Joint scientific research drives traditional Chinesemedicine westward

%3CP%20align%3Dcenter%3E%3CIMG%20border%3D0%20src%3D%22/new_maoyi_en/cn/admin/news/NewsFile/-1/2016725145919132.jpg%22%20width%3D500%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EStudents%20practise%20point%20massage%2C%20a%20traditional%20Chinese%20medical%20care%20solution%20to%20relieve%20patients%27%20headache%20during%20a%20TCM%20training%20in%20Chengdu%2C%20Sichuan%20province.%20%5BPhoto/China%20Daily%5D%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EHow%20often%20is%20acupuncture%20applied%20in%20pain%20treatment%3F%20How%20effective%20is%20traditional%20Chinese%20medicine%20in%20infertility%20treatment%3F%20Such%20questions%20were%20passed%20by%20doctors%20from%20Hanover%20Medical%20School%20to%20a%20delegation%20of%20TCM%20experts%20from%20China%20earlier%20this%20month.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20delegation%20from%20the%20China%20Academy%20of%20Chinese%20Medical%20Sciences%20paid%20a%20visit%20to%20Hanover%20Medical%20School%20for%20TCM%20cooperation%20with%20Germany%20where%20they%20discussed%20academic%20research%20and%20clinical%20practice%20in%20areas%20including%20pain%20treatment%2C%20gynecological%20diseases%2C%20and%20rehabilitation%20therapy.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EBoth%20academic%20institutions%20plan%20to%20explore%20scientific%20TCM%20research%20with%20concerted%20efforts%20in%20areas%20such%20as%20kidney%20disease%2C%20hypertension%2C%20gynecological%20diseases%2C%20and%20pain%20treatment%2C%20as%20well%20as%20training%20and%20exchange%20programs%20of%20medical%20personnel%20in%20TCM.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EZhang%20Boli%2C%20the%20president%20of%20CACMS%2C%20said%20that%20the%20international%20cooperation%20was%20an%20effective%20way%20to%20promote%20TCM%20development%20and%20introduce%20China%27s%20TCM%20research%20achievements%20to%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20world.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAt%20the%20same%20time%2C%20advanced%20technologies%20in%20other%20countries%20could%20be%20used%20to%20work%20towards%20the%20modernization%20of%20TCM.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20delegation%2C%20headed%20by%20Boli%2C%20was%20here%20to%20implement%20a%20memorandum%20of%20cooperation%20signed%20with%20MHH%20during%20German%20Chancellor%20Angela%20Merkel%27s%20visit%20to%20China%20in%20June.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EZhang%20said%20the%20medical%20community%20in%20Europe%20was%20gaining%20deeper%20insight%20into%20TCM.%20%22I%20notice%20such%20a%20trend.%20In%20the%20past%2C%20TCM%20conferences%20in%20Europe%20were%20mostly%20attended%20by%20Chinese%2C%20but%20now%2C%20things%20have%20changed%3B%20most%20of%20attendees%20are%20Europeans.%22%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22An%20increasing%20number%20of%20German%20doctors%20are%20beginning%20to%20accept%20TCM%2C%22%20Liu%20Yang%2C%20project%20representative%20of%20the%20German%20Association%20of%20TCM%20said.%20%22If%20Western%20medicine%20does%20not%20work%20in%20some%20cases%2C%20they%20would%20seek%20help%20from%20TCM.%22%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EOwing%20to%20Germany%27s%20import%20restrictions%20on%20Chinese%20herbal%20medicine%2C%20acupuncture%20plays%20a%20key%20role%20in%20TCM%20therapy%20in%20Germany.%20Currently%2C%20the%20German%20Doctors%27%20Association%20for%20Acupuncture%20headquartered%20in%20Munich%20has%20over%208%2C700%20members.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22At%20least%209%2C000%20practitioners%20of%20Western%20medicine%20with%20prescription%20rights%20are%20applying%20acupuncture%20as%20a%20therapy%20in%20Germany%2C%22%20said%20Zheng%20Wen%2C%20a%20gynecologist%20of%20Hanover%20Medical%20School.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EZheng%20has%20been%20treating%20patients%20using%20acupuncture%20for%20over%20five%20years.%20As%20the%20number%20of%20patients%20has%20risen%2C%20her%20work%20time%20has%20increased%20from%20half%20a%20day%20per%20week%20to%20five%20days%20per%20week%20and%20she%20now%20has%20a%20room%20set%20up%20exclusively%20for%20TCM.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EHowever%2C%20it%20is%20still%20a%20great%20challenge%20for%20TCM%20to%20gain%20full%20recognition%20from%20the%20medical%20community%20in%20Germany.%20Despite%20a%20huge%20number%20of%20successful%20clinical%20cases%2C%20the%20theory%20behind%20it%20still%20remains%20inexplicable%20to%20Western%20science.%20%22This%20is%20one%20of%20the%20hurdles%20in%20the%20way%20of%20TCM%20development%20in%20Germany%20and%20one%20immediate%20consequence%20is%20the%20exclusion%20of%20TCM%20from%20the%20medical%20insurance%20system.%22%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAt%20present%2C%20medical%20insurance%20companies%20in%20Germany%20only%20cover%20acupuncture%20fees%20for%20knee%20pain%20and%20back%20pain%20treatment.%20All%20other%20TCM%20treatments%20must%20be%20paid%20for%20by%20the%20patients%20themselves.%20Therefore%2C%20TCM%20can%20be%20too%20costly%20for%20Germans%20whose%20Western%20medical%20treatments%20are%20usually%20fully%20covered%20by%20insurance.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EZheng%20said%20cooperation%20with%20top%20medical%20schools%20and%20universities%20on%20scientific%20research%20could%20help%20boost%20the%20general%20recognition%20of%20TCM.%20Both%20sides%20can%20start%20with%20areas%20where%20TCM%20demonstrates%20good%20curative%20effects%20in%20clinical%20practices.%20Joint%20efforts%20should%20be%20made%20to%20conduct%20research%20on%20the%20functioning%20mechanisms%20behind%20it%20and%20publish%20related%20academic%20papers.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22TCM%20boasts%20a%20long%20history%20of%20development.%20In%20many%20cases%2C%20how%20it%20works%20cannot%20be%20explained.%20Through%20cooperation%20from%20both%20sides%2C%20we%20may%20have%20some%20new%20findings%2C%22%20said%20Christopher%20Baum%2C%20the%20president%20of%20MHH.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%3CBR%3E%28China%20Daily%29%3CBR%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E