Here are some of the most popular forms of Chinese Medicine and what modern medicine says about them.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a technique used by practitioners to stimulate certain points on the body, generally by inserting thin needles through the skin. Acupuncture has been found to stimulate the release of natural painkillers in the body and affects brain areas involved in processing pain. However, a study has shown that real acupuncture and sham acupuncture are effective in equal measure, showing that this might be a placebo effect. However, results from several studies show that real acupuncture might help ease types of pain that are more often chronic like neck pain, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and osteoarthritis/knee pain. It may also help decrease the number of tension headaches and get rid of migraine headaches.
Tai Chi
Tai chi is a technique that combines gentle movements, certain postures, breathing, relaxation and mental focus. Research findings show that doing tai chi might improve balance and stability in elderly people and people with Parkinson’s disease, help people cope with fibromyalgia, back pain, decrease pain from knee osteoarthritis, improve mood in people with heart failure and promote quality of life.
Chinese Herbal Products
Chinese herbal products have come under study for several medical problems like stroke, mental disorder, respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and the common cold, and heart disease. Since many studies have been of poor quality, most of them have been inconclusive about their effectiveness.
Safety
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been studied for a long time now, and such studies have found several safety issues with them.
Certain Chinese herbal products may be contaminated by the following.
● Undeclared animal or plant material
● Drugs like the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent diclofenac or the blood-thinner warfarin
● Heavy metals like lead, cadmium and arsenic
● Pesticides or compounds called sulfites, which can cause severe allergic reactions or asthma
● An incorrect mixture of herbs, some of which can cause potential organ damage and failure
Considerably fewer complications have been reported while using acupuncture has been reported. The complications that have been reported have resulted from improper delivery of treatments or the use of non-sterile needles. When not done correctly, acupuncture can cause serious harmful effects, like punctured organs, infections, collapsed lungs, and in worse cases, injury to the central nervous system.
Conclusion
Even though traditional Chinese medicine is mostly non-invasive, it may not be for everyone. Consult a doctor parallel to using Chinese medicine so that if there happens to be any side-effect, it can be monitored and alternatives can be provided if the treatment is effective for them.
