Theory and scientificity of traditional Chinese medicine

Abstract

The Nobel Prize for artemisinin and the COVID-19 pandemic have heightened interest in the disease prevention and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, uncertainty and misinformation remain about some key issues. Herein, we discuss the current literature showing that, despite TCM gaining recognition, the theoretical systems of TCM and Western medicine rooted in different cultural backgrounds have huge differences in their theories and treatments. How to achieve accurate diagnosis in TCM, how to give scientific treatment, what is the mechanism of treatment, and what are the effect and safety of treatment, all need to be more clearly explained and require high-quality modern scientific evidence. An emerging consensus exists that, with the help of modern technology and scientific methods, it is necessary to excavate the essence of TCM that truly conforms to the laws of human life movement and disease development, realize cross-complementation with Western medicine, enhance human understanding of diseases, enrich diagnosis and treatment methods, and promote a new level in the field of life sciences.

The effectiveness and safety of herbal medicine on suicidal behavior: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis

“…As a result, 2 case reports, [25,26] 3 studies with no suicide-related outcomes, [27][28][29] 1 study using herbal injections, [30] and 1 study using the same HM in the treatment and control groups [31] were excluded. Finally, 13 articles [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] were included in this review (Fig. 1).…”

“…All studies included in this review [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] were published between 2005 and 2019 and were RCTs; no CCTs or before-after study designs were included. Of the included studies, 7 [33][34][35]38,39,41,43] were published in journals; 5 [32,37,40,42,44] were theses; and one [36] was a conference proceeding abstract. All included studies were conducted in China, with most [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] published there.…”

“…Of the included studies, 7 [33][34][35]38,39,41,43] were published in journals; 5 [32,37,40,42,44] were theses; and one [36] was a conference proceeding abstract. All included studies were conducted in China, with most [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] published there. With the exception of 2 3-arm RCTs, [34,40] the remaining studies [32,33,[35][36][37][38][39][41][42][43][44] were 2-arm RCTs.…”

Systematic evaluation and meta-analysis of Chinese medicine in the treatment of centrally mediated abdominal pain syndrome

“…Chen [12] SCL-90 23.83 ± 4.25/25.63 ± 4.07 >.05 Wang and Cao [14] Unspecified 30.15 ± 11.7/38.80 ± 8.78 <.05 Dong et al [16] HAMA score 8.01 ± 2.35/11.06 ± 2.37 <.05 Wang and Wu [18] SAS score 39.30 ± 6.914/44.50 ± 6.947 <.05 www.md-journal.com of deficiency, clearing of heat, warming in cold, slowing in qi, and dissipating in blood stasis. [26] Regarding the treatment of CAPS, Western medicine is limited, and its side effects are significant and at risk of recurrence. In addition to the common internal use of Chinese medicine, there are many external treatments, such as Chinese medicine enema, acupuncture point compression, auricular pressure bean, acupressure, acupressure massage, acupuncture point buried wire, acupuncture point cupping, massage, and Chinese medicine sealing package.…”

“…Western medicine treatment methods for CAPS are limited, and modern medical treatment is mainly based on antianxiety drugs, antidepressants, painkillers, and psychotherapy. [10] However, its efficacy is poor, with certain adverse reactions, taking up medical resources and increasing patients’ economic burden. With the prolongation of the disease, many patients cannot correctly perceive the condition.…”