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Traditional Chinese Medicine, a Form of Treatment

Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM has been publicized as one of the natural cures for diabetes. I have undertaken many a research, and found that the truth is that TCM is not really a form of treatment for diabetes. It does something good though because it helps produce the best result in allowing the body to perform in as normal state as possible. However, more research is needed to validate the good effects the TCM does for the body.

The foundation of TCM is that there is an interdependence of two main beliefs, the yin and the yang in every human being. It is believed that diabetes mellitus is the product of the imbalance of the yin due to some issues. Mental and physical fatigue, improper food consumption, emotional problems and other diseases have made the yin deficient. This prompted the effort to look for natural cures for diabetes.

Nurturing the yin is vital and the challenge is how to accomplish this goal. The Chinese practitioners prescribe natural cures for diabetes. They prescribe such things as Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati, Radix Trichosanthis, Raw Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Scrophulariae, Raw Gypsum Fibrosum, and Radix Glehniae, to name only a few.

For us the practice of Western Medicine is more acceptable. The physiology and anatomy for example are more precise but those who believe in TCM think it has advantages over the Western Medicine. There is a variety of treatment available in TCM. They are also proud to add that the medicines prescribed by the Chinese practitioners have no known lethal side effects. The natural cures for diabetes in TCM they think has the upper hand in this case.

Anyway, in order for the treatment to be effective, the TCM practitioners believe that a person should be looked upon as a whole being with his body and spirit all rolled into one. That is why they stress the treatment of the whole person. They look for the source of the illness and try to treat the whole person. They are so specifically trained to do this healing approach that it may be what other diabetics need who have not done well with the Western treatment.

Let me show you an example. What do we do when a patient goes on a hyperglycemic state? We usually prescribe hypoglycemic pills and an insulin injection to stabilize the blood sugar level. The TCM practitioners argue that this does not consider the problem of the islets of Langerhans so much so that when the drugs are stopped the blood glucose level will go on a roller coaster ride again. Why? Because the issue of the islets of Langerhans responsible for the production of insulin has not been addressed. Therefore it is still not functioning properly.

Now let us look at what the Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners do. They use Chinese medicinal drugs to find out why is the condition such. They will try to correct the cause of the problem. They will also attempt to make the insulin factor do its job.

TCM can also help the diabetics in other ways like managing their lipids. Knowing that the bile has a role in the mixture of insulin, they will attempt to help the patient so that the bile can function in a regular manner. Malfunctioning in this affects the manufacture of insulin.

Combining the two and making the best of the worlds of Western Medicine and TCM may benefit the patient. The physician and the TCM practitioner who choose to put together the two types of treatment know it is crucial to monitor the blood glucose level closely. They can both check the possible side effects of the treatment.

The most important thing to consider is to give the best possible care for the diabetics. It is good to keep an open mind so we can check all the options available keeping in mind the first thing to do is to do no harm. That is our first and foremost goal. For the best treatment is the best care we can give.

Roger Guzman, M.D. was Director of Forensic Psychiatry at Centracare for ten years and published numerous articles in the Journal of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry and other medical magazines. For more information, please visit: Diabetes Treatment

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Diabetes TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine