News

28-Dec-2019: Daily Mail: How acupuncture could relieve pain of chemo patients Reporting on a recent study. No published paper on this yet but the original press releases from The Christie NHS Trust can be found here and here. 18-Dec-2019: Independent: Magic mushroom compound psilocybin found safe for consumption in largest ever controlled study Another step forward for an ancient herbal remedy to be acknowledged by modern medicine. Named Xiao Jun, Laughing Mushrooms, in Chinese, they have a long history of use in folk tales and mystical practices but like our own culture, have been neglected in modern times due to their hallucinogenic properties. 17-Dec-2019: National Geographic: Scientists are unraveling the mysteries of pain 12-Dec-2019: CNN: The future of Traditional Chinese medicine 11-Dec-2019: Independent: Chinese hunger for donkey skin threatens species' existence in Brazil Other forms of gelatin can suffice but Chinese medicine often values the rare which becomes a major problem when you have a population of over a billion. 8-Dec-2019: USA Today: 'It was beautiful': Acupuncturists help migrants stranded at Mexico border deal with stress Story about Acupuncturists Without Borders, a charity in the same vein as Medicine Sans Frontiers but providing acupuncture to those in need without the means for private therapy. In particular they deal with the opioid crisis, refugees, veterans and crisis response. 5-Dec-2019: BBC News: Measles deaths 'staggering and tragic' The Chinese first invented inoculation therapies using scabs from smallpox survivors. This and the focus on preventing rather treating disease makes support for a healthy vaccinated population very much a part of Chinese medicine. 5-Dec-2019: Daily Mail: Meghan Markle's acupuncturist reveals he sent her a box of vegan broths and tonics to help her recover after giving birth to Archie Even royals do it. 4-Dec-2019: Sky News: Sweet success: Hi-tech honey 'sandwiches' used to fight superbug infections Another ancient remedy coming back into modern medicine with a twist. 28-Nov-2019: BBC Radio 4: In Our Time: Li Shizhen Radio broadcast about arguably the greatest herbalist to have ever lived. 20-Nov-2019: The Guardian: World's donkeys being 'decimated' by demand for Chinese medicine Includes a comment by the RCHM on how the UK Chinese medicine industry opposes cruel and unsustainable practices, preferring to find alternatives. 18-Nov-2019: The Telegraph: Chicken soup cure is no myth, with new research suggesting broth could fend off malaria Another piece of traditional medical wisdom discovered to have a grain of truth. The Original Article appeared in Annals of Disease in Childhood 2019;104:1138-1142. 17-Nov-2019: CNN: Some European doctors think Chinese medicine should come with a health warning Following the previous news, this article warns against the exaggerated claims made by some Chinese medical practitioners. Simple answer is regulation: If its illegal practice without membership and the professional body excludes people who make false claims, then it would no more of a problem than it is with western doctors. 6-Nov-2019: The Guardian: Doctors call for tighter regulation of traditional Chinese medicine Perhaps WHOs inclusion of Chinese medicine in its ICD report will finally encourage statutory regulations to be brought in with proper checks and quality control procedures implemented. The EHTPA and RCHM released this response to the article. 24-Oct-2019: Sky News: Arthritis: Study discovers surprising link between chronic pain and weather Known to Chinese medicine and most arthritis sufferers for thousands of years, science finally catches up. 15-Oct-2019: Yahoo! News Salma Hayek has acupuncture for 'health and wellbeing' - but does it work? Essentially a celebrity piece but does contain a short discussion of a few conditions and the problems with research too. 10-Oct-2019: The Independent: 'Nature prescriptions' would be cheap way to improve country's mental health, study finds Connecting with nature has been a traditional medical prescription within the Chinese Taoist tradition for millenia. 8-Oct-2019: The Guardian: Ear seeding - I look like a poundshop Lady Gaga who has lost his tiny marbles Entertaining article about an LA trend for using gold seeds for ear stimulation. While it claims to be based on "ancient Chinese medicine" there are only two vague references to treating the ear in the classics, far from a complete microsystem, and the method used today was developed by French neurologist Paul Nogier in 1957. 4-Sep-2019: Daily Mail: Acupuncture could be used to treat alcohol dependency by activating brain pathways that are reduced in alcoholics, scientists claim 29-Aug-2019 National Geographic: Pangolin scale medicines no longer covered by Chinese insurance Further evidence that the Chinese government is starting to show concern for the ecology of their medicines. 22-Aug-2019: Harpers Bazaar: Can acupuncture be better than Botox as a subtle anti-ageing treatment? 1-Aug-2019: National Geographic: Traditional Chinese medicine and wildlife Story on how the demand for certain animal parts is driving some species to extinction. 21-Jul-2019: The Sun: From cupping to acupuncture, how to incorporate traditional Chinese medicine in your wellbeing routine 15-Jul-2019: Washington Post: Medicare will pay for acupuncture that is part of low back pain research 13-Jul-2019: The Guardian: Government to issue 'sleep hygiene' guidance The government finally catching up on what ancient medical scholars understood over a millenia ago: that good sleep and waking patterns are essential for health. 8-Jul-2019: Evening Standard: Why Ear Seeds are the Next Wellness Trend You Should Try 20-Jun-2019: CNN: Chinese medicine: The next step in cancer recovery? Reporting on the integration of targeted western cancer interventions with Chinese medicine to improve tolerance and aid recovery. 19-Jun-2019: BBC News: What are vaccines, how do they work and why are people sceptical? Describes the first smallpox vaccines being invented by the Chinese, known as Zhong Dou. 12-Jun-2021: CNN: 2,500-year-old tomb offers earliest evidence of humans using cannabis to get high Archaeological research into an ancient Chinese tomb reveals burnt residue in pots matches cannabis and contains a high level of THC indicating it was a psychoactive cultivar being burnt. 28-May-2019: Independent: World Health Organisation' recognition of traditional Chinese medicine 'could push species into extinction' Its not quite such a black and white issue as the headline suggests. There is a lot of value in Chinese medicine, many modern drugs that have been developed and are still being developed from them, and many animal parts that are plentiful and farmed including a lot of common foods, but like all ancient medical systems there is a superstitious value placed on the rare and exotic that can no longer meet demand and drives a destructive poaching industry. Short term it needs to be banned and enforced, long term we need to use education to help people understand the costs of their actions, teach them alternatives which can be more effective and if the animal parts do contain something special, learn to synthesise it a way that is less destructive to the environment. 29-Apr-2019: Evening Standard: Acupuncture: Does it really work? 16-Apr-2019: Huffington Post: Is Facial Acupuncture The New Botox? 4-Apr-2019: BBC News: The diets cutting one in five lives short every year Diet has always been crucial to Chinese medicine but as this article shows, with modernisation they are experiencing a modern health crisis from salt intake. 28-Mar-2019: Reuters: As China pushes traditional medicine globally, illegal wildlife trade flourishes Not a new issue but one that highlights how important it is for TCM practitioners and patients to avoid using endangered products. The actual news and positive side to this story is that TCM is to be officially recognised by WHO in its May compendium. 9-Mar-2019: BBC News: Can acupuncture help menopause symptoms? Based on an BMJ article in which the sample was small but indicated that acupuncture reduced symptoms with no serious adverse effects. 4-Mar-2019: The Sun: Mysterious 'eternal life' potion discovered inside 2,000-year-old bronze pot in ancient Chinese tomb Interesting piece of history, although it probably won't help us discover the secret to immortality. 27-Feb-2019: National Geographic: Traditional Chinese medicine and wildlife 5-Feb-2019: Daily Mail: Mother-to-be Meghan is reportedly turning to acupuncture to 'boost the blood flow to her uterus' as she approaches her due date Typical Daily Mail celebrity sensationalism 18-Jan-2019: BBC: Could Tai Chi offer the same benefits as more vigorous exercise? An investigation by the "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor" team. Jan-2019: National Geographic: How ancient remedies are changing modern medicine A good and balanced article on the contributions and controversies of traditional Chinese medicine to modern medicine.