Chinese Medicine

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I hope this will benefit someone.

M.

Beijing Epilepsy Therapy Center of China

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1.General introduction of Chinese medicine

Chinese medicine is an intact scientific theory system established in the

striving against diseases during more than 2000 years by Chinese people. Its

theory system is totally different from modern medicine. Chinese medicine is a

tremendous contribution of Chinese nation to the entire human being. It is a

distinguished achievement in the worldwide medical field. Chinese medicine has a

long history and keeps enriching and developing. It has made special

contribution for human health.

More than 2000 years ago, the classics of Chinese medicine have described

epilepsy. Afterwards, the understandings for the etiology, clinical

manifestation, diagnosis and characteristics have further developed and

established a set of intact theory system.

The main therapeutic methods of Chinese medicine are Chinese traditional

medicine and acupuncture and moxibustion.

2.How does Chinese medicine make diagnosis for epilepsy

The diagnosis for epilepsy in Chinese medicine mainly depends on four

examinations, i.e. inspection, auscultation, inquiry and palpation. Discover the

etiology and location of diseases through the four examinations above. Chinese

medicine therapy can help body enhance the defending ability to maintain and

restore nature function. Some therapy methods pay more attention to attack

pathogenic factors while others enhance defending ability first. This kind of

discrimination method is called diagnostics.

(1).Inspection: Inspection is the first step for diagnosis. Diseases are various

but they limit in the range of viscera, blood and nerves. Symptoms are multiple

but they limit in the range of cold, fever, weak and firm. Etiology is difficult

to determine but it can be reflected from color, complexion and location. If

observe the manifestation carefully, the diagnosis can be easily made. This

indicates the importance of the inspection in Chinese medicine therapy. The

inspection includes complexion, eye, and tongue fur, etc.

(2).Auscultation£ºInspection: Inspection is the first step for diagnosis.

Diseases are various but they limit in the range of viscera, blood and nerves.

Symptoms are multiple but they limit in the range of cold, fever, weak and firm.

Etiology is difficult to determine but it can be reflected from color,

complexion and location. If observe the manifestation carefully, the diagnosis

can be easily made. This indicates the importance of the inspection in Chinese

medicine therapy. The inspection includes complexion, eye, and tongue fur, etc.

(3).Inquiry£ºThe manifestation of diseases includes dominant and recessive

signs. Only through inquiry can the doctors understand the state of illness. The

patients should not disguise the symptoms to the doctors and the doctors should

inquire carefully. The range of inquiry is very wide, including history of

illness, etiology, symptoms and history of therapy, etc.

(4).Palpation: Pulsation is associated with heart. The vessels distribute all

over the body. ¡°Illustration of Injury and Cold¡± showed that pulsation with

superficial, intense, slippery, mobile, and rapid characters belongs to

positive, and pulsation with deep, acerbity, weak, spring, and slow characters

belongs to negative. The famous doctor Hua Tuo said that the doctors must learn

the pulsation before determine the diseases in viscera. If he can understand the

weak and firm of the pulsation, he may know the etiology, and when he knows the

etiology, he cannot misdiagnose. These words indicate the importance of

palpation.

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3.What Chinese herbal medicines for epilepsy therapy include?

The common Chinese herbal medicines for epilepsy therapy include gastrodia

tuber, Chinese medicine Tiannanxing, antelope horn, deadlocked silkworm, intact

scorpion, centipede, white alum, stiff calamus, Chinese medicine mengshi,

vermilion, lobed leaf pharbitis, bezoar, borax, rhubarb, safflower, red-rooted

salvia, Chinese medicine wulingzhi, trillium, ruddle, amber, Chinese medicine

chaihu, banxia, Tuckahoe, Chinese medicine chenxiang, ginseng, pearl, etc.

4.What the Chinese patent medicine for epilepsy therapy include?

Deadlocked pupa tablet, gastrodia tuber capsule, antelope horn capsule,

Naoshenbao, pearl pill with 25 ingredients, zhixianling, kangnaoling,

dianxiankang, dianxianling, shenkangning, kangxianling, etc.

5. What are the advantages of epilepsy therapy with Chinese medicine?

(1.) The therapy focuses on both symptoms and etiology with reliable efficacy.

The epilepsy therapy with Chinese medicine has a history for several thousand

years and has much successful experience. It emphasizes not only the therapy for

symptoms but also for etiology. The long-term effect of Chinese medicine therapy

is good with low recurrence rate.

(2.) The toxic adverse effect is minor. Chinese medicines are mostly derived

from nature plants and animals like worms without pollution. Little toxic

adverse effect of Chinese medicine is a great advantage compared with chemical

drugs.

(3.) Chinese medicine not only can cure epilepsy, but also can improve the

restoration and regeneration of cerebral cells. So it can improve intelligence,

thinking, activity, and memory.

6. How does acupuncture and moxibustion treat epilepsy?

Acupuncture and moxibustion means acupuncture of acupoints and moxa

cauterization methods for treatment and prevent diseases. Acupuncture and

moxibustion is one of the important methods in Chinese medicine for epilepsy

therapy and has very important status in Chinese medicine therapy. It is the

precious treasure of Chinese nation. It has exerted important roles in keeping

people healthy during the several thousand-years¡¯ history in China. The

electroacupuncture instrument has been developed successfully based on the

principles of acupuncture and moxibustion combining with modern scientific

techniques. It has been used in epilepsy therapy and has achieved good effect.

It uses electric needle with weak direct current to stimulate the acupoints in

scalp to eliminate the pathologic abnormal waves in cerebral nervous cells,

which is called ¡°novel electroacupuncture therapy¡±. We use the orientation and

qualitative techniques such as electroencephalogram and encephalic relief map

combining with acupuncture including encephalic needles, body needles, and ear

needles of Chinese medicine to treat epilepsy and achieve good effect.

7.Integrated therapy of Chinese medicine and Western medicine

(1) Methods: Organically integrate the theories in Chinese medicine and modern

medicine. Add Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture and moxibustion to Western

medicine.

(2) Indication: The various kinds of refractory epilepsy that response to single

Western medicine therapy but cannot be completely controlled.¡£

(3) What are the common Western medicines for epilepsy therapy?

Amidoimidazone, Valproate, epam, Chlorodyne, Nitrodiazepam, Promidone,

Clonazepam, Valproamide, Aminohexylenic acid, Lamotrigine, Gabapentin,

Ethosuximide, Carbamazepine, Zonisamide, Stiripentol, Remacemide, Losigamone,

Nimozepine, Flurocassiodazone, ¦Ã-globulin, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Phenytoin,

Phenobarbital.

8. What are the advantages for integrated therapy of Chinese and Western

medicine?

(1)Significantly increase the cure rate and the long-term effect is good.¡£

(2)Significantly decrease the adverse effect of Western medicine that is helpful

to long-term usage. Previously prevent the adverse effect of drugs. For

examples, simultaneously administrate liver-protecting Chinese herbal medicine

with those drugs that have toxic effect on hepatic function. With the drugs that

have influence on intelligence, thinking and activity, simultaneously give the

brain-care, neurotrophic Chinese herbal medicine to eliminate the adverse

effect. Through this method, the therapy can take the advantages and avoid

shortcomings to exert assured efficacy.

(3)Promote the restoration and regeneration of the dysfunctional encephalic

neurons and improve intelligence, thinking, activity, and memory.