Growing Acceptance of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Malaysia

 

Growing Acceptance of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Malaysia

“Data collection and evidence from scientific studies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can further enhance its application and growing acceptance in the country, said Health Director-General Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan.

He said a total of 15 government hospitals have been practicing TCM since 2009.

“Now that traditional medicine has scientific data and evidence, we aim to integrate it into our treatment (methods) to complement conventional ones” he said yesterday after officiating at a seminar titled Evidence-based Practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Muhammad Radzi said the Health Ministry currently applies treatments such as acupuncture and massage for patients with joint pains. He said the two-day seminar, held in collaboration with the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, brought together 70 local medical practitioners and academics to enhance the quality and safety of TCM based on established guidelines, with input from experts from China.

The seminar also served as a platform for TCM medical experts from Malaysia and China to exchange views and experiences.

He emphasized that validating treatments through rigorous scientific research would enhance TCM credibility and acceptance among practitioners, patients and regulatory bodies nationwide.

“Scientific validation provides the basis for developing regulations and standards, ensuring consistent TCM practices.”

He said the guidelines reflect the ministry’s commitment to integrate TCM into the healthcare system, Bernama reported.

Present were China Department of International Cooperation, National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine director-general Dr Wu Zhen Dou and Embassy of China in Malaysia Counsellor for Science and Technology Dr Zhao Xiang Dong. “

(Source: Malaysia Star newspaper. Tuesday July 16, 2024)

 

A Herb for Every Illness on Earth:

 

Yes, the concept that there is a herb or a  plant for every illness on earth is a common belief in many traditional medicine systems.

 

One of the most famous references comes from the Bible itself in the book of Ezekiel 47:12, which states:

"And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine."

This idea is also echoed in various traditional healing practices around the world, such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Indigenous herbal medicine systems, where plants are used extensively for their healing properties.

According to WHO over 80 % of the world population still use traditional medicine. So, there must be something there about natural medicine from plants and something wrong with conventional drug medicine in terms of efficacies compared with natural medicine.

 

Let me give you some examples of herbal and botanical medicine used traditionally till now by a lot of people in western and eastern countries. let's delve into the world of herbal and botanical medicine, exploring traditional uses and their modern applications, benefits, and limitations.

 

Herbal and Botanical Medicine:

Herbal and botanical medicine has been used for centuries across different cultures to treat various ailments. Traditional medicine systems, such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and indigenous healing practices, have extensively documented the use of plants for medicinal purposes. In modern times, these practices continue to be popular, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that around 80% of the world's population relies on traditional medicine for some aspects of primary health care.

 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):

 

In TCM its medical principle is on balancing Yin and Yang, Qi (vital energy) flow through meridians. TCM is not just about acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping and massages. It is much more than these. They too use medicinal herbs and other natural botanical medicines running into hundreds of different kinds. They are used in combination with each other in low dosage to avoid toxicities and for sustained therapeutic effects.  Their combination in low dosage, unlike synthetic drugs that is given in isolation at higher dosages, is aimed at a holistic approach so that these combination herbal medicines are working in different directions to provide a synergistic effect that will provide a much better and sustained  therapeutic outcome than using a single drug working alone in isolation. The synergy of a combination of several natural medicines from different plants and herbs working together holistically naturally would produce a therapeutic effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. This is so unlike a pure isolated drug working alone as practised in conventional allopathic medicine. 

Another way of putting this is, it is like forcing a table to stand on one or two legs no matter how strong instead using four legs. How could we expect the body establish homeostasis or yin and yang using a single pure and isolated chemical drug instead a combination of several low dose medicines from plants and Nature. But the health of the body depends almost entirely on its ability to establish biochemical and physiological homeostasis or yin and yang. Think this over logically with a scientific brain  

This is one of the setbacks in conventional medicine where a single, pure, and isolated drug is given for life just to control the disease such as diabetes, hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases, etc with no hope of any permanent cure. A combination of natutral plant-based medicine prescribed at low dosages is just like a charcoal or coal fire that produces heat and warmth for a very, very long time, unlike a petrol fire that is similar to pharmaceutical drugs that suddenly burst into a huge flame and soon dies away unless more petrol is added to keep the fire burning. That is why some drugs need to be taken for life. Which would you prefer? But pharmaceutical companies want it this way for their continuous business.  

Some examples among tens of hundreds of herbal medicines used in TCM are ginseng, ginkgo biloba, astragalus and liquorice root. They are used to enhance energy, improve blood circulation, boosts immunity, and treats respiratory issues.

That’s not all. TCM also uses dietary approaches very much like dietetics in western medicine. A TCM doctor too advises their patients to consume certain foods and harmful ones to avoid.  

Other Traditional Medicine Systems are:

 

Ayurveda (India):

Ayurvedic medicine is one of the world's oldest medical systems and remains one of India's traditional health care systems. Ayurvedic treatment combines products (mainly derived from plants, but may also include animal, metal, and mineral), diet, exercise, and lifestyle. Ayurvedic medical principle is based on the balance of three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha). Examples of natural medicines they use are ashwagandha, turmeric, neem, tulsi, amla. These native Indian medicines are used to promote overall health, treat stress, inflammation, skin conditions, and digestive issues. Herbs and plants used in Ayurvedic medicine include ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Its uses are for stress reduction, anxiety, and immune support.

 

Western Herbalism:

Even though modern conventional medicine came from the west; westerners now are becoming more and more disgruntled and dissatisfied with their own medicines. Many of them are now restoring to TCM or their own western herbalism to look for a cure. Some of the native and European plants westerners as well as other eastern English-educated races used for health and treatment are (examples), echinacea, St. John’s Wort, chamomile, and peppermint. Their action is to support the immune system, mood regulation, digestive health, and relaxation.

 

Indigenous western herbal medicine takes a more holistic approach using local flora that includes aloe vera, devil’s claw, saw palmetto, white willow bark to treat wounds, reduce inflammation, support urinary health, and alleviate pain. The advantages of using plant-based medicine are that they have fewer side effects compared to synthetic anxiolytics. Their disadvantages are limited clinical trials compared to pharmaceuticals.

 

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

In both eastern and western botanical medicine, they also use anti-inflammatory, and antioxidants such as curcumin, which inhibits inflammatory pathways. The advantage with natural anti-inflammatory medicine is that they have fewer side effects than NSAIDs. Their disadvantages are low bioavailability such as turmeric that requires piperine from black pepper for better absorption.

Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is used to boost energy, reduce stress, and improve cognitive function. Its mode of action is its adaptogenic properties that modulates immune function. The advantages with ginseng (example) is, it is a natural energy booster, but its disadvantages are, it can cause insomnia if taken in high doses or late in the day.

 

Ginkgo biloba:

 

Ginkgo biloba is used to improve cognitive function, treats circulatory disorders. Its mode of action is to enhance blood flow, besides having antioxidant properties. The advantages with Ginkgo biloba is, it is a natural cognitive enhancer, but its disadvantages is, it is a potential for bleeding disorders if taken with anticoagulants.

 

Echinacea:

 

Echinacea is prescribed in western botanical medicine for immune support and is used effectively for treating colds and flu by stimulating the immune system with an advantage of reducing the severity and duration of colds.

 

St. John Wort:

 

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is prescribed by western herbal doctors for depression, mood disorders. Its mode of action is to inhibit reuptake of neurotransmitters like serotonin. Its advantages are that it is a natural antidepressant with fewer side effects than SSRIs, but its disadvantages are that it interacts with many medications, including birth control pills.

 

Camomile:

 

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is used by western herbal doctors for managing anxiety, digestive issues, and sleep disorders. Chamomile mode of action is, it acts on GABA receptors, and has anti-inflammatory properties. The advantages are it is a gentle sedative and a digestive aid. Camomile disadvantage is, it may cause potential allergies, particularly for those allergic to ragweed.

Peppermint:

 

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is also in the natural medicine list. It is used to treat digestive issues, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), headaches. Its mode of action is, it acts as an antispasmodic and also improves bile flow. It is effective for digestive discomfort, although there were cases where it was reported peppermint worsened acid reflux for some individuals.

Comparison with Conventional Medicine:

Advantages of herbal medicine is, it is of natural origin since few synthetic chemicals as medicines are perceived as safer by some. Plant-based medicines take a holistic approach.  Often it treats the whole person, not just the symptoms. Whole plants can offer synergistic effects due to its multiple benefits from a combination of various active compounds (phytochemicals) in plants. Its cultural acceptance has a long history of use in many cultures. The disadvantages of herbal medicine are their variable potency since active ingredient concentrations can vary between batches. There is also a lack of standardization. Their use has less regulation and standardization compared to pharmaceuticals.

 

Plant-based medicines also have potential for interactions. They can interact with conventional medications. They also have limited clinical evidence. They have fewer large-scale, rigorous clinical trials.  Conventional medicine advantages have standardization with consistent dosages and formulations. Pharmaceuticals undergo extensive testing. They are subjected to rigorous clinical trials for safety and efficacy. Pharmaceuticals are fast-acting. They often provide quicker relief for acute conditions. It has targeted action designed to target specific pathways or conditions. Conventional medicine disadvantages are, side effects, and these side effects can be significant and serious since they are actually synthetic chemicals the body tries to reject, break them down and excrete them as fast as possible. Prolonged use of these chemical drugs causes drug resistance such as an overuse can lead to issues like antibiotic resistance let only accumulative poisoning that may affect the liver and kidneys causing multiple organ failures plus linked diseases originating from the first one.  Often synthetic chemical drugs are more expensive than herbal alternatives. Drugs are symptom-focused, by treating symptoms rather than underlying causes.

 Herbal and botanical medicines offer a valuable complement to conventional treatments, particularly for chronic conditions and wellness support. However, they should be used with caution, particularly when combined with conventional drugs, due to potential interactions and variability in potency. Consulting with a doctor or a healthcare professional who are knowledgeable in both conventional and herbal medicine is essential for safe and effective use.

Unfortunately, there are not many doctors around who are armed with both an MD (Doctor of Medicine) and an ND (Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine) degrees whom patients could have the good fortune to get their twined professional advice.  

But I think conventional western drugs medicine also has an advantage over other traditional systems of medicine such as in a medical emergency where powerful drugs are needed to stabilise a patient, antibiotics for serious infections and surgery beyond the reach of other medical systems.

 

See reference “5” below (All on Drugs. How Do They Work? Are They Safe? (on emergency drugs).  

 

Maybe conventional medicine is very good with acute cases, but they fare very poorly with lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cancers, among many others. There is just no cure for these disorders except to “control” all these lifestyle diseases using western pharmaceutical drugs. It is not possible to cure NCD (non-communicable disease) diseases using drugs unless we remove and address their root causes first.

The advantages with conventional medicine are for acute and emergency situations.
In a medical emergency, such as heart attacks, strokes, or severe allergic reactions, conventional medicine can offer powerful life-saving interventions with rapid-acting medications like epinephrine, thrombolytics, and beta-blockers, antibiotics for serious infections, antibiotics can be crucial in preventing the spread of bacterial infections and saving lives, particularly in cases of sepsis, pneumonia, and other severe bacterial diseases.

 

Advanced surgical techniques can address issues that are beyond the scope of other medical systems, such as appendectomies, trauma surgery, organ transplants, and advanced cancer surgeries.

But there are serious limitations of conventional medicine with chronic and lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity.  Conventional medicine often focuses on managing symptoms with medications like insulin, antihypertensives, and appetite suppressants rather than addressing underlying lifestyle factors.

 

While there have been significant advancements in cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy), many treatments can have severe side effects and do not always address lifestyle or environmental factors contributing to cancer risk.

 

I think as clinicians and  physicians we need to take an integrative approach to chronic diseases. It should be holistic and preventive focused.

 

Nutrition:

Diet and Nutrition is extremely important in addressing all these NCDs.  Addressing poor diet and nutrition can help prevent and manage diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Integrating traditional dietary recommendations (from systems like Ayurveda and TCM) with modern nutritional science can be beneficial.

Exercise and lifestyle changes through regular physical activity and stress management techniques (yoga, meditation) play a crucial role in preventing and managing chronic diseases. Mind-Body practices and techniques such as mindfulness, acupuncture, and tai chi can help manage chronic pain, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being.

 

Root Causes:

 

Then we should take the root cause approach in the practice of medicine. In functional medicine this approach looks at the root causes of disease, such as inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and gut health issues, rather than just treating symptoms.
Then we also have personalized medicine that tailoring treatments to an individual's genetic makeup, lifestyle, and environment can lead to more effective management of chronic conditions.

Integrative Medicine:

 

Integrating Conventional and Traditional Medicine and Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) are now very popular throughout the world, not just here in Malaysia.

Combination therapies using conventional treatments for acute and severe cases while incorporating traditional practices for chronic disease management can provide a balanced approach. For instance, using antibiotics to treat a severe infection while also using probiotics and herbal remedies to support gut health.

 

Patient-Centred Care (PCC):

 

By focusing on the whole person, considering physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health, PCC can lead to better outcomes in chronic disease management, and not just prescribing the "medicines”. Health cannot be obtained by taking medicines and drugs. Disease and illness are definitely not due to lack of drugs and medicine in the body. 

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) remains firmly committed to the principles set out in the preamble to the Constitution to define Health as:

“A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

 

Collaboration Between Practitioners:

Interdisciplinary healthcare teams that include both conventional doctors and practitioners of traditional medicine can offer more comprehensive care.
Education and awareness is another approach.  By educating patients about the benefits and limitations of both conventional and traditional medicine can empower them to make informed decisions about their health.

Conventional medicine excels in acute and emergency care, providing life-saving interventions that are unmatched by other systems. However, for chronic and lifestyle-related diseases, an integrative approach that includes traditional medicine practices can be more effective. Addressing the root causes of these diseases through diet, lifestyle changes, and holistic practices can lead to better long-term health outcomes.

By combining the strengths of both conventional and traditional medicine, we can create a more effective and holistic healthcare system that addresses the diverse needs of patients.

Conventional medicine using chemical drugs is not the way, else over 80 % of the world population would not have gone for alternative, traditional or other complementary systems of medicine. They got disgruntled with all conventional drugs they took for years that never cured them, so they seek other alternative medical systems though slower but burns much longer like a burning charcoal or a coal fire over a petrol fire that instantly burst into flame but died down very soon and needed to add more petrol like drugs to sustain the fire.

 

Traditional and alternative medicine often take a more holistic and sustainable approach to health, addressing root causes and promoting overall well-being, rather than just managing symptoms. This slower, but more enduring approach can be compared to a charcoal or coal fire, which requires patience but provides long-lasting warmth.

Finally:

Finally, I have medical doctors who were my former colleagues with whom we worked together at the Institute for Medical Research who told me when they were sick, they would not use the drugs they prescribed for their patients to treat themselves. They will seek other alternative systems of medicine to treat themselves. They told me and other doctor colleagues they only prescribe those drugs for their patients, but not for themselves.

 

Other doctor colleagues of mine in another division would often tell and explain to me how they use other alternative methods to diagnose, not use blood tests, scans and all these. They would come to my office room or sometimes I went to their rooms, and they would tell and explain to me their own diagnostic approaches such as looking at their eyes and tongues or feel their pulses or they would use “live blood analysis (LBA), live cell analysis”. They were all highly qualified medical officers and doctors. I would just listen as they explained to me how they worked.  

 At least one of them has now gone out into private practice using these unorthodox methods of diagnosis and treatment.

Even my youngest brother who was a Mayo Clinic-trained Heart Surgeon and was a Professor of Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Malaya, and now a Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur often spoke against conventional drug-based allopathic medicine. He often spoke highly on other systems of treatment such as homopathic medicine. 

Reference:

 

1.      Chinese Systems of Medicine (Joint WHO-MOH-IMR Expert Technical Committee)

https://scientificlogic.blogspot.com/2024/06/chinese-systems-of-medicine.html

2.      Traditional Chinese medicine gaining wider acceptance

https://thesun.my/home-news/traditional-chinese-medicine-gaining-wider-acceptance-HA10984311

3.      Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Malaysia: A Knowledge and Practice Study among General Population toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Relation to Health and Quality of Life in Malaysia

Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Malaysia: A Knowledge and Practice Study among General Population toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Relation to Health and Quality of Life in Malaysia - PMC (nih.gov)

4.      Synthetic Drugs vs Botanical and Herbal Medicines. Which is Better?

https://scientificlogic.blogspot.com/2024/05/my-brother-in-law-ong-geok-soo-senior.html

5.      All On Drugs. How Do They Work? Are They Safe? (on emergency drugs)

Scientific Logic: Search results for emergency drugs