What are the benefits of TCM?

Chinese medicine has been used to treat countless diseases for centuries. Western scientists are still studying its effectiveness against a variety of diseases. For severe cases, make sure you work with traditional doctors and Chinese medicine practitioners. Always let everyone on your medical team know about any medications, herbs, or supplements you are taking. TCM is known to be helpful for certain conditions, including:

 obesity
 Diabetes and its complications, such as retinopathy (damage to the retina at the back of the eye)
 High cholesterol
 depression
 Arthritis
 back pain
 Male and female fertility disorders
 Alzheimer's disease
 Parkinson's disease
 irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive diseases
 Recurrent cystitis, inflammation of the bladder
 Nausea and vomiting
 heart disease

Traditional Chinese medicine can also effectively treat the following diseases:

 allergy
 asthma
 Cancer, especially cancer
(giving a blow, hit, etc) one shot
 sinusitis
 addiction
 Pain, including labor and abdominal pain
 Menopause symptoms
 Osteoporosis
 Infection (respiratory tract, bladder, vagina)
 Sleep problems
 stress
 constipation
 Diabetic neuropathy
 Epilepsy

Is there anything I should be aware of?

You should not take Chinese herbs without supervision, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Chinese herbal products, especially those manufactured outside the United States, are often poorly labeled and important information may be missing. Some Chinese herbal products contain drugs that are not listed on the label. For example, some Chinese herbal creams used to treat eczema contain steroid medications. Also, be wary of Chinese herbs that contain aristolochic acid. This herbal acid has been linked to cases of kidney failure and even cancer. In addition, some Chinese herbs are reported to contain heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury. In recent years, there has been an increase in adverse reactions to Chinese herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Acute liver injury caused by Chinese herbs accounted for almost 22% of the total injury.

A trained and certified TCM practitioner can determine which herbs are safe to take. Doctors should also explain the potential side effects of the herbs they prescribe. Always tell your doctor about any herbs or supplements you are taking.

What is the future of Chinese Medicine?

There are more than 50 Oriental medicine training programs in the United States. Future research and clinical trials on TCM are needed to understand exactly how it works, its effectiveness, safety and cost.