The Effectiveness Of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The current use of whole herbs when preparing decoctions of TCM herbal formulas, whether at home or in production factories, poses yet another difficulty in the study of TCM herbal formulas – standardization in the treatment delivered.

Unlike drugs of pharmaceutical grade used by conventional doctors, it is impossible to pinpoint qualitatively and quantitatively every single component contained in a single herb, least of all, a single herbal formula. This means that standardization of quality and quantity of the therapeutic compounds between different batches of the same decoction can be challenging. [5]

Yet there are concerns with trying to isolate the active components in TCM herbs and attributing treatment efficacy to single pure chemical compounds in the herbs. Given the holistic nature of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the different herbs in a formula and their components are supposed to work harmoniously and synergistically together to restore the body’s function. [5]

In all likelihood, no single active constituent is likely to be responsible for the overall efficacy of a particular herb, and no single active herb is likely to be responsible for the overall efficacy of a particular formula. Forcing the issue may lead to an inevitable loss of the holistic impact of a TCM herbal formula. [5]

The markedly different diagnostic and treatment processes of Traditional Chinese Medicine increases the complexity of TCM effectiveness studies (as compared to studies on conventional western medicine) by many folds.

But that is not to say that future TCM studies should be deterred from achieving the gold standards identified globally for the proper evaluation of treatment effectiveness. As Traditional Chinese Medicine strives toward modernization, seeking to establish proper evidences of its effectiveness should be one of its targets.

Nonetheless, there are some who question whether the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is the best way forward for TCM to prove its effectiveness in the first place.

Possibilities are raised that such research methodology may contradict the very philosophy behind Traditional Chinese Medicine, which concentrates on treatments tailored to the individual rather than to the fictional average of a population. It is also pointed out that randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials exclude a very crucial aspect of TCM (as well as all other holistic health systems) – the interpersonal relationships between practitioners and patients. [6]

Answering the question about the best way forward for Traditional Chinese Medicine studies requires expertise from both the fields of TCM and research – the ideal situation would be for the expert knowledge in the two fields to reside within the same people. [7]

With the required expert knowledge residing in two separate groups of professionals, the scientists need to make an effort in understanding the complexities of TCM diagnostics and treatments, while the TCM physicians need to take time for understanding the requirements and processes of evidence-based medicine [7]. Understandably, the process of integration of the two fields for a proper study on TCM can prove to be rather daunting and rough, in the worst case even lacking in completeness.

Fortunately, there is a growing number of TCM practitioners who are also trained in research methodology, in countries like China and Singapore. Considerable resources are also being set aside to allow for collaborations between researchers and TCM institutions in these places [7]. The way is paved for more conclusive studies and evidences to be established about the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Treating ailments using Traditional Chinese Medicine

Before you begin using TCM for treating any of your ailments and health conditions, we thought it is important for you to have a better understanding of what to expect of this traditional healing art. This is because TCM is very distinct from western medicine, both conventional and alternative. So if you are not prepared beforehand, you might get a culture shock when using this traditional health modality. You may also wish to read up on some basic principles of TCM.

See next page for the references used.

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