For centuries, Chinese medicine has been used to treat various illnesses and deficiencies. While it is often considered a "handmaiden to Western science," its applications extend beyond genetics and immunology, into areas such as obstetrics and pediatrics. In this article, we will briefly discuss the history of Chinese medicine, its current state-of-the-art, facultyresearch.london.edu and its future in the Western world


The Evolution Of Chinese Medicine


Chinese medicine as we know it today developed from two separate streams – traditional Chinese medicine and modern Chinese medicine. Traditionally, Chinese medicine was used to treat illnesses that were not understood or not acknowledged by Western medicine at the time. For example, before the late 1800s, people with smallpox would often seek out traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, hoping that their art could protect them from this potentially deadly disease. Some of the more well-known traditional Chinese medicines used in this way include leech therapy, acupuncture, and herbal remedies. While these therapies have not been proven to be dangerous, there is still no evidence that they are effective in treating disease. In the early 1900s, as scientific techniques improved and lifestyles changed, so did the need for traditional Chinese medicine. This is because the "cures" offered by traditional Chinese medicine were not always effective in treating illnesses, and sometimes had serious side effects. For example, some traditional Chinese medicine remedies for malaria were highly toxic and dangerous, and were eventually banned (Chen, 2017). Today, while traditional Chinese medicine is still widely used in China and other Asian countries, its use in the Western world has declined substantially.


The Current Role Of Chinese Medicine


Chinese medicine has made a comeback, however. In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness and appreciation for traditional Chinese medicine among the Western world. This is largely due to the fact that Chinese medicine has been shown to have numerous applications in modern medicine, and some of these applications have been successfully tested and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In fact, the FDA has even acknowledged and recognized Chinese medicine in their "Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet," where they state that "most dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA and may contain substances that are potentially unsafe" (FDA, n.d.). This is different from traditional herbal medicines, which are generally considered "unsafe" and unregulated by governmental agencies (including the FDA) (Bhagavan, 2017; Maier, 2010).


The applications of Chinese medicine are vast and can be effective in treating a variety of illnesses and health issues. Some of the more well-known health benefits of Chinese medicine include the following:



Detoxifying and removing toxins from the human body

Boosting the immune system

Regulating blood pressure

Lessening depression

Improving focus and concentration

Increasing energy levels

Increasing lung capacity

Reducing chronic pain

Increasing childbirth efficiency

Increasing athletic performance

Evolving human immunology

Reducing the risk of certain cancers



Some of the more commonly used traditional Chinese medicines for these purposes include the following:



Astragalus (huang qi)

Angelica sinensis (danggui)

Ginkgo biloba (jingjing)

Eleutherococcus senticosus (shen qi)

Ephedra sinica (ma huang)

Licorice (gan cao)

Morinda officinalis (bai guo)

Ostrea gigas (ma ren)

Pueraria lobata (ge gen)

Radix Astragali (huang qi)

Salvia miltiorrhiza (dan shen)

Scutellaria baicalensis (huang qi)

Zizyphostrongylus (zhong feng)



The Future Of Chinese Medicine In The West


While traditional Chinese medicine continues to make a comeback in the Western world, its future in the West is still uncertain. One of the primary reasons for this is that many Westerners are still unaware of the invaluable contribution this ancient medicine has made to modern medicine. Despite this, there is still a strong need for traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in the West, as a large proportion of the population still rely on this type of medicine for treatment (Lau, 2017). It is therefore essential that the general public becomes more aware of the importance of Chinese medicine, as well as its wide array of applications.