ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES

TCM has been evolving for over 3000 years. Like Western medicine TCM has a sophisticated and internally logical methodology which allows the process of diagnosis and treatment to be applied systematically. TCM treatments will vary according to the state of the individual patient, although there are broad based herbal formulae for general complaints. In the field of substance misuse TCM is most associated with the treatment of chronic liver conditions, in particular the treatment of those with hepatitis C. There is in fact a complete chapter dedicated to TCM in Matthew Dolan's Hepatitis C handbook (Dolan M, 1998).

There has been little research into the efficacy of combining TCM with mainstream medicine. The medical profession seems generally resistant to this avenue of approach and appears to be reluctant to conduct clinical trials. This may be partly due to the cost and the fact that herbalists are not in a financial position to underwrite such trials in the same way that drug companies do for medicines. However there are some encouraging signs: doctors at two central London hospitals are now trying to set up trials into standardised adjunct Chinese Herbal Therapy for patients taking interferon and interferon plus ribavirin (Dolan M, 1998). TCM can also be used to treat many other residual health problems associated with long term substance misuse as well as providing herbal remedies for detox, and cessation of cravings.

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The above information is copyright of Dr Bruce Trathen MBBS MRCPsych (2006). ISBN 0-9545164-0-0. The author grants permission for these guidelines to be downloaded, copied and distributed freely, but does not grant permission for their sale.