Arthritis

Arthritis affects about one out of every six people, including 80 percent of persons over the age of 70. In severe cases it can affect one’s normal life and working capacity. TCM is one of the most effective treatments to the problem.

In conventional medicine, arthritis can be divided into two important types, Osteo-arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. TCM categorises arthritis as a blockage in the smooth flow of Qi and Blood throughout the energetic pathways in the body. The disorder is classified as Bone Bi (an impediment that affects the bones and joints). Pain and reduced range of motion in TCM indicates the presence of a blockage; conditions such as arthritis, therefore, are called Painful Obstruction Syndromes. It makes a diagnostic distinction based on the predominance of Wind, Cold, Damp, or Heat symptoms. While many of these pathogenic factors usually are found together—Wind is said to carry the others into the body—each has a separate set of symptoms, with one factor playing a primary role. Arthritis may be differentiated into the following categories: Wind Bi: Symptoms: Pain begins and ends rapidly, and moves among different parts of the body. Windy weather can make the symptoms worse. Cold Bi: Symptoms: Pain is severe, and has fixed locations. Cold temperatures worsen the condition, and warmth improves it. Damp Bi: Symptoms: Pain is characterized by soreness, is accompanied by feelings of heaviness and sometimes numbness.

Dampness worsens the condition and there may be swelling in the affected areas. Heat Bi: Heat predominates when a Wind-Cold-Damp syndrome results in a greatly reduced flow of Qi and Blood through a joint, causing constraint. Constraint in TCM theory can cause Heat. Heat Bi is characterised by inflamed, red, swollen joints. Treatments: Acupuncture: Bi and other pain syndromes account for more than half of all acupuncture treatments in the Britain each year. Arthritis patients frequently use acupuncture to control pain once or twice a week, which is an effective complementary treatment. Chinese herbs: An efficient approach to individualizing herbal prescriptions is to use herbs that stop pain and expel the pathogenic factors responsible for Bi. For example, while all of the following herbs help relieve pain, each focuses on a different type of Bi: Sang Zhi (Ramulus Mori) for Wind Bi Wei Ling Xian (Radix Clematidis Sinensis) for Cold Bi Mu Gua (Frucus Chaenomelis) for Damp Bi Han Fang Ji (Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae) for Heat Bi Because Wind, Cold, and Damp are intertwined in these Bi conditions, all three can be treated through herbal combinations. The Main herbal products for internal use are: XIN GUANG PIAN, WANG BI KE LI, ZHANG GU GUAN JIE WAN, DU HUO JI SHEN WAN, TAO HONG SHI WU. For external use: HUANG DAO YI WOOD LOCK OIL, HONG HUANG OIL.