Acupuncture Can Cure 461 Diseases: Expert

Chinese acupuncture can cure 461 diseases, said an expert with Chinese Acupuncture Clinic Research Center in north China's Tianjin Municipality.

Du Yuanhao, 43-year-old doctor, gave the conclusion after four-year's study on the acupuncture functions together with his team.

According to Du's findings, most of the diseases to which acupuncture is effective are in the nervous system, the digestive system, the genitourinary system, muscles, bones and skins, such as stroke, diarrhea, enteritis, dementia and skin rashes.

The points for acupuncture are in flesh, and that is why the treatment can be effective to diseases in muscles and skins, Du said. "Besides, points are rich in nerves. Thus it can also cure diseases in the nervous system and other systems whose functions are directly controlled by nerves."

Although acupuncture is convenient and with less side effects compared with other forms of medical treatment, it couldn't cure every disease. As for these 461 diseases, Du noted, its effects are different.

The professor is now working at classification for the 461 diseases. "I am going to categorize them into three levels -- those could be cured solely by acupuncture, those to which acupuncture is the major treatment and those with acupuncture as assisting treatment.

Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine with a history of over 2,000 years. It involves insertion of fine metallic needles on the body to relieve pain and cure diseases.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2006)   http://www.china.org.cn/english/health/184395.htm

In the same news site I also found another article which relates how the government is lowering the cost of drugs because it it is too expensive for people !

Nothing like that around here, is there !

Price Caps Extend to TCM Used on Tumors

The central government has capped the retail price of 32 traditional Chinese medicines used to treat tumors.

The National Development and Reform Commission said the cap, involving 117 specifications of medicine, will be implemented on Monday.

Medical institutions are limited to a 15 percent surcharge.

Analysts said frequent price cuts aiming to make medicines more accessible affect many pharmaceutical companies' profits, but help big companies with good-quality of medicine.

"This time the average price cut is 25 to 30 percent," said Wang Youhong, an analyst from Haitong Securities.

"The price regulation used to be limited to chemical medicines, but has now been extended to almost all other sectors including traditional Chinese medicine."

Wang said some major pharmaceutical companies would maintain high profits on brand products.

The new rules allow some good-quality medicine to be sold at higher prices than common medicine of the same type.

The regulated price of Compound Mylabris Capsules of Chongqing Hilan Pharmaceutical Company is 180 yuan (US$22.50), 19 percent above that for other such capsules.

This is the 20th time the government has cut drug prices, responding to public complaints about the cost of drugs and medical services.

In June, the government cut the retail prices of 67 drugs used for treating cancer by between 23 percent and 57 percent.

And in August, the commission reduced prices an average 30 percent for more than 400 preparations, which affected 100 types of anti-microbial drugs.

Wang said price cuts are expected to continue because the government wants to reduce the medical burden on citizens.

(Shanghai Daily November 16, 2006)   http://www.china.org.cn/english/health/189266.htm