Remedies in traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and changes in diet, although these are just a few of the options available. TCM has gained more acceptance in the West as clinical studies have begun to show positive effects of treatment. For example, a 2009 pilot study in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found a Chinese herbal preparation caused significant improvement in communication in patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease. However, loopholes in laws have led to some health concerns regarding use of the remedies. If you are considering TCM treatments, consult a qualified medical professional.
Inappropriate and Unsupervised Use
One major concern regarding TCM, as with other herbal and alternative treatments, is the equivalent of off-label use, especially combined with unsupervised use. One of the more visible examples of this involved the herb ma huang, or ephedra. The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine says ma huang's traditional use is for conditions such as colds, asthma and malaria--in fact, one of the derivatives of ephedra is pseudoephedrine, used in some Western decongestants--and is typically prescribed in very small doses in combination with other herbs. Ma huang use is also supervised by a licensed TCM herbalist or acupuncturist, and the college says students in these disciplines have to study the adverse effects as well, which include increasing blood pressure.The FDA's Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 allowed most dietary supplements to be treated as foods, and the law did not require manufacturers to provide safety studies. This allowed manufacturers to add larger amounts of ephedra to over-the-counter preparations for energy and weight loss without showing the FDA evidence that the supplement was actually safe. In contrast, the ephedrine and pseudoephedrine used in decongestants had to go through testing first to ensure the levels in the drugs were safe for that particular use. The result of the higher levels of ephedra in supplements was death for some users, leading the FDA to crack down on manufacturers.
Unqualified Practitioners
Herbalists and acupuncturists are supposed to be licensed in order to prescribe any sort of TCM treatment. They should have gone through intensive study to qualify to treat patients. Unfortunately, just as fake doctors using Western medicine have been uncovered, fake TCM practitioners can exist as well. Always check out a TCM practitioner with your state's licensing board before seeing them to ensure they really are licensed. In December 2007, for instance, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation ordered a man in Wheeling to stop practicing as an acupuncturist because he was not licensed.
Side Effects and Secondary Concerns
Chinese medicine remedies can have side effects, such as ma huang's increasing blood pressure. In an interview with Medill Report at Northwestern University, Chicago acupuncturist Jennifer Dubowsky notes acupuncture needles can cause nausea, although she says this is rare. Also, changing the form of a medication to get a patient to use it may change the results it gives. Some TCM herbal treatments are traditionally boiled, but Dr. Cao Zeyi of the Chinese Medical Association, speaking at 2001 conference at MIT, said that this form may not always be accepted by Western patients. He noted that while creating a powder version might be more acceptable, he didn't know if taking the medication in that form would result in the same effects.
References
- eCAM: Treatment of Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease With Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine
- FDA: Ephedrine Alkaloid-Containing Dietary Supplements
- Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Ma Huang Herb Misused and Abused
- IDFPR: News
- MIT News: Chinese, American Doctors Meet at Institute for Medical Exchange
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