Acupressure brings better breathing to depressive patients

CM NEWS – Acupressure is effective in lessening shortness of breath in patients with depression, which could help remove the psychological pressure of dyspnea of these patients, a Taiwan study shows.

The onset of depression is often triggered by breathlessness in persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is hypothesized that these are the psychologic consequences of chronic dyspnea (shortness of breath). Read more

Combining TCM with antipsychotics beneficial for schizophrenia

RCP – Combining traditional Chinese herbal medicine with Western antipsychotic medication is beneficial in the treatment of schizophrenia, a systematic review of randomised trials has found.

Chinese herbal medicine has been used to treat millions of people with schizophrenia for over 2000 years. Although antipsychotic drugs are the mainstay of treatment both in China and in the West, they have serious side effects, and about one fifth of people do not respond adequately to treatment.

The 7 studies reviewed were identified from the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group’s register of trials, as well as a range of Chinese databases. Most studies evaluated Chinese herbal medicine in combination with Western antipsychotic drugs.

The results, published in the May issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, tended to favour combination treatment compared with antipsychotic treatment alone.

The authors of the study comment that the results are broadly encouraging. They suggest that combination treatment might be beneficial in terms of certain measures of improvement in schizophrenia, although results are based on only 2 small studies of a total of 103 people.

Medium-term data on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, such as withdrawal, were more robust, with 3 studies of a total of 741 people favouring the herbal plus antipsychotic combination group.

The researchers conclude that there is some evidence that Chinese herbal medicines, combined with antipsychotics and given in a way that is not in keeping with their normal use within traditional Chinese medicine, may be beneficial for people with schizophrenia across a range of outcomes.

If these medicines are used within their usual context, which differentiates cases of schizophrenia into syndromes, the positive effects could be greater, they say. Even the gains seen in this review would still be important for the millions for whom these treatments are used.

Both West and East need well-reported randomised trials that are adequately powered, blinded and of sufficient length for researchers to detect meaningful treatment effects.

[Rathbone J, Zhang L, Zhang M, Xia J, Liu X, Yang Y and Adams CE (2007) Chinese herbal medicine for schizophrenia: Cochrane systematic review of randomised trials. British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 379-384.]

chinese medicine

Chinese medicine herb extract keeps anxiety under control

CM NEWS – A study on rats shows that the extract of a plant commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine is an effective anti-anxiety agent.

Gou teng, 鉤藤, or Uncaria rhynchophylla, has been used to treat infantile convulsions, headaches, dizziness, hypertension and apoplexy. It has also been shown to be effective in lowering the excitement of the central nervous system. Read more

Massage, acupuncutre ease pain after cancer surgery

UCSF News – Massage and acupuncture are effective in decreasing pain and depression following surgery in cancer patients, according to a UCSF study.

The findings of the randomized controlled clinical trial are reported in the March 2007 issue of the “Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.” Read more

Chinese medicine powder, decoction as effective as Prozac

CM NEWS – Chinese researchers have been able to demonstrate in a recent study that the combined use of two ancient traditional Chinese medical formulas has a similar effect of Prozac for the treatment of depression-driven somatic disorders.

The objective of the study done at the the Eighth People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou City by HT Yu is to compare the efficacy of Chinese medicine and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), fluoxetine (brand name Prozac), on somatic disorder and to explore the advantage of Chinese medicine. The two Chinese medicinal formulas used are Xiaoyao Powder (逍遙散) and Wendan Decoction (溫膽湯). Read more

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