Sasang constitutional medicine and traditional chinese medicine: a comparative overview.

Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM) is a holistic typological constitution medicine which balances psychological, social, and physical aspects of an individual to achieve wellness and increase longevity. SCM has the qualities of preventative medicine, as it emphasizes daily health management based on constitutionally differentiated regimens and self-cultivation of the mind and body. This review's goal is to establish a fundamental understanding of SCM and to provide a foundation for further study. It compares the similarities and differences of philosophical origins, perspectives on the mind (heart), typological systems, pathology, and therapeutics between SCM and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM is based on the Taoist view of the universe and humanity. The health and longevity of an individual depends on a harmonious relationship with the universe. On the other hand, SCM is based on the Confucian view of the universe and humanity. SCM focuses on the influence of human affairs on the psyche, physiology, and pathology.

Remission of new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus in an adolescent using an integrative medicine approach: A case report / 中西医结合学报

Among adolescents, the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has recently increased. A 12-year-old Chinese boy with a one-year history of hyperphagia presented to our clinic. The patient was diagnosed with T2DM one month prior to visiting the clinic and reported undergoing no pharmacologic treatment. Using an integrative medicine approach, including Chinese herbal decoction, berberine hydrochloride tablets, physical exercise and diet control, the patient's fasting blood glucose (FBG) decreased from 8.3 mmol/L to 5.5 mmol/L. Additionally, his glycated haemoglobin decreased from 12.9% to 6.1%, indicating that without any Western medicine intervention his diabetes has been reversed after six months of treatment. His FBG remained normal, and nine months after completion of treatment it was 4.9 mmol/L. A potential mechanism in this response may be related to improved insulin resistance and β-cell function, as indicated by observed changes in homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and β-cell function. Further, weight loss may also have contributed to the effectiveness of the treatment. This case study is the first to present the innovative approach of integrative medicine to achieve remission of new-onset adolescent T2DM.

Effects of the pestle needle therapy, a type of acupoint stimulation, on post-hemorrhoidectomy pain: A randomized controlled trial / 中西医结合学报

BACKGROUND@#Hemorrhoids are one of the most common conditions that lead to surgery, and until now surgical hemorrhoidectomy has been the major effective treatment. Post-operative pain from hemorrhoidectomy has been experienced by thousands of patients and remains a major inconvenience of the operation.@*OBJECTIVE@#This study evaluates the clinical efficacy of the pestle needle therapy, an acupoint stimulation method, for relief of post-hemorrhoidectomy pain.@*DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS@#This was a single-center, patient-assessor-blinded and randomized controlled trial with 154 patients receiving Milligan hemorrhoidectomy surgery. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group at a ratio of 1:1. The treatment group received the pestle needle therapy, with manual stimulation at Yaoshu (DU2), Mingmen (DU4), Changqiang (DU1), Chengshan (BL57), Erbai (EX-UE2) and the perianal points (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11o'clock around the lesion); while the control group received a sham treatment with very light pressure. Three sessions of treatment were performed at 30 min, 4 h and 12 h after the surgery, and each lasted for 15 min.@*MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES@#The primary outcome was post-operative pain measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS) at 12 h after surgery. The secondary outcomes included the VAS scores measured at 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 24 and 48 h after surgery, the analgesic dose, the time and the VAS score of the patients' first defecation after surgery, as well as the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) evaluated before discharge.@*RESULTS@#The mean pain score of the treatment group was significantly lower than that of the control group (3.10 ± 1.27 vs 4.82 ± 1.29; P < 0.001) at 12 h after surgery. Compared with the control group, patients in the treatment group needed a smaller dose of analgesic within the first 24 hours after surgery (P = 0.002); and their HAMA scores before discharge were lower (4.07 ± 2.40 vs 5.10 ± 2.45, P = 0.009). Compared to the treatment group, patients in the control group had a greater time to the first defecation after surgery ([52.34 ± 15.72] h vs [27.08 ± 13.68] h; P < 0.001), but there was no difference in their VAS scores at the first defecation (P = 0.092).@*CONCLUSION@#The pestle needle therapy was effective for relieving pain, reducing anxiety and improving bowel function after hemorrhoidectomy, and it is worthy of clinical application.

Mechanism of electroacupuncture on "Zusanli (ST 36)" for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects and duration of electroacupuncture on the mechanical pain threshold induced by paclitaxel and explore its analgesic mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-four C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, a normal+sham EA group, a normal+EA group, a medicine+sham EA(Med+ sham EA) group, a medicine + EA (Med + EA) group, 16 cases in each group. The model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy was established with paclitaxel intraperitoneal injection on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th day in the Med + sham EA group and the Med + EA group. EA of 30 min was used on bilateral "Zusanli (ST 36)" on the 9th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 30th day in the EA groups, 2 Hz/100 Hz and 1~ 1.5 mA. Acupuncture was applied on the same acupoint at the same times in the sham EA groups. Mechanical pain thresholds were tested by VonFrey before and after model establishment, namely on the 8th, 14th; 21st and, 28th day. The heart blood of 8 mice was drawn quickly to collect serum in every group on the 31st day, and the contents of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in proinflammatory cytokine were examined by ELISA. Mechanical pain thresholds were tested by VonFrey for the rest 8 mice of each group until there was no apparent difference in the two paclitaxel groups once a week,namely on the 35th, 42nd, 49th day.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The pain thresholds of each group were not statistically different before model establishment (P > 0.05). After model establishment (on the 8th day), thresholds of the paclitaxel groups were lower than those of the normal groups (all P < 0.05). After EA, the mechanical pain thresholds of the Med + EA group were higher than those of the Med + sham EA group at all the time points, and there was statistical difference on the 14th, 21st and 28th day (all P < 0.05). The analgesic effect was lasting to the 49th day. The contents of TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1β of the Med + EA group were decreased than those of the Med+sham EA group in different degree, with statistical significance of IL-1α (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA can effectively treat paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy,and the analgesic mechanism is probably related to decreasing the proinflammatory cytokine.</p>

Integrating traditional Chinese medicine into mainstream healthcare system in Hong Kong, China-A model of integrative medicine in the HKU-SZ Hospital / 中西医结合学报

The European Congress for Integrative Medicine 2015 Global Summit on Integrative Medicine and Healthcare in Greater Copenhagen has successfully promoted integrative medicine to the public once again. Integrative medicine, which is called the art and science of healthcare by Nordic Integrative Medicine, has been widely used in the world. In Hong Kong, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, which is also known as the Chinese version of integrative medicine, provides a valuable reference for the development of integrative medicine in the world. In this article, we introduce the development of traditional Chinese medicine in Hong Kong and an integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine model in the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital.

Chinese medicines for prevention and treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma: current progress on pharmacological actions and mechanisms / 中西医结合学报

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of leading causes of death in the world. Although various treatments have been developed, the therapeutic side effects are far from desirable. Chinese medicines (CMs, including plants, animal parts and minerals) have drawn a great deal of attention in recent years for their potential in the treatment of HCC. Most studies have shown that CMs may be able to retard HCC progression with multiple actions, either alone or in combination with other conventional therapies to improve quality of life in HCC patients. Additionally, CMs are used for preventing HCC occurrence. The aim of this study is to review the potential prophylactic and curative effects of CMs on human HCC and the possible mechanisms that underlie these pharmacological actions. Publications were collected and reviewed from PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from 2000 to 2014. Keywords for literature searches include "Chinese medicine", "Chinese herb", "traditional Chinese Medicine", "hepatocellular carcinoma" and "liver cancer". CMs in forms of pure compounds, isolated fractions, and composite formulas are included. Combination therapies are also considered. Both in vitro and in vivo efficacies of CMs are being discussed and the translational potential to bedside is to be discussed with clinical cases, which show the actions of CMs on HCC may include tumor growth inhibition, antimetastatic activities, anti-inflammation, anti-liver cancer stem cells, reversal on multi-drug resistance and induction/reduction of oxidative stress. Multiple types of molecules are found to contribute in the above actions. The review paper indicated that CMs might have potential to both prevent HCC occurrence and retard HCC progression with several molecular targets involved.

Chinese integrative medicine: inclusion of a Chinese medicine programme in a conventional medical institute / 中西医结合学报

To meet community demands with optimal Chinese and conventional medical treatment, the University of Hong Kong is promoting integrative medicine by developing Chinese medicine programmes that train students of both Western and Chinese medicine. The programmes emphasize multi-disciplinary training and interaction between the two therapeutic approaches, enabling students to establish reliable, consistent, and respectful mutual cooperation in their future careers.

Can moxibustion, an ancient treatment modality, be evaluated in a double-blind randomized controlled trial? - A narrative review / 中西医结合学报

For thousands of years, moxibustion has been used for various diseases in China and other Asian countries. Despite the recent surge in Chinese herbal studies, few randomized controlled trials have been conducted on this modality, possibly due to the lacking of suitable double blinding methodology. This is a review of extant sham moxa devices and an introduction to a recently developed device that needs further validation.

Chinese integrative medicine: inclusion of a Chinese medicine programme in a conventional medical institute / 中西医结合学报

To meet community demands with optimal Chinese and conventional medical treatment, the University of Hong Kong is promoting integrative medicine by developing Chinese medicine programmes that train students of both Western and Chinese medicine. The programmes emphasize multi-disciplinary training and interaction between the two therapeutic approaches, enabling students to establish reliable, consistent, and respectful mutual cooperation in their future careers.

Can moxibustion, an ancient treatment modality, be evaluated in a double-blind randomized controlled trial? - a narrative review / 中西医结合学报

For thousands of years, moxibustion has been used for various diseases in China and other Asian countries. Despite the recent surge in Chinese herbal studies, few randomized controlled trials have been conducted on this modality, possibly due to the lacking of suitable double blinding methodology. This is a review of extant sham moxa devices and an introduction to a recently developed device that needs further validation.

Which research is needed to support clinical decision-making on integrative medicine? Can comparative effectiveness research close the gap? / 中国中西医结合杂志

In clinical research on complementary and integrative medicine, experts and scientists have often pursued a research agenda in spite of an incomplete understanding of the needs of end users. Consequently, the majority of previous clinical trials have mainly assessed the efficacy of interventions. Scant data is available on their effectiveness. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) promises to support decision makers by generating evidence that compares the benefits and harms of best care options. This evidence, more generalizable than evidence generated by traditional randomized clinical trials (RCTs), is better suited to inform real-world care decisions. An emphasis on CER supports the development of the evidence base for clinical and policy decision-making. Whereas in most areas of complementary and integrative medicine data on CER is scarce, available acupuncture research already contributes to CER evidence. This paper will introduce CER and make suggestions for future research.

Extending the CONSORT Statement to moxibustion / 中西医结合学报

The STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials Of Moxibustion (STRICTOM), in the form of a checklist and descriptions of checklist items, were designed to improve reporting of moxibustion trials, and thereby facilitating their interpretation and replication. The STRICTOM checklist included 7 items and 16 sub-items. These set out reporting guidelines for the moxibustion rationale, details of moxibustion, treatment regimen, other components of treatment, treatment provider background, control and comparator interventions, and precaution measures. In addition, there were descriptions of each item and examples of good reporting. It is intended that the STRICTOM can be used in conjunction with the main CONSORT Statement, extensions for nonpharmacologic treatment and pragmatic trials, and thereby raise the quality of reporting of clinical trials of moxibustion. Further comments will be solicited from the experts of the CONSORT Group, the STRICTA Group, acupuncture and moxibustion societies, and clinical trial authors for optimizing the STRICTOM.

Extending the CONSORT Statement to moxibustion / 中西医结合学报

The STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials Of Moxibustion (STRICTOM), in the form of a checklist and descriptions of checklist items, were designed to improve reporting of moxibustion trials, and thereby facilitating their interpretation and replication. The STRICTOM checklist included 7 items and 16 sub-items. These set out reporting guidelines for the moxibustion rationale, details of moxibustion, treatment regimen, other components of treatment, treatment provider background, control and comparator interventions, and precaution measures. In addition, there were descriptions of each item and examples of good reporting. It is intended that the STRICTOM can be used in conjunction with the main CONSORT Statement, extensions for nonpharmacologic treatment and pragmatic trials, and thereby raise the quality of reporting of clinical trials of moxibustion. Further comments will be solicited from the experts of the CONSORT Group, the STRICTA Group, acupuncture and moxibustion societies, and clinical trial authors for optimizing the STRICTOM.

Which research is needed to support clinical decision-making on integrative medicine?- Can comparative effectiveness research close the gap? / 中国结合医学杂志

In clinical research on complementary and integrative medicine, experts and scientists have often pursued a research agenda in spite of an incomplete understanding of the needs of end users. Consequently, the majority of previous clinical trials have mainly assessed the efficacy of interventions. Scant data is available on their effectiveness. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) promises to support decision makers by generating evidence that compares the benefits and harms of the best care options. This evidence, more generalizable than the evidence generated by traditional randomized controlled trials (RCTs), is better suited to inform real-world care decisions. An emphasis on CER supports the development of the evidence base for clinical and policy decision-making. Whereas in most areas of complementary and integrative medicine data on comparative effectiveness is scarce, available acupuncture research already contributes to CER evidence. This paper will introduce CER and make suggestions for future research.

Does Acupuncture Therapy Alter Activation of Neural Pathway for Pain Perception in Irritable Bowel Syndrome?: A Comparative Study of True and Sham Acupuncture Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are characterized by abnormal central processing with altered brain activation in response to visceral nociceptive signals. The effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on IBS patients is unclear. The study is set to study the effect of EA on brain activation during noxious rectal distension in IBS patients using a randomized sham-controlled model. METHODS: Thirty IBS-diarrhea patients were randomized to true electroacupuncture or sham acupuncture. Functional MRI was performed to evaluate cerebral activation at the following time points: (1) baseline when there was rectal distension only, (2) rectal distension during application of EA, (3) rectal distension after cessation of EA and (4) EA alone with no rectal distension. Group comparison was made under each condition using SPM5 program. RESULTS: Rectal distension induced significant activation of the anterior cingulated cortex, prefrontal cortex, thalamus, temporal regions and cerebellum at baseline. During and immediately after EA, increased cerebral activation from baseline was observed in the anterior cingulated cortex, bilateral prefrontal cortex, thalamus, temporal regions and right insula in both groups. However, true electroacupuncture led to significantly higher activation at right insula, as well as pulvinar and medial nucleus of the thalamus when compared to sham acupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: We postulate that acupuncture might have the potential effect of pain modulation in IBS by 2 actions: (1) modulation of serotonin pathway at insula and (2) modulation of mood and affection in higher cortical center via ascending pathway at the pulvinar and medial nucleus of the thalamus.

Traditional Chinese medicine for cancer pain / 中西医结合学报

Pain is one of the common symptoms of cancer which seriously affects the quality of life of the patients. Cancer pain is mainly treated with the three-step method, biological therapy or nerve block therapy based on antitumor therapy. However, up to 50 percent of patients with cancer-related pain do not receive adequate pain relief, affecting their physical and psychological well-being, and leading to a lower quality of life for the patient after conventional treatment. Clinical observation suggests that traditional Chinese medicine may alleviate cancer-related pain either by oral administration, topical administration, acupuncture or other means with continuing non-addictive and non-drug-resistant qualities. However, scientific evaluation of the efficacy of herbs in the treatment of pain is insufficient; the underlying mechanisms are unclear and, safety and toxicity remain a concern.

Efficacy of acupuncture in treatment of cancer pain: a systematic review / 中西医结合学报

Background: Although acupuncture is a well-established treatment for cancer pain and its effects have been widely reported in recent two decades, there is still controversy over whether its efficacy is better than placebo. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture therapy on cancer pain. Search strategy: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library, Issue 3, 2008), EMBASE, PubMed, ScienceDirect database, Current Controlled Trials, Chongqin VIP database and CNKI database were searched, and the search date ended in June 2008. The authors also hand-searched six Chinese Journals related to the question. Inclusion criteria: All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture therapy with placebo, Western drugs, Chinese herbal medicines, or comparing acupuncture therapy plus drug treatment with drug treatment. Data extraction and analysis: Two separate evaluators assessed the quality of the included reports and extracted the useful information. Disagreements were resolved through discussion. Meta-analysis of the included trials was done with RevMan 5.0, and qualitative analysis was employed when meta-analysis was not appropriate. Results: Seven published RCTs with a total of 634 patients met the inclusion criteria, and the quality of one of the included trials was high. Due to flaws in design and reporting, meta-analysis was precluded, and only qualitative analysis was done on the majority of the reports. The high-quality trial showed that auricular acupuncture therapy was significantly superior to placebo in pain alleviation. The other six low-quality trials with non-placebo showed that acupuncture therapy had some positive effects. Conclusion: Acupuncture is effective for pain relief. However, the poor quality of the majority of the trials reduces the reliability of the conclusion. More high-quality RCTs are needed to verify the effects.

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Visceral Hyperalgesia, Serotonin and Fos Expression in an Animal Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

BACKGROUND/AIMS: While it is well established that acupuncture relieves somatic pain, its therapeutic effect on visceral pain such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is unclear. We evaluated the effect of acupuncture in treating visceral hyperalgesia in an animal model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 8 per group) with prior neonatal maternal separation stress were randomly allocated to receive 3-day treatment of either electroacupuncture (EA) or sham acupuncture at acupoint ST-36. Another group of rats without prior maternal separation was included as non-handled controls. Colorectal distension was performed on the day after acupuncture treatment. The 3 groups were compared for pain threshold as determined by abdominal withdrawal reflex and visceromotor response as measured by electromyogram. Colon, spinal cord, and brainstem were sampled for topographic distribution and quantitative assessment of serotonin and Fos expression by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Rats in EA group had significantly higher pain threshold compared to those in sham acpuncture group (25.0 +/- 5.7 mmHg vs 18.7 +/- 5.2 mmHg, p = 0.01) and it was comparable with that of non-handled treatment naive controls (29.4 +/- 9.3 mmHg, p = 0.28). They also had lower visceromotor response as measured by electromyogram compared to those received sham acupuncture at all colorectal distension pressures. EA significantly suppressed Fos expression in doral raphe nuclei of brainstem, superficial dorsal horn of spinal cord and colonic epithelium but suppressed 5-HT expression only in brainstem and spinal cord. CONCLUSIONS: Electro acupuncture attenuates visceral hyperlagesia through down-regulation of central serotonergic activities in the brain-gut axis.

Effects of 650 nm- 10.6 μm Combined Laser Acupuncture-Moxibustion on Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Double-blinded and Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To evaluate the effects of 650 nm-10.6 μm combined laser in patients with knee Osteoarthritis (OA) and to determine whether the combined laser provides greater pain relief and improved function compared with red light. Methods: Forty-eight patients with knee OA were randomly allocated to two groups (24 per group), receiving 20 rain irradiation with 650 nm -10.6 μm combined laser or red light emitting diode respectively on point Dubi (ST 35) 3 times a week for the first course (2 weeks) and twice a week for the second one (4 weeks). The main outcome measures were WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) scores. In addition, patients' global assessment, adverse effects and validation of patient blinding were analyzed. Results: All the patients completed the first course, but 12 were lost during the second one. Due to the high dropout rate by the second course, only the data acquired from the first course could be analyzed. No differences of general data of patients and WOMAC scores were found in between-group comparison before treatment (P>0.05). The WOMAC scores of patients in both combined laser group and red light group reduced significantly compared to baseline by the end of the first course (P0.05). Neither the patients' global assessment nor the dropout rate showed statistical differences between two groups (P>0.05). There was no difference between two groups in patients correctly guessing the treatment assignment (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the reduction rate of WOMAC scores and the patients' global assessment between patients who guessed their assignment (P>0.05). Conclusion: Both combined laser and red light irradiation are beneficial to patients with knee OA. But as the statistical indifferences between two groups, the authors can't conclude from this study whether the combined laser is more effective.

Evaluating the effects of acupuncture on knee osteoarthritis: a stepwise approach to research, University of Maryland experience / 中西医结合学报

Conventional treatments for osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, are associated with unpleasant adverse effects and often ineffective. Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been used for thousands of years to treat pain and other dysfunctions. However, the scientific evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture and TCM is equivocal, and adapting the Western biomedical model to assess them is a great challenge. By adopting a systematic, step-by-step approach, the research team at the University of Maryland has been carefully evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture on knee OA over the past 10 years. Their successful experience may be a useful model for future acupuncture and TCM research.