Ben Cao GanG Mu - NUSS

Indeed, where herbal medication is concerned, there
are numerous factors which affects the effectiveness
of the medicine. For one, the authenticity of the herb’s
signature impacts the effectiveness of the treatment. Other
environmental factors that the herbs are subjected to during
its growth might also potentially have negative or reinforcing
impact on its overall effectiveness. Despite the criticism,
research in the area is not advancing sufficiently to ward
off detractors because of the high costs and specialised
expertise required.
Of course, herbal medicine is not totally without its
contribution to the medical industry. For instance, the
Chinese Wormwood is now used globally to treat malaria
and Chinese Ephedra has been attributed to the discovery of
treatments for asthma and Hay Fever.
Contrary to herbal medicines, acupuncture drew much
research interest. One area where acupuncture is deemed
to be convincingly effective is in the treatment of nausea
and seasickness. Increasingly, there are seasick armbands
available in the market that works by essentially pressing
on an acupuncture point on the wrist. Scientific and
anecdotal evidence have shown that this is effective in
preventing nausea.
A 2008 study also suggested that combining
acupuncture with conventional infertility treatments
such as IVF greatly improves the success rates of
such medical interventions. In a recent report, The
World Health Organisation has also issued favourable
observations on acupuncture in the areas of “adult
postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting
and in postoperative dental pain”.
Beyond these, however, the rest of the research results
are more often than not controversial. In Edzard Ernst’s
words, Professor of Complementary Medicine in the
United Kingdom, “research in the area is growing
but emerging clinical evidence seems to imply that
acupuncture is effective for some but not all conditions.”
Most chronic ailments, for example, such as back-pain,
neck-pain and headache, have conflicting anecdotal
evidence with acupuncture.
Given the ongoing debate surrounding TCM and its
continued rise in popularity, medical practitioners are
cautious in using TCM as the sole treatment method.
Rather, TCM is often recommended as a means to
strengthen health and as a complementary form of
medicine to conventional treatment.
TCM – Is it Safe?
Even then, patients who are contemplating to seek TCM
as a treatment to should be wary of some of the potential
safety issues.
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