The
following are some examples of
the latest research being conducted
in both Asia and the West into
the efficacy of Chinese Herbal
Medicine for treating a broad range
of conditions.
Acne
Chinese herbs show significant results in the treatment of acne. Fifty-eight
patients with acne were given a standard water decoction based on the Chinese
herbal formula Qing fei yi rou tang, adjusted according to the morphology
of the lesions and the constitution of the patient. After a varied time
of treatment ranging from 2 to 6 months 46 cases were classified as clinically
cured (all papules, pustules, nodules and cysts cleared, with no reoccurrence),
10 cases were classified as improved (reduction in all lesions, but mild reoccurrence
on stopping the herbs), and 2 cases showed no change.
Zhouxin, Z. (2001). New Journal of Chinese Medicine.4 – 33-4
Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) is
efficacious in the treatment of severe
atopic eczema in children, according
to the recent report in the British
Journal of Dermatology. Forty-seven
children were randomly selected to
receive either a specific Chinese
herbal formula for widespread non-exudative
atopic eczema or a placebo for 8
weeks, with an intervening 4-week
wash-out period. The Chinese herbal
group showed a significant
improvement compared with the placebo
group. No adverse side effects of
hematological, hepatic or renal nature,
or toxicity were reported in any
of the participants. The researchers
predicted a considerable therapeutic
potential for traditional Chinese
medicinal plants, not only in the
treatment of eczema, but also for
other skin diseases.
Sheehan, M.P., Atherton, D.J. (1992). A
controlled trial of traditional Chinese
medicinal plants in widespread non-exudative
atopic eczema. British
Journal of Dermatology. 126
179-184 2.
A placebo-controlled longitudinal
trial of at the Royal Free Hospital,
London, found a specific Chinese
Herbal formula to be superior to
a placebo for the treatment of dermatitis.
Forty adults suffering from long-term
widespread atopic dermatitis were
randomly selected and allocated either
to a treatment group or a placebo
group, and followed up for a 5 month
period. Although adults treated
with Chinese herbal formula showed
signs of significant improvement
relative to placebo treatment, the
researchers warranted further investigation
into the safety of the Chinese herbal
formula for patients with liver and
kidney complication (reported below).
Sheehan, M.P., et al (1992). Efficacy
of traditional Chinese herbal therapy
in adult atopic dermatitis. The Lancet.
(7) 13-17.
A second trial at the Royal Free
Hospital followed up a group of 31
patients with severe atopic eczema
who initially took part in a double-blind
placebo-controlled crossover trial
of a specific formulation of Chinese
herbal therapy (reported above).
All patients were offered continued
therapy for one year after the trial
was completed. Of 17 patients who
enrolled for the follow-up period,
12 had greater than 90% reduction
of symptoms and the other 5 had greater
than 60% reduction. Eleven
patients who decided not to continue
treatment reported a gradual deterioration
of symptoms, resulting in a significant
difference (both erythema and surface
damage) between the two groups. Toxicology
screening revealed no abnormalities
in either full blood counts or biochemical
parameters in any patient on continued
treatment. Improvement in disease
was not associated with any significant
change in serum IgE level or peripheral
blood lymphocyte subsets.
Nagle T.M., et al (1995). Follow-up
of adult patients with atopic eczema
treated with Chinese herbal therapy
for 1 year. Clinical & Experimental
Dermatology. 20(2):136-40.
Infertility with Premature Ovarian Failure
Chinese herbs were shown to be
efficacious in the treatment of
infertility associated with premature
ovarian failure. A single case study
from Taiwan compared the effectiveness
of Chinese Herbal Medicine with
Clomiphene citrate therapy. The
Clomiphene citrate therapy was used
over 8 months and did not change
the FSH and LH levels from the postmenopausal
range. The Chinese herb-based formula Zuo
gui Wan induced an ovulation
after 4 months, and the patient
fell pregnant. The authors concluded
thatChinese herbal
medicine can restore ovarian function
effectively, offering a viable and
efficacious treatment option for
infertility due to premature ovarian
failure.
Chao S.L., et al (2003). Pregnancy
in premature ovarian failure after
therapy using Chinese Herbal Medicine.
A case study. Chang Gung Medical Journal.
26(6): 449-52.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
A recent study has shown Chinese
Herbs can ease symptoms of IBS,
a highly prevalent condition with
about 10% to 20% of adults suffering
from the symptoms. A large
participant-blinded (i.e. participants
not aware of the type of treatment)
placebo controlled trial with 116
randomly selected participants was
carried out at the University of
Western Sydney Macarthur, Australia.
The participants were randomly assigned
to one of three treatments: individually
tailored Chinese herbal therapy;
a standard Chinese herbal formulation;
or a placebo. Both standard
and individualised herbal therapies
produced significant results after
four months of treatment, with 76%
of patients on standard herbal therapy
and 64% of those on individualised
therapy reporting symptom improvement,
compared with just 33% of patients
in the placebo group. There was
little difference in initial improvement
rates between patients receiving
either individualised or standard
Chinese herbal therapies, individual
therapy proved more effective over
long-term. At 14 weeks after the
end of treatment participants using
individualised treatment have shown
better improvement than the other
two groups.
Bensoussan, A., et al. (1998).
Treatment of irritable bowel syndrome
with Chinese herbal medicine. The Journal of the American Medical Association 280:1585-1589.
A second study from Sydney, Australia,
lends even stronger scientific support
to efficacy of using of Chinese
herbs in treatment of IBS. The
randomized, placebo-controlled,
double-blind study (i.e. both experimenters
and participants were unaware of
which treatment each participant
was receiving) involved 116 people
with active IBS recruited from hospitals
and private gastroenterological
practices. Participants were
diagnosed first by gastroenterologists
using standard western diagnostic
methods, and then by Chinese herbalists
according to the principles of Chinese
medicine. Forty-three participants
received a standard Chinese herbal
formula, 38 received individualized
herbal formulas, and 35 received
a placebo indistinguishable in appearance
from the herbal treatments. Participants
were evaluated by gastroenterologists
after eight weeks and again at the
end of the 16-week treatment period. Both
the standard herbal formula and
the individualized treatments were
significantly more effective than
placebo in relieving IBS symptoms,
with patients receiving the herbal
formulas scoring significantly better
in four out of five key outcome
measures. Furthermore, treatment
benefits were more sustained in
patients who took individualized
formulas than in those who took
the standard formula. Overall, 78%
of patients taking the standard
Chinese herbal formula and 50% of
those taking individualized formulas
showed improved, compared with 30%
of those taking placebo.
(1998). Journal of the American
Medical Association.
Polycystic Ovarian Disease
Chinese Herbal Medicine found to
be effective in the treatment of
Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD),
without causing any side effects.
A recent study was carried out in
Japan using a specific Chinese herbal
formula on participants suffering
from PCOD to find an effective treatment
without side effects that could
be used as an alternative to clomiphene
citrate or gonadotropin therapy.
After a course of Chinese Herbal
treatment, the FSH/LH ratio had
significantly decreased, and the
ovulatory rate was 70.6%. Serum
testosterone did not change during
treatment. The authors conclude
that the Chinese formula may be
useful for the treatment of anovulation
in PCOS patients.
Sakai A. et al. (1999). Induction
of ovulation by Sairei-to for polycystic
ovary syndrome patients. Journal of Endocrinology.
46(1):217-20.
Psoriasis
Chinese Herbs were shown to be
effective in treating two types
of Psoriasis. A trial was carried
out at the famous Beijing Guan Anmen
hospital, Department of Dermatology
by Professor Zhu Renkang. One hundred
and eight participants with widespread
plaque psoriasis were selected.
According to traditional Chinese
medical diagnosis, the participants
were divided into either ‘Hot
Blood type’ or ‘Dry
Blood type’ psoriasis group.
The intervention was administered
up to 24 weeks, with an average
of 28 weeks. From 54 participants
in the ‘Hot
Blood type’ group, 72.2%
had total clearing of skin; 11.1%
had significant improvement; 11.1%
had some improvement; and 3% had
no change. From 54 participants
in the ‘Dry Blood type’ group,
59.2% had total clearing of skin;
16.7% had significant improvement;
18.5% had some improvement; and
6% had no change. For the participants
with a total clearing of symptoms,
a follow up assessment period of
between 12-32 months was carried
out: 63.6% remained stable, 5% had
mild relapse, whilst 25% had total
relapse.
Zhuren, K. (1981). The Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (4)22-24.
Threatened Miscarriage
Chinese Herbal Medicine shown to
be effective in regulating plasma
beta-EP and placental endocrine
function in threatened abortion
in women with a history of recurrent
miscarriage.
The study of 40 women was carried
out at Shanghai Gynaecology & Obstetrics
Department of Shanghai Medical University. The participants who exhibited
threatened abortion (TA) and a history of miscarriage had their blood compared
to that of normal pregnant women. TA group showed abnormal blood counts when
compared with women having normal pregnancy, with significinatly higher plasma
beta-EP level and significantly lower plasma GnRH, HCG and P4. Chinese Herbal
medicine supported conception, blood circulation and protected the foetus, with
36 of the 40 participants continuing their pregnancy without TA symptoms.
Sun F, Yu J. (1999). Effect of TCM
on plasma beta-endorphin and placental
endocrine in threatened abortion. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 19
(2):87-9.
