Chinese Medicine News Chinese Medicine News Reporting on evidence-based research and studies on traditional Chinese medicine Articles
Acupuncture safe for kids: review
2008-06-07 11:41:00 acupuncture" width="270" align="left" />CM NEWS - Acupuncture seems to be safe for children, although its efficacy on some conditions remain uncertain, according to a mega review of 62 studies and meta-analyzes. The risk for adverse events of acupuncture on children is estimated to be 1.55 per 100 cases, leading experts to consider the treatment as “low risk”. The review was done by the Division of Intramural Research, National Centre for Complementary Medicine, and National Institutes of Health. Researchers reviewed 31 different published journal articles, including 23 randomized controlled clinical trials and 8 meta-analysis/systematic reviews. ‘We found evidence of some efficacy and low risk associated with acupuncture in pediatrics,” the researchers say. On safety Acupuncture has become a dominant complementary and alternative modality in clinical practice today, but its associated risk has been questioned. The National Institutes of Health Consensus Stat... More About: Kids , Review , Safe
Red yeast rice promotes bone formation
2008-06-07 09:00:00 CM NEWS - Red yeast rice, rice fermented with a special purple-red mold, has been known for its abilities to lower cholesterol and blood lipid levels. A recent study opens up the possible use of red yeast rice to stimulate bone formation, which might be good news for patients with osteoporosis. Rice yeast rice is fermented with a mold called Monascus purpureus (hongqu, ??) and has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. Scientists have long established that red yeast rice contains a natural form of statin. What are statins? Statins are a group of drugs that are commonly used to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. They include atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin. They each have different brand names. Statins work by blocking the action of a certain enzyme (chemical) in the liver which is needed to make cholesterol. Statins, which control the first step in the biosynthesis of cholesterol, have been shown to stimulate bone formation in ... More About: Bone
Serotonin may affect our sense of fairness
2008-06-07 00:57:00 UCLA release - The neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as a chemical messenger between nerve cells, plays a critical role in regulating emotions such as aggression during social decision-making, new research by scientists at England’s University of Cambridge and UCLA suggests. Their findings appear June 6 in the peer-reviewed journal Science. Serotonin has long been associated with social behavior, and low levels of serotonin are associated with depression and anxiety, but its precise involvement in impulsive aggression has been controversial. Though many scientists have hypothesized a link between serotonin and impulsivity, this is one of the first studies to show a causal link between the two. The findings highlight why some of us may become combative or aggressive when we have not eaten. The essential amino acid necessary for the body to create serotonin can only be obtained through diet; our serotonin levels naturally decline when we don’t eat. The research also p... More About: Sense , Fairness
Acupuncture reduces pain in head and neck cancer patients
2008-06-01 12:57:00 CM NEWS - Acupuncture has been found to significantly reduce pain dysfunction, and dry mouth in head and neck cancer patients after neck dissection. The study was led by David Pfister, MD, Chief of the Head and Neck Medical Oncology Service, and Barrie Cassileth, PhD, Chief of the Integrative Medicine Service, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC). Dr Pfister presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology. Neck dissection is a common procedure for treatment of head and neck cancer. There are different types of neck dissection, which vary based on which structures are removed and the anticipated side effects. One type ? the radical neck dissection ? involves complete removal of lymph nodes from one side of the neck, the muscle that helps turn the head, a major vein, and a nerve that is critical to full range of motion for the arm and shoulder. “Chronic pain and shoulder mobility problems are common after such surgery, adve... More About: Pain , Patients
On Vacation
2008-05-02 15:05:00 Hello readers, Sorry I haven’t updated this site for a while. I’m on a long vacation Certainly I will resume writing more articles once I’m back. Stay tuned. Susanna Ng Chinese Medicine News Chinese Medicine News (66.150.96.121) Chinese Medicine News by Chinese Medicine News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms originate from chinesemedicinenews.com. No tag for this post. No related posts. Hello readers, Sorry I haven't updated this site for a while. I'm on a long vacation :) Certainly I will resume writing more articles once I'm back. Stay tuned. :) Susanna Ng Chinese Medicine News More About: Vacation
Omega-3 heart benefits confirmed; 500mg/day recommended
2008-03-11 04:43:00 CM NEWS - Omega -3 fatty acids from oily fishes or capsules can reduce cardiovascular risk by up to 45%, according to a review of major scientific data. Experts recommend dosage of 500mg a day for healthy persons and 1 g for patients with coronary artery diseases. Two omega-3 fatty acids that have been associated with cardiovascular benefit, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are found in fish oils. The best source for DHA and EPA are fatty coldwater fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon and tuna. Fish oil supplements or algae supplements also can provide omega-3 fatty acids. What are omega-3 fatty acids? Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. They are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut, other marine life such as algae and krill, certain plants (including purslane), and ... More About: Heart , Benefits
Typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids
2008-03-10 07:30:00 Child & Family Research Institute release ? New research from the Child & Family Research Institute shows the typical North American diet of eating lots of meat and not much fish is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and this may pose a risk to infant neurological development. Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats found in some fish such as salmon and herring and in smaller amounts in eggs and chicken. This discovery is an important step towards developing dietary fat guidelines for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Current dietary recommendations evolved from the 1950?s emphasis on reducing saturated fat intake to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study is published March 7th, 2008 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. ?Omega 3 fatty acids are important for the baby?s developing eyes and brain,? says Dr. Sheila Innis, the study?s principal investigator, head of the nutrition and metabolism program at the Child & Family Research Institute at BC Chil... More About: Diet , Acids , Fatty
Tamiflu alert
2008-03-10 07:19:00 The Standard - Worried patients pushing doctors to prescribe the anti-flu drug Tamiflu could be leaving themselves more open to the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus. Abusing Tamiflu - the ultimate anti- H5N1 weapon - will result in the drug not being effective if there is a bird flu outbreak, three leading medical experts warned yesterday. Chinese University microbiology professor Paul Chan Kay-sheung, head of respiratory division David Hui Shu- cheong and pediatrics professor Ellis Hon Kam-lun worry that doctors may be under pressure from patients to prescribe Tamiflu unnecessarily amid widespread fear of a disease outbreak in the community. They also warned that it was not unusual for unscrupulous pharmacies to sell the anti-flu drug without doctors’ prescriptions, especially when the city is panicking. Their concern was substantiated in a letter from the Centre for Health Protection to all doctors last month, reminding them that Hong Kong has, for the first time, detected that Ta... More About: Alert
?Happy tree? yields a cancer-fighting drug
2008-03-06 02:32:00 Vancouver Sun - B.C. cancer patients who don’t get better on standard treatment will be offered a locally developed experimental drug using a nanotechnology smart bomb type of treatment derived from the bark of the “happy tree,” indigenous to China. Scientists at the B.C. Cancer Agency (Vancouver, Canada) have developed an anti-cancer weapon that is not unlike a cruise missile, which is meant to hit targets with precision. It’s been tested in mice and they say it’s now ready for testing in humans. They are calling their drug Irinophore C; its compounds are originally derived from a somewhat stubby tree called Camptotheca (or happy tree), which was found 40 years ago to have anti-cancer properties that were eventually extracted and synthesized. What is camptotheca? Camptotheca acuminata is a member of the family Nyssaceae (tupelo family) and is native only to China and Tibet, where it is known as xi shu (??, “happy tree”). Its primary anti-ca... More About: Happy , Fighting , Tree , Drug
Black tea may beat diabetes
2008-03-04 07:14:00 CM NEWS, NHS news - ?Scientists claim a cup of tea may help cure diabetes,? according to the Daily Mirror. They and other news sources (BBC) report on research that found that some constituents of black tea (theaflavins and thearubigins) mimic the action of insulin in the body. For a long time green tea has been believed to have beneficial health properties and it is now suggested that black tea may also have some potential. What are theaflavins? Theaflavins are a flavonoid found in tea. Theaflavins are considered the active ingredient in the fight against high cholesterol. Theaflavins are produced as green tea ferments into black or oolong tea. In addition to fighting cholesterol, theaflavins also support lipoprotein metabolism. Theaflavin often works with the other polyphenols in tea to protect and enhance the body’s functions. What are thearubigins? Thearubigins are polymeric polyphenols that are formed during the enzymatic oxidation (called fermentation by the tea trade) ... More About: Black , Diabetes , Beat
Precious herb ?Tin Ma? fights depression
2008-03-02 08:32:00 CM NEWS - An ancient, precious and expensive Chinese herb might possess anti-depressant effect, according to a new study by scientists at the National Taiwan University. The study will be published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine. Depression is a common psychiatric disorder with a high morbidity and mortality rate. The pharmacotherapy used in clinic today is not suitable for all patients and causes certain side-effects. Thus, looking for alternative treatments with antidepressant effect and minimal side-effect is important. Gastrodia elata Bl. (tin ma, ??) is a famous Chinese traditional medicine used for centuries. What is Tin Ma? The earliest account of tin ma was recorded in Shennong Bencao Jing (?????, “The Herb al Encyclopedia of Shennong”), which is considered the oldest Chinese medicine text in history. The name(s) of author(s) have been lost through time but the book is believed to be at least 2200 years old. The encyclopedia lists tin ma as being able... More About: Fights , Precious
Broccoli sprouts cut bladder cancer risk by half
2008-02-28 08:06:00 CM NEWS, American Association for Cancer Research release ? A concentrated extract of freeze dried broccoli sprouts cut development of bladder tumours in an animal model by more than half, according to a report in the March 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. This finding reinforces human epidemiologic studies that have suggested that eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli is associated with reduced risk for bladder cancer, according to the study?s senior investigator, Yuesheng Zhang, MD, PhD, professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. ?Although this is an animal study, it provides potent evidence that eating vegetables is beneficial in bladder cancer prevention,? he said. There is strong evidence that the protective action of cruciferous vegetables derives at least in part from isothyiocyanates (ITCs), a group of phytochemicals with well-known cancer preventive activities. ?The bladder is particularly responsive t... More About: Risk , Broccoli , Bladder Cancer , Half
Germans search for new anti-cancer drugs from TCM
2008-02-25 06:20:00 CM NEWS - A group of German scientists launched a systematic compound search in 76 Chinese medicinal plants that are believed to be effective against malignant tumours and other growths. The success rates so far are satisfactory. Curing cancer with natural products ? a case for shamans and herb women? Not at all, for many chemotherapies to fight cancer applied in modern medicine are natural products or were developed on the basis of natural substances. For instance, taxanes used in prostate and breast cancer treatment are made from yew trees. The popular periwinkle plant, which grows along the ground of many front yards, is the source of vinca alkaloids that are effective, for example, against malignant lymphomas. The modern anti-cancer drugs topotecan and irinotecan are derived from a constituent of the Chinese Happy Tree. In his search for active ingredients, Professor Dr. Thomas Efferth of the DKFZ has been concentrating on herbal remedies from traditional Chinese medicine with p... More About: Drugs , Cancer , Search , Anti , Germans
Writing ?deepest thoughts? improves quality of life of cancer patients
2008-02-24 18:20:00 Georgetown University Medical Centre release - Expressive writing — writing about one?s deepest thoughts and feelings — may help change the way cancer patients think and feel about their disease. In one of the first studies published in an oncology journal about the benefits of writing therapy, researchers say those who immediately reported changes in thoughts about their illness also reported a better physical quality of life three weeks later. ?Previous research suggests expressive writing may enhance physical and psychological well-being,? said Nancy P. Morgan, M.A., writing clinician and director of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre?s Arts and Humanities Program. ?But most of those studies involved three to five writing sessions that were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting. Here, we found that just one writing session in a busy cancer clinic where the patients are frequently interrupted can still have a positive impact on patients.? The study appear... More About: Life , Writing , Thoughts , Quality of Life
Fat-free milk may help ease hypertension
2008-02-21 10:44:00 CM NEWS - Women who drank more fat free milk and had higher intakes of calcium and vitamin D from foods, and not supplements, tended to have a lower risk for developing hypertension or high blood pressure, according to a new study published in the American Heart Association journal, Hypertension . After examining the diets of nearly 30,000 middle-aged and older women, Harvard researchers found that women who consumed more low-fat milk and milk products and had diets higher in calcium and vitamin D from foods were better protected against high blood pressure. When the researchers investigated the benefits of milk specifically, they found women who drank two or more servings of fat free milk each day reduced their risk for high blood pressure by up to10 percent compared to those who drank fat free milk less than once a month. The same was not found for higher fat milk and milk products or calcium and vitamin D supplement users. One in three American adults has high blood pressure, and ... More About: Free , Milk , Ease
Bats are source of SARS, study confirms
2008-02-20 03:28:00 Ohio State University release ? Scientists who have studied the genome of the virus that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) say their comparisons to related viruses offer new evidence that the virus infecting humans originated in bats. The analysis tracing the viruses? paths through human and animal hosts counters assertions that SARS was eradicated in 2004 when thousands of palm civet cats in China were identified as the original source and killed in an effort to eliminate the risk of new outbreaks. According to this new analysis, humans actually appear to be the source of the virus found in those civets, a wild game animal considered a delicacy in southern China. SARS infected more than 8,000 and killed more than 900 people worldwide during a nine-month outbreak that ended in the summer of 2003, according to the World Health Organization. No human infections have been reported since early 2004. Janies and his colleagues are not the first scientists to suggest bats wer... More About: Study , Source , Bats
Stress hormone impacts memory, learning in diabetics
2008-02-18 06:07:00 NIH release - Diabetes is known to impair the cognitive health of people, but now scientists have identified one potential mechanism underlying these learning and memory problems. A new National Institutes of Health (NIH) study in diabetic rodents finds that increased levels of a stress hormone produced by the adrenal gland disrupt the healthy functioning of the hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for learning and short-term memory. Moreover, when levels of the adrenal glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (also known as cortisol in humans) are returned to normal, the hippocampus recovers its ability to build new cells and regains the ?plasticity? needed to compensate for injury and disease and adjust to change. The study appears in the Feb. 17, 2008, issue of Nature Neuroscience and was conducted by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the NIH. NIA?s Mark Mattson, Ph.D., and colleagues in the Institute?s Intramural Research Program performed the study with Al... More About: Memory , Stress , Learning
?Fundamental? herb reverses drug resistance of cancer cells
2008-02-16 08:44:00 CM NEWS - One of the 50 fundamental traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, Wu wei zi (???), contains substances that could “remarkably” reverse multidrug resistance of cancer cells, according to a study done at Standford University. Fructus Schizandrae (wu wei zi, ???) is commonly used as a tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. Recently, wu wei zi was found to significantly improve liver dysfunction in chronic hepatitis patients. What is wu wei zi? Fructus Schizandrae is a deciduous woody vine and is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female, thus both male and female plants must be grown. It is very tolerant to shade. Its Chinese name comes from the fact that its berries possess all five basic flavours: salty, sweet, sour, pungent (spicy), and bitter. Its berries are used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs. They are most often used in dried form, and boiled to make a tea. Medicinally it is used as ... More About: Cancer , Drug , Resistance , Fundamental , Herb
Blood test detects ovarian cancer early
2008-02-16 07:38:00 Reuters - Researchers have developed what they believe is the first blood test that accurately detects ovarian cancer at an early stage.“The ability to recognize almost 100% of new tumours will have a major impact on the high death rates of this cancer,” senior author Dr. Gil Mor, from Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, said in a statement. “We hope this test will become the standard of care for women having routine examinations.” In 2005, Mor’s team first described a panel of biomarkers that can detect stage I and II ovarian cancer. In the present trial, reported in the medical journal Clinical Cancer Research, the researchers expanded the panel from four proteins to six, and used a sophisticated assay system to measure protein levels in 362 healthy women and 156 patients newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Alone, none of the biomarkers could distinguish the cancer patients from the healthy comparison group, the researchers ... More About: Blood , Early , Test , Ovarian Cancer
?Engineered? virus slows stubborn cancers
2008-02-15 07:58:00 CM NEWS ? A lab-engineered virus has been proved to slow the growth of two particularly stubborn solid tumour cancers ? neuroblastoma and peripheral nerve sheath tumours ? without harming healthy tissues, according to study results published in the Cancer Research. A team of researchers in a multi-institutional study was led by Cincinnati Children?s Hospital Medical Centre. They were able to insert “instructions to inhibit tissue growth into an engineered virus.” ?Malignant solid tumours are still very difficult to treat effectively, especially without causing harm to normal tissues, so we need to find innovative therapeutic approaches,? said Timothy Cripe, M.D., Ph.D., a physician and researcher at Cincinnati Children?s. ?In our study, this tumour-targeting viral therapy enhanced anti-tumour activity by stimulating multiple biological processes, including directly killing the cancer cells and reducing the formation of blood vessels that fed the tumours. These data suppo... More About: Virus
New anti-cancer drug maybe from sea algae
2008-02-12 06:57:00 CM NEWS, UCSD release - A team of researchers has identified a potent new anti-cancer drug isolated from a toxic blue-green algae found in the South Pacific. The properties of somocystinamide A (ScA) are described in a paper that will be published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The research team was spearheaded by Dennis Carson M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Centre at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). What is cyanobacteria? Cyanobacteria, also known as Cyanophyta or blue-green algae, is a phylum of bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis. They are a significant component of the marine nitrogen cycle and an important primary producer in many areas of the ocean, but are also found on land. Cyanobacteria are proving to be a source of a large number of novel organic compounds with biological activity. Among the many compounds found and characterised to date, many are toxic and ... More About: Drug , Anti , Cancer Drug
HK at centre of global drugs scam
2008-02-11 21:06:00 The Standard - Hong Kong is at the centre of a scam channeling counterfeit drugs from the mainland abroad, according to an industry insider. Counterfeiters have moved from lifestyle drugs including impotence, sleeping and slimming pills and antifungal shampoos to medicines for severe and chronic conditions such as diabetes, cholesterol, and liver and heart problems, a source in the local pharmacy industry revealed. “We are aware the drugs are mainly from China and some have been sent through Hong Kong to different countries. Hong Kong is a free port, making it vulnerable to illicit activities,” the source said. The trend has also been identified by the US government. A report issued by the Office of the United States Trade Representative and released last year singled out Hong Kong and four other countries - Paraguay, the Philippines, Ukraine and Thailand - as having “significant problems” with transshipped or in- transit goods. “Transshipped and in-tra... More About: Drugs , Global , Scam , Centre
Acupuncture ?increases IVF success? by 65%
2008-02-11 03:30:00 Times - Women who undergo IVF increase their chances of pregnancy if they are also treated with acupuncture, a new analysis suggests. The benefits may be large ? a 65% increase in the chance of becoming pregnant, and a 91% increase in the number of live births. The results have emerged from a meta-analysis, a technique in which the results of many previous trials are pooled. A team led by Dr Eric Manheimer of the University of Maryland School of Medicine scanned medical literature for trials that attempted to measure the effect of acupuncture on IVF success. They found 108 trials, but rejected all but seven because of defects of methodology ? such as that acupuncture was not administered within a day of IVF or was used as a form of pain relief. The seven they retained, all published since 2002 and carried out in four Western countries, involved 1,366 women. In all the trials the women were given acupuncture immediately before or after the test-tube embryo was transferred to their wo... More About: Success , Acupuncture
Indian herb prevents cancer progress
2008-02-11 03:09:00 CM NEWS - An Indian medicinal plant Acanthus ilicifolius shows encouraging results in preventing liver cancer cells from progressing, dubbed chemoprevention, according to a study. What is chemoprevention? The aim of cancer chemoprevention is to circumvent the development and progression of malignant cells through the use of non-cytotoxic nutrients, herbal preparations/natural plant products, and/or pharmacological agents. Encouraging dietary intake with herbal supplements may therefore be an effective strategy to limit DNA lesions and organic injuries leading to cancers and other chronic degenerative diseases. (Another CM NEWS article talks about a herb that triggers cancer cell death.) Acanthus ilicifolius, popularly known as “Holly Mangrove”, is distributed widely throughout the mangroves of India, including Sunderbans in West Bengal, west coasts, and the Andamans, and in other Asian countries like Singhal, Burma, China, Thailand etc. How has Acanthus ilicifolius been... More About: Cancer , Progress , Herb
Herbal sex remedy linked to cancer
2008-02-11 02:00:00 Reuters, CanWest - Two men seeking to boost sexual performance and grow bigger muscles instead ended up with advanced prostate cancer after taking “herbal” supplements, US doctors said. They said many supplements marketed as “safe” and “natural” could contain unknown and potentially dangerous ingredients, and noted that the US Food and Drug Administration has little authority to regulate them. “Physicians need to ask their patients not only about the prescription drugs they may be taking, but ? perhaps even more importantly ? about the over-the-counter drugs and supplements, which may have a profound impact on certain health conditions,” Claus Roehrborn, chairman of urology at the University of Texas Southwestern medical school, said yesterday. Dr Roehrborn’s team became concerned about what it calls herbal/hormonal dietary supplements, or HHDSs, after two men developed aggressive prostate cancer within months of taking the same ... More About: Cancer , Herbal , Remedy
Hawthorn extract ?helps blood flow?
2008-02-11 01:49:00 Telegraph - Hawthorn extract can significantly ease the symptoms of chronic heart failure, research suggests. The herbal medicine can help the heart beat more powerfully, increasing blood flow through the arteries and reducing irregular heartbeats. Researchers looking at several studies found the extract made patients better able to exercise, and reduced tiredness and shortness of breath. The medicine is made from dried leaves, flowers and fruits of hawthorn bushes. advertisement Researchers identified 14 trials that compared the effects of adding either hawthorn extract, or a placebo to conventional therapies. The results indicated that the extract increased the maximum workload that patients could endure. It also decreased the amount of oxygen used by the heart. A few people reported mild side effects including nausea, dizziness and heart and stomach complaints, however. One of the researchers, Dr Max Pittler, of Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, said: “If I had chronic he... More About: Blood , Flow , Extract
Which erectile dysfunction drugs?
2008-02-02 06:55:00 Chinese Medicine News (66.150.96.121) Chinese Medicine News by Chinese Medicine News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms originate from chinesemedicinenews.com. Tags: erectile dysfunction, sex, video More About: Drugs , Erectile Dysfunction , Rect
Corn fungus may fight childhood cancer
2008-01-27 13:14:00 CM NEWS - German researchers have successfully isolated a toxin from a common corn fungus which could bring hope in treating neuroblastoma, a tumour of the nervous system in children. What is neuroblastoma? Neuroblastoma is a cancer that forms in the nerve tissue. It usually begins in the adrenal glands, which sit atop your kidneys. It may also begin in the neck, chest or spinal cord. The cancer often begins in early childhood. Sometimes it begins before a child is born. By the time doctors find the cancer, it has usually spread to other parts of the body. The most common symptoms are A lump in the abdomen, neck or chest Bulging eyes Dark circles around the eyes Bone pain Swollen stomach and trouble breathing in babies Painless, bluish lumps under the skin in babies Inability to move a body part Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination. Sometimes before giving treatment, doctors wait to see whether symptoms get worse. This is called watchful... More About: Childhood , Cancer , Corn , Fight
TCM has huge potentials: ?Iron Lady?
2008-01-26 02:47:00 Xinhua - The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has broad prospects and huge potentials in its development, Chinese vice premier Wu Yi said. Wu made the remarks at the 2008 National Conference on the TCM Work. “I’m very confident of the development of traditional Chinese medicine,” she said. According to the official, China has 3,072 TCM hospitals with over 330,000 beds, while most of general hospitals in the country have opened TCM departments. China now has 1,500 TCM companies, manufacturing more than 9,000 kinds of Chinese medicine products. The vice premier has been widely known as “China’s Iron Lady ” and also as a strong supporter of the revival of the TCM, which has been under debate among some Chinese experts and ordinaries. The debate peaked in 2006, when a university professor posted an article on line to collect signatures from those who have supported the abolishing of traditional Chinese medicine, and he demanded an official ban on the... More About: Huge
Electric acupuncture helps insomnia
More articles from this author:2008-01-24 13:41:00 CM NEWS - Using electric acupuncture to needle 4 “extraordinary” acupoints on the top of the head might have impressive effect on treating insomnia, a recent study indicates. Researchers at the Shandong Provincial Hospital in China evaluated the clinical therapeutic effect of electric acupuncture at a set of 4 acupoints Sishencong (EX-HN 1, “Four Brightening Spirits”, ???) on insomnia. What is electric acupuncture? Electric acupuncture, the application of a pulsating electrical current to acupuncture needles as a means of stimulating the acupoints, was developed in China as an extension of hand manipulation of acupuncture needles around 1934. The procedure for electric acupuncture is to insert the acupuncture needle as would normally be done, attain the qi reaction by hand manipulation, and then attach an electrode to the needle to provide continued stimulation. The benefits of using electrical stimulation are: It substitutes for prolonged hand maneuverin... More About: Insomnia , Acupuncture 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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