Effects of Lung Support Formula on respiratory symptoms among older adults: results of a three-month follow-up study in Shanghai, China

With the acceleration of industrialization in low or middle-income nations, the prevalence of respiratory symptoms among older adults is even more significant now in China. Contemporary treatments using Western medicine, such as anti-inflammatory regimens, may be effective in relieving the symptoms, but may have unexpected side effects. Some natural products may be effective in improving respiratory functions, yet their efficacies remain to be examined in randomized, placebo-controlled studies. To evaluate the effects of Lung Support Formula, a nutritional supplement which contains naturally derived Chinese herbal medicines, we conducted a clinical study among older adults in Shanghai, China.

By Sigismund von Dobschütz (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Chinese Herbal Medicine Treatment Improves the Overall Survival Rate of Individuals with Hypertension among Type 2 Diabetes Patients and Modulates In Vitro Smooth Muscle Cell Contractility

 The Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) prescription patterns of hypertension individuals among T2D patients have yet to be characterized. This study, therefore, aimed to determine their prescription patterns and evaluate the CHM effect. A cohort of one million randomly sampled cases from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) was used to investigate the overall survival rate of CHM users, and prescription patterns. After matching CHM and non-CHM users for age, gender and date of diagnosis of hypertension, 980 subjects for each group were selected. The CHM users were characterized with slightly longer duration time from diabetes to hypertension, and more cases for hyperlipidaemia. The cumulative survival probabilities were higher in CHM users than in non-CHM users.

By Cpl. Christina Oneil [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
 

Kampo Medicine: Evaluation of the Pharmacological Activity of 121 Herbal Drugs on GABAA and 5-HT3A Receptors

Kampo medicine is a form of Japanese phytotherapy originating from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). During the last several decades, much attention has been paid to the pharmacological effects of these medical plants and their constituents. However, in many cases, a systematic screening of Kampo remedies to determine pharmacologically relevant targets is still lacking. In this study, a broad screening of Kampo remedies was performed to look for pharmacologically relevant 5-HT3A and GABAA receptor ligands.

Shutterstock. (n.d.). [Close-up of Andrographis Paniculata herbal antipyretic capsules]. Shutterstock. Available here.

Qing Bi Tang For Allergy Season

Qing Bi Tang is one of the most commonly used herbal formulas for treating sinusitis, rhinitis and sinus infection. It clears nasal obstruction caused by damp heat: stuffy nose, yellow and sticky nasal discharge, sneezing, headache, itchy nose and throat, decreased sense of smell and energy level, and fatigue.

Diagram of the nose and the nasal cavities. Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.

How a newly discovered body part changes our understanding of the brain (and the immune system)

The discovery of brain lymphatics will open many new doors to understanding the brain, but it is also remarkable simply because there is so little about the human anatomy that has not yet been mapped. Indeed, because of these vessels’ hidden location deep within the brain and their close proximity to prominent blood vessels, brain lymphatics had legitimately escaped the notice of the biomedical community. That is, until now. 

Wikimedia Commons. (n.d.). [MRI image of a human head, side view]. Wikimedia Commons. Available here.

Origin of the name 'patchouli' (Huo Xiang) and its history

Patchouli herb has been used in the major medical systems of the world, viz. traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda for both external and  internal applications. In Chinese medicine, it has been used for centuries as decoction with other drugs for treating cold, nausea, diarrhoea, dermatitis, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, fever, dampness and to stimulate appetite. In India, in the ancient times, leaves of the patchouli plant had been primarily used as insect repellent to keep insects away from garments.

Credit: Kamwo

The Peculiar Importance of a dead Plant Library

It is (there is no better way to put this) a dead-plant library.Not a library of books about dead plants—though there are books here, and photos and oil paintings—but of plants themselves. They lie in wait on big, stiff sheets of yellowed paper, wrapped gingerly in envelopes and stacked on top of each other, before being inserted into dozens and dozens of cabinets. This is the fifth-largest dead-plant archive in the country, and you can turn a corner and see yards and yards of these cabinets. It is a menagerie of dead plants.

By Herbariumweb (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Smelfies, and other experiments in synthetic biology

What if you could take a smell selfie, a smelfie? What if you had a lipstick that caused plants to grow where you kiss? Ani Liu explores the intersection of technology and sensory perception, and her work is wedged somewhere between science, design and art. In this swift, smart talk, she shares dreams, wonderings and experiments, asking: What happens when science fiction becomes science fact?

By CDC/Dr. William Kaplan [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

New study shows severity of tinnitus is related to emotional processing

A recent study out of the University of Illinois revealed not only that those who have tinnitus process emotional sounds differently than those who do not have tinnitus, but also that among those who have tinnitus, there are significant differences in which regions of the brain are used when processing emotions.

By ABC Television (eBay item photo front photo back) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
 

Osteoarthritis and Chinese Medicine: An Overview of Theories and Evidence

Osteoarthritis (OA) has been treated with Chinese medicine (CM) for hundreds of years, albeit under the auspices of other clinical descriptors understood within the field of CM. This paper provides an overview of how OA is typically understood and treated within CM. OA has typically fallen under the clinical descriptor of ‘bi syndrome’ (painful obstruction syndrome). As theory continues to develop, however, new ideas are emerging regarding its pathogenesis that have consequences for treatment - that OA should be considered as a combination of ‘wei syndrome’ and bi syndrome. The therapeutic thrust of herbal medicine and acupuncture thus shifts from a focus on the Kidney zang to the Liver zang, and consequently different kinds of herbs are chosen within medicinal formulas.

By US federal government [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Treatment of Pelvic Pain with Acupuncture: Part 1


This paper presents an overview of the biomedical model of myofascial pelvic pain (MPP) and its treatment using a Western acupuncture approach. The discussion includes an introduction to the function and anatomy of the pelvic girdle; a definition of pelvic pain, with research that supports the use of acupuncture as an effective intervention in the management of chronic myofascial pelvic pain (CMPP); a clinical reasoning model to assist practitioners in making a correct diagnosis and providing effective intervention for the management of CMPP; a description of the Western acupuncture approach for the deactivation of trigger points within the abdominal wall, pelvic basin and hip; and an exploration of the use of acupuncture in pregnancy-related pelvic pain with relevant support from research trials. Part Two of this paper will be presented in a future issue of this journal, and will demonstrate how the Western and traditional Chinese models of MPP can be integrated. In the opinion of the author, neither model offers all the answers, but the two can be integrated for a successful and sensitive approach to the management of this complex pain state.

Henry Vandyke Carter [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Prescription of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Pattern-Based Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Depression: A Systematic Review

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments are often prescribed based on individuals' pattern diagnoses. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials in Chinese and English literatures on TCM pattern-based treatment for depression has therefore been conducted. A total of 61 studies, 2504 subjects, and 27 TCM patterns were included. Due to the large variation of TCM pattern among participants, we only analyzed the top four commonly studied TCM patterns: liver qi depression, liver depression and spleen deficiency, dual deficiency of the heart, and spleen and liver depression and qi stagnation.

Image: Kamwo Meridian Herbs all rights reserved

Current Understanding on Antihepatocarcinoma Effects of Xiao Chai Hu Tang and Its Constituents

Xiao Chai Hu Tang (XCHT), a compound formula originally recorded in an ancient Chinese medical book Shanghanlun, has been used to treat chronic liver diseases for a long period of time in China. Although extensive studies have been demonstrated the efficacy of this formula to treat chronic hepatitis, hepatic fibrosis, and hepatocarcinoma, how it works against these diseases still awaits full understanding.

Image: Kamwo Meridian Herbs all rights reserved.

A Love of Dermatology

Beginning in antiquity, the stylized heart has symbolized the spiritual, emotional, and moral core of human character. Over 2 millennia ago, the Roman surgeon Galen believed the heart to be the seat of emotion.1 Stoics taught that it physically represented the soul, and Aristotle considered the heart to be the origin of all logical thought, reason, and passion.1,2 What the traditional heart shape actually depicts remains unclear. Bearing only slight resemblance to the anatomic human heart, many claim the symbol arose from the ancient Sumerian cuneiform for woman.2 Nevertheless, the shape continues to represent romantic love the world over, as evidenced on St Valentine’s Day each February.

Wikimedia Commons. (n.d.). [Big pink heart]. Wikimedia Commons. Available here.

The Rewarding Work of Massage for Addiction Recovery

When you say good-bye to clients at the end of a typical massage session, you probably invite them to re-book, or at least encourage them to return for another session so you can help maintain their pain or stress relief.When Shannon Scearce, C.M.T., says good-bye to clients, she sincerely hopes she will never see them again.

Lubyanka [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons