Herbal Medicine For Treatment Research Articles

Effectiveness of Hydroalcoholic Seed Extract of Securigera securidaca on Pancreatic Local Renin-Angiotensin System and Its Alternative Pathway in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Animal Model.

Available data suggest inhibition of the pancreatic local-renin-angiotensin system (RAS) reduces tissue complications of diabetes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic seed extract of Securigera securidaca (S. securidaca) (HESS) on the pancreatic local-RAS and its alternative pathway. Three doses of HESS were orally administered to three groups of diabetic male Wistar rats, and the results were compared with both diabetic and healthy control groups. After 35 days of treatment, the groups were assessed for the levels of pancreatic local-RAS components, including renin, angiotensinogen, ACE, and Ang II, as well as ACE2 and Ang-(1-7) in the alternative pathway. The effect of herbal medicine treatment on tissue damage status was investigated by evaluating tissue levels of oxidative stress, proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and through histopathological examination of the pancreas. HESS showed a dose-dependent palliative effect on the tissue oxidative stress profile (P < 0.05) as well as the levels of pancreatic local-RAS components (P < 0.05), compared to diabetic control group. Considering the interrelationship between tissue oxidative stress and local-RAS activity, the moderating effect of HESS on this relationship could be attributed to the increase in total tissue antioxidant capacity (TAC) and pancreatic Ang-(1-7) concentration. Decrease in local-RAS activity was associated with decrease in the tissue levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL1, IL6, and TNFα) (P < 0.05) and increase in the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine of IL-10 (P < 0.05). In addition, histological results were consistent with tissue biochemical results. Due to the reduction of local pancreatic RAS activity as well as oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines following treatment with HESS, S. securidaca seed can be proposed as a suitable herbal supplement in the drug-treatment of diabetes.

Current Characteristics of Herbal Medicine Interventions for Cancer on Clinical Databases: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The utilization of herbal medicine has been noteworthy for treating cancer; however, there is not enough information regarding the characteristics of clinical trials of herbal medicine interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristic of registered trials using herbal medicine interventions for cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed via the website ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN registry, Chinese clinical trial registry, and international clinical trials registry platform to gather associated registered clinical trials using an advanced search with the developed keyword strategy as of March 26, 2023. All obtainable information from the trials was collected without any restrictions to conduct a comprehensive review. Results: A total of 169 registered trials were included for evaluation. Of all trials, 102 trials were eligible for this study. Countries from Asia registered the most trials (62.75%), and hospitals sponsored most of the trials (42.16%). Randomized, Phase 2, interventional trials were dominant, and approximately 64.71% of the trials anticipated recruiting less than 100 participants. More than half of the trials were from 2016 to 2023 (53.92%). While 45 trials were completed, only 16 trials had results for further analysis. According to the completed results, the types of herbal medicines from the trials mainly focused on lung, breast, and colorectal cancer. Conclusion: This study is the first to explore the characteristics of clinical trials of herbal medicine for cancer registered in large clinical databases. The acquired trials had relatively informative data; however, better-designed trials may be needed for health professionals to consider herbal medicine as an option when treating cancer patients.

Management of nerve injuries by utilization of nutraceuticals

Nerve injuries leads to loss of function from different organs of patient. It is caused due to dysfunction of neural cell. This dysfunction can occur by different ways like of genetics, protein accumulation in neural cell or any of the sudden accident. The nerve consist of various parts and one axon. The same nerve divides as CNS part and PNS part. The regeneration of nerve axon in PNS can be possible to function but the CNS part of axon cannot be regenerated. This regeneration takes place takes place with injured cell. This injury leads to pain referred as neuropathic pain. The nerve cell injury can be putted into three categories as of Neuropraxia, Axonotmesis and Neurotmesis. The injured neural cell leads to neurodegeneration. There are several treatments available on the basis of nutrients and constituents taken from herbal medicinal plants. Nutraceuticals is a branch known by its food supplements and nutrients of any herbal plant which have positive effect towards patient health and management of related disease. Nutraceuticals have less side and adverse effect towards patient. There are some medications which is derived from herbal medicinal plant such as Ginseng, Ashwagandha, Bacopa monnieri, Ginkgo biloba, Centella asiatica. Some compounds belong to as class of flavonoids, celastrol, trehalose, lycopene, sesamol, resveratrol and curcumin are showing high positive impression. The present scenario demands for the herbal medicinal treatment and for the fulfilment of this need the approach towards nutraceutical are raising high. Neuroprotection mechanism also shown by these nutrients. Apart from neuro regeneration, neuroprotective effect the nutraceutical also show antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effect. Polyphenol compound help to increase neural function.

A Case Report of Acupotomy and Herbal Medicine Treatment for Patient with Essential Head Tremor

A Case Report of Acupotomy and Herbal Medicine Treatment for Patient with Essential Head Tremor

The Effectiveness of Curcumin on Dysmenorrhea

Menstruation is a cycle of oocyte release and preparing uterus for possible pregnancy if fertilization occurs. It begins at puberty and ends at menopause with an average duration of 28 days. Primary menstrual pain is a problem for women throughout the world that can affect daily life. Painful menstruation, also known as dysmenorrhea, is one of the most common women’s problems. Most women begin having dysmenorrhea during adolescence, usually within four to five years of the first menstrual period. Painful periods become less common as women age. For the treatment of dysmenorrheal much herbal medicine are use. Curcumin is one of the best phytochemical which is isolated from Curcuma longa L., is a fat-soluble natural compound which accumulative evidences have demonstrated that it can use to treat dymenorrhea. The objective of this paper is to analyze through literature regarding primary dysmenorrhea and natural herbal used to relieve the pain. Data from previous research show that curcumin and is the best candidates for relieving primary menstrual pain. Keywords: Menstrual cycle, Dysmenorrhea, Curcumin, Curcuma longa

Chinese herbal medicine reduces the risk of readmission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis combined with hyperlipidemia: A population‑based retrospective cohort study.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that is associated with high degrees of disability and mortality. Patients with RA are generally more prone to a multitude of comorbidities, with hyperlipidemia (HL) one of the most frequently observed. Therefore, the present study investigated the possible association between Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) treatment and the risk of readmission in patients with RA combined with HL (RA-HL). The aim of the present study was to potentially provide an evidence-based strategy for decreasing the risk of readmission in patients with RA-HL. The present study enrolled 839 patients with RA admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of the Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from June 2014 to June 2015. Subsequently, 425 patients with RA were included into the present study after those with incomplete follow-up and laboratory parameter data were excluded. These 425 patients were then classified into the RA-HL and RA-non-HL groups, before incidences of sex distribution, age group, medication and readmission with propensity score matching were all compared. In total 263 patients with RA-HL were then included and arranged into the CHM and non-CHM groups. In particular, the variables of age, sex and diagnosis year between one patient in the CHM group and one in the non-CHM group were adjusted with propensity score matching to decrease selection bias and interference from confounding factors. Finally, 127 patients with RA-HL were included into the CHM group and 127 patients with RA-HL were allocated into the non-CHM group. The proportion of readmitted patients (including RA-HL and RA-non-HL, RA-CHM and RA-non-CHM) was analyzed and compared using the χ2 test and Kaplan-Meier curves. Bivariate logistics regression analysis was used to evaluate the possible factors that can influence the readmission of patients with RA-HL, whereas the potential association between CHM and improvements in the clinical indicators of the patients with RA-HL was assessed using association rules based on Apriori algorithm. It was found through the follow-up data that patients with RA-HL were at higher risk of readmission compared with that in those with RA-non-HL (P<0.05). The CHM treatments included both oral CHM decoction and Chinese patent medicine, including Xinfeng capsule and Huangqin chubi capsule, which may reduce the risk of readmission and improve the recovery of immune-inflammatory indicators in patients with RA-HL (P<0.05). Overall, CHM, as a protective factor, is associated with a reduced risk of readmission in RA-HL.

Combined effect of external treatment of herbal medicine and tuina in congenital muscular torticollis: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) is the third most common musculoskeletal disease in children. With no standardized treatment method hence, so it is necessary to find an effective treatment method that can be received comfortably by children. This review assessed the efficacy of an external treatment of herbal medicine (ETHM) with tuina for CMT in children. This study searched the English, Chinese, and Korean databases (total of 10) until June 7 2022, without any language restrictions. All included studies were randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of ETHM with tuina as an intervention comparted to the same tuina alone according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The mean differences (MD), standardized mean differences (SMD), risk ratio (RR) with the 95% confidence interval (CI), and risk of bias (ROBs) were calculated using Review Manager Version 5.4 software. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) rating system was used to assess the quality of evidence. The publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot, the Egger test, the fail-safe N test, and the Duval and Tweedle's trim and fill method using Review Manager Version 5.4 software, the software R Version 4.1.1 and R studio Version 1.4.1106 program. Nineteen RCTs with 1710 patients were included in the meta-analysis. ETHM plus tuina improved the outcomes of the total effective rate (TER) [RR 1.21, 95% CI:1.15 to 1.26, P < .001], sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle thickness [MD: -1.82, 95% CI: -2.23 to -1.41, P < .001], cervical rotation range [MD: 13.43, 95% CI: 10.41-16.45, P < .001] and lateral flexion range [MD: 8.50, 95% CI: 6.15-10.85, P < .001], tissue elasticity grade [SMD: -0.46; 95% CI: -0.71 to -0.22, P = .0002], muscle elasticity scores [RR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.04 to 2.34, P = .03], and clinical symptom and sign scores [SMD: -0.78; 95% CI: -1.09 to -0.47, P < .001]. ETHM plus tuina have a combined effect on CMT children. However, further studies with high-quality clinical trials are needed to obtain more robust clinical evidence.

Isorhamnetin inhibits progression of ovarian cancer by targeting ESR1

Although reports suggest Chinese herbal medicine treatment of ovarian cancer (OC) has a good effect, the role of isorhamnetin (ISO), a flavonol aglycone with immune, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular protective effects, as well as an anticancer effect, in OC remains unclear. Network pharmacology was used to explore this in vitro and in vivo, and to identify relevant targets. The common targets of ISO in the treatment of OC were screened by constructing drug targets and disease gene databases for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed by STRING. Overlapping targets were further analyzed using the online tool UALCAN to analyze the correlation between gene expression and patient survival and prognosis. The effect of ISO on OC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion was assessed in vivo and in vitro, and the function of the estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) in the development of OC was examined by overexpressing and knocking down ESR1 expression. Through network pharmacology analysis, 25 target genes related to ISO-OC were screened out. The overall survival rate of OC patients only significantly correlated with high expression of ESR1 among 13 highly expressed overlapping genes. ISO significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of OC cells in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Overexpression of ESR1 significantly promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of OC cells, whereas knockdown of ESR1 showed the opposite result. In addition, overexpression of ESR1 significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of ISO on the proliferation, migration and invasion of OC cells. We confirmed that ISO inhibits OC cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting ESR1 expression, which provides a theoretical basis for further pharmacological research.

A Case Report of COVID-19 Treated with Herbal Medicine

Objectives: This study reports a case of COVID-19 in which the patient experienced improved clinical symptoms (fever, cough, anosmia, sore throat, pantalgia, and headache) after treatment with Korean medicine.Methods: A 47-year-old male patient diagnosed with COVID-19 was treated with herbal medicine (&lt;i&gt;Mahwangbalpyotang-gagam&lt;/i&gt;) three times a day. His clinical course was assessed using changes in body temperature, the Numerical Rating Scale of clinical symptoms, and chest X-ray comparisons between pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 conditions.Results: All the patient's clinical symptoms subsided in 11 days. After 15 days of treatment, his body temperature dropped to a normal range, and the quarantine was lifted. A chest X-ray showed there was no active lung lesion in either lung field after COVID-19.Conclusion: This study suggests that herbal medicine treatment may be an effective treatment for relieving COVID-19's clinical symptoms.

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Chinese Herbal Medicine in the Treatment of Uremic Pruritus: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Uremic pruritus is a disturbing and refractory symptom in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. Chinese herbal medicine has been reported to alleviate uremic pruritus. To investigate the effects of Chinese herbal medicine, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on patients with uremic pruritus. We searched databases (prior to 3 May 2022) for randomized controlled trials on the effects of Chinese herbal medicine in treating uremic pruritus. Our meta-analysis included 3311 patients from 50 randomized controlled trials. In patients with uremic pruritus, adjunctive Chinese herbal medicine significantly improved overall effectiveness (risk ratio 1.29, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.35), quality of life, renal function, reduced pruritus score, and inflammatory biomarkers compared to control groups with hemodialysis alone or with anti-pruritic treatments. Chinese herbal medicine treatment showed a time-dependent tendency in improving the visual analog scale of dialysis patients. Compared to control groups, no significantly higher risk of adverse events in patients taking Chinese herbal medicine (risk ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.22 to 1.63). Chinese herbal medicine appears to be effective and safe in complementing the treatment of patients with uremic pruritus.

Potential application of herbal medicine treatment based on pattern identification for canine cognitive dysfunctional syndrome: a comparative analysis of Korea medicine therapy for patients with dementia

Canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes cognitive and behavioral disorders and reduces the quality of life in dogs and their guardians. This study reviewed the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for CDS and compared the diagnosis and therapy of CAM between CDS in canines and dementia in humans. The evaluation tools for the diagnosis of CDS and dementia were similar in the neurological and neuropsychiatric examinations, daily life activity, cognitive tests, and neuroimaging, but the evaluation for dementia was further subdivided. In CAM, pattern identification is a diagnostic method for accurate, personalized treatment, such as herbal medicine. For herbal medicine treatment of cognitive impairment in canines and humans, a similar pattern identification classified as deficiency (Qi, blood, and Yin) and Excess (phlegm, Qi stagnation, and blood stasis) is being used. However, the veterinary clinical basis for verifying the efficacy and safety of CAM therapies for CDS is limited. Therefore, based on CAM evidence in dementia, it is necessary to establish CDS-targeted CAM diagnostic methods and therapeutic techniques considering the anatomical, physiological, and pathological characteristics of dogs.

Therapeutic potentials associated with biological properties of Juniper berry oil (Juniperus communis L.) and its therapeutic use in several diseases – A Review

Juniperus communis L. is a plant that belongs to the Cupressaceae family. It grows as either a shrub or small tree and is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, including northern Europe, Asia, and America. The berries are an efficient source of several bioactive structures. This review article will focus on the current status of the therapeutic use of juniper berry essential oil, which is presently indicated as a herbal medicinal treatment for dyspepsia. Interest in plant-based medicinal products is growing, and therefore it is important that accessible, up-to-date research is available to patients. Many plants are a natural source of therapeutic structures and can therefore often provide an alternative to synthetic pharmacology. A main constituent of juniper berry oil is α-pinene, a highly active structure which has been shown in in vitro and in vivo studies to possess several biological activities. This review sums up the available reports and indications which describe the function and value of juniper berry essential oil and especially, the constituent α-pinene as a potential candidate in several disorders and inflammatory conditions.Keywords: Juniperus communis, dyspepsia, juniper berry oil, Antioxidant activity, Antibacterial activity, Anti-inflammatory activity

Clinical practice guidelines for endometriosis in Japan (The 3rd edition).

Clinical practice guidelines for endometriosis in Japan (The 3rd edition).

Use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine in nine countries: A cross-sectional multinational survey

ObjectivesTraditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TC&AM) play an exceptional role in health care around the world as many patients has sought a holistic approach. SettingIn this study, a multinational survey was developed and administered to obtain experience, attitude, and promotion information with regard to the international use of TC&AM among nine countries: Germany, United States, Japan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Russia, Kazakhstan, and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The survey was administered via online to members of SurveyMonkey Audience, a proprietary panel of respondents who were recruited from a diverse population worldwide. ResultsA total of 1071 participants has completed the survey. The participants were in favor of the treatments and therapies as well as expressed positive attitudes and also have used herbal medicine treatment more than acupuncture therapy and also used the modalities to promote metabolism rather than treating musculoskeletal diseases. Moreover, participants mentioned that TC&AM should be applied for treating and managing infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. Additionally, participants recommended using Facebook channel to promote its treatments and therapies. ConclusionBased on the results, this study provides initial insights on TC&AM that may influence the non-users globally and perhaps inspire a need for further research including more countries in different continents.

Integrated Chinese herbal medicine with Western Medicine versus Western Medicine in the effectiveness of primary hypertension treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Ethnopharmacological relevanceIntegrated Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) and Western Medicine (WM) treatments have been used for primary hypertension (PHTN) patients in China. Currently, there are many randomized control trials (RCTs) published regarding the effect of CHM and WM on PHTN, which indicated that combining Chinese with WM was effective and safe for PHTN when compared with WM alone, but the quality of evidence was insufficient, and there is no clear information and summary are available for these RCTs assessing the effectiveness of CHM with WM versus WM in patients with PHTN. ObjectivesThis systematic study and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of CHM combined with WM in comparison with WM in reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure for patients with PHTN. MethodsThe information of this study was searched from electronic databases (PubMed, COCHRANE, EMBASE, Ovid, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, and CBM). The markedly effective and effective terms were according to Guiding Principles for Clinical Research of New Chinese Medicines. Two investigators independently reviewed each trial. The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool was used for quality assessment, and RevMan 5.4 was used for meta-analysis. ResultsIn this study, a total of 29 studies that included 2623 patients were recorded. The study results displayed that the clinical effectiveness in the treatment of hypertension patients from the integrated medicines was considerably higher than that with WM alone, clinical effective (RR 1.23, 95% CI [1.17, 1.30], P < 0.00001), and markedly effective (ME) in the patients (RR 1.66, 95% CI [1.52, 1.80], and P < 0.00001). Random effect in SBP (MD 7.91 mmHg,[6.00, 983], P < 0.00001) and DBP (MD 5.46 mmHg, [3.88, 6.43], P < 0.00001), a subgroup analysis was carried out based on the type of intervention, duration of treatment, and CHM formulas that showed significance. Furthermore, no severe side effects were reported, and no patients stopped treatment or withdrawal due to any severe adverse events. ConclusionCompared to WM alone, the therapeutic effectiveness of CHM combined with WM is significantly improved in the treatment of hypertension. Additionally, CHM with WM may safely and efficiently lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in individuals with PHTN. However, rigorous randomized controlled trials with a large sample, high quality, long duration of treatment, and follow-up are recommended to strengthen this clinical evidence.

A Survey on Korean Medicine Doctors’ Recognition and Treatment for Developing Korean Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline of Female Infertility

Objectives: This study was conducted to develop a Korean Medicine(KM) Clinical Practice Guidelines(CPG) of female infertility. We conducted this questionnaire survey to reflect the experiences of Korean Medicine doctors(KMD) and clinical field in Korea.Method: We sent a questionnaire survey to KMD belonging to the Association of Korean Medicine by e-mail. We received 665 responds, and analyzed the answers.Results: 51.2% of respondents knew the previously developed CPG of female infertility, and 18.3% actually used. 83.3% agreed about the necessity of CPG of female infertility, and 80.3% had practical use plan. 90.2% of respondents treated less than 5 infertility woman for a month. 22.7% of respondents treated 50% of patients with collaborative treatment of KM and Western medical treatments. The main age group of patients was ‘35~40 years’(54.7%), and the most common cause was unexplained infertility(61.7%). The most common pattern identification of female infertility patients was Kidney deficiency(55.4%). KMD used 'a combination of decoction of herbal medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion treatment' the most(43%), and 'a decoction of herbal medicine treatment alone' was next(35%). 84.2% conducted lifestyle modification education about diet, stress, exercise etc.Conclusion: We figured out Korean Medicine doctors' recognition about CPG of female infertility, preference of treatments, and also characteristics of patients visiting Korean Medical clinics to make a practical CPG reflecting clinical situation.

A Case Report of a Patient with Long COVID Complaining of Cough and Sore throat Treated with Hyunggaeyungyo-tang and Saengmaek-san

Objectives: The purpose of this case study was to report the clinical improvement of Long COVID(cough, sore throat) treated with Korean herbal medicine(Hyunggaeyungyo-tang and Saengmaek-san).Methods: To assess the treatment outcomes, I used the Visual analogue scale(VAS) to evaluate sore throat degree, and Leicester Cough Questionnaire Korean version(LCQ-K).Results: After treatments, cough and sore throat were significantly improved with VAS and LCQ-K.Conclusion: The Korean herbal medicine was effective in the treatment of patient who suffers Long COVID. This study suggested the possibility of Korean herbal medicine treatment for Long COVID.

The Identification of Chinese Herbal Medicine Combination Association Rule Analysis Based on an Improved Apriori Algorithm in Treating Patients with COVID-19 Disease.

In this work, an improved Apriori algorithm is proposed. The main goal is to improve the processing efficiency of the algorithm, and the idea and process of the Apriori algorithm are optimized. The proposed method is compared with the classical association rule algorithm to verify its effectiveness. Traditional Chinese medicine plays a certain role in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. In order to deeply mine the association rules between Chinese herbal medicines for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, this improved Apriori algorithm is applied from the retrieved published scientific literature and the guidelines for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 published all over China. Based on the representation of traditional Chinese medicine data in binary form, the potential core traditional Chinese medicine combinations in the treatment of COVID-19 are identified. The results of association rules of Chinese herbal medicine data obtained from the real database provide an important reference for the analysis of COVID-19 combined treatment of Chinese herbal medicine.

Are herbal medicines alone or in combination for diabetic peripheral neuropathy more effective than methylcobalamin alone? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and purposeIn Asian countries, herbal medicines have been used to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) as an adjunctive therapy. This review aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of herbal medicines for the treatment of DPN. MethodsA literature search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, Scopus, CINAHL, CNKI, DBPIA, and OASIS for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of herbal medicines on DPN. The oral methylcobalamin administered group was selected as the control. The primary outcome measure was nerve conduction velocity (NCV), and the secondary outcome measure was the total efficacy rate (TER). The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. A meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4.1 software. ResultsSeventy-two RCTs with a total of 6260 patients were included. The meta-analysis showed that herbal medicine and co-administration of herbal medicine and methylcobalamin (CHM) treatment for DPN significantly increased the sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) of the median and common peroneal nerves than methylcobalamin treatment alone. Herbal medicine and CHM treatment for DPN also significantly improved the TER compared to the control group. Herbal medicine and CHM treatment was found to be relatively safe. ConclusionOur study suggests that herbal medicine and CHM might be more effective than methylcobalamin alone in the management of DPN. Further rigorous studies should be conducted to make more definite conclusions.

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Treatment for Neck Pain and Cervical Disc Disease: A Retrospective Study in 42 Dogs

Cervical intervertebral disc disease accounts for 12.9-25% incidence of intervertebral diseases in dogs. This retrospective cohort study compared the efficacy of conventional treatment to traditional Chinese veterinary medicine (TCVM) for neck pain and/or cervical disc disease (CDD). Medical records were collected on 42 dogs that exhibited one or more of the following clinical signs: cervical pain, cervical stiffness, decreased range of motion of neck, hemiparesis or tetraparesis. Qualified cases were classified into a TCVM Treatment Group (n=31) using acupuncture/Chinese herbal medicine or a Control Treatment Group (n=11) using corticosteroids/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). For each subject, assessment scores in cervical pain, stiffness, range of motion, neurological deficits and front limb lameness before and after 4 treatments were reviewed. The sum of all 5 clinical scores (overall improvement) was used as the final treatment outcome measurement for group comparisons. No statistically significant group differences were found in sex, age, weight and pre-treatment overall clinical score (p&gt;0.05). The Control Group had an overall pre-treatment score (M±SD) of 8.36±3.07, which significantly improved (decreased) to 4.91±3.73 after completing the treatments (p=0.006). The TCVM Group’s overall score (M±SD) improved from 9.39±3.13 to 1.23±0.72 (p=9.3×10-10). The improvement in the TCVM Group was significantly greater than the Control Group (p=0.00004). The results from this retrospective study suggest that, while both treatment schemes can improve clinical signs of cervical pain and/or cervical disc disease in dogs, the TCVM treatment has the potential for superiority to conventional medical treatment.