, but can reduce nausea experienced during radiation treatments. Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, “Acupuncture Just as Effective Without Needle Puncture” Science Daily, December 1, 2008, study conducted by the at Linkoping University and the Vardal Institute in Sweden.
A 2007 study from the University of Heidelberg in Germany concluded that acupuncture treatments relieve the pain associated with bronchial asthma. “Immunomodulatory Effects of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Alergic Asthma: A Randomized Controlled Study”, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol 6, Issue 6, 2007.
Acupuncture had a total effectiveness rate of 90.44% in relieving insomnia. It also improves the quality of sleep without the complications caused by sleep medication. Sok, SR, et al., The effects of acupuncture therapy on insomnia. J. Adv Nurs., 2003 Nov; 44 (4): 375-384. J. Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2002 Dec.;22 (4): 276-277.
In a study for sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, participants showed improvements in fatigue levels, sleep, memory and digestion after 6 weeks of cupping therapy. Flaws, B, et al. Chronic Fatigue and Cupping. 2001; 70-71.
The Guangxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine published a study that showed acupuncture had a 95% effectiveness that acupuncture in treating chronic gastritis. J. Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2003 Dec.; 23 (4): 278-279.
