Effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Diabetic Neuropathy-A Review

Abstract

Background: Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication affecting 30% of people with diabetes. The purpose of this paper is to review the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) toward diabetic neuropathy based on clinical studies.Methods: Literature searches were conducted in three electronic databases: PubMed, CQVIP (a Chinese scientific periodical database) and Google Scholar. All of the RCTs published that used TCM as an intervention from January 2005 to January 2010 were retrieved for this review. Uncontrolled trials, cases series, and case reports were excluded. The review was limited to articles in Chinese and English.Results: We retrieved ninety-five abstracts that used Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat diabetic neuropathy; of these, fourteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified. The TCM treatments used in these trials were: topical Chinese herbal treatments, acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, massage (tui na) therapy, and orally administered Chinese herbal formulas. Generally, the TCM treatments were given as adjuncts to conventional treatment. The control groups received either conventional treatments or placebo. The outcomes of the treatment groups were either better than or equal to the control groups in thirteen trials. Side effects such as dizziness, abdominal cramping, and worsening of symptoms were reported by two of the fourteen studies.Conclusion: Based on our review, TCM may be beneficial to patients with diabetic neuropathy. Integrated Chinese and western therapy seems to be more effective than conventional medicine alone, we concluded that there are benefits for treating diabetic neuropathy using TCM. Although better-quality studies are needed in order to form a firm conclusion.