Traditional Chinese Medicine - Introduction

Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Pressure from the payers in developed markets with publicly funded healthcare plans to curb drug spending growth, patent expiries, the entry of lower-cost alternatives and declining growth rates in developed markets are major challenges the global pharmaceutical market faces. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry's research and development programs have to adjust to the broad availability of low-cost generic options in many chronic therapy areas. Higher growth will occur in therapy areas with significant unmet clinical need, high-cost burden of disease, and innovative science that can bring new treatment options to patients.

IMS Health, an international consulting firm servicing the pharmaceutical industry, reports that the market reached a size of US$837 billion in 2009. Whilst emerging markets are expected to grow at a 14 - 17 percent rate, developed markets will only grow by 3 - 6 percent. The U.S. will remain the single largest market, with 3 - 6 percent growth expected annually in the next five years and reaching US$360 - US$390 billion in 2014.

China is not only assessed to become the world's third-largest market in 2011, it also fuels the gross output of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which has been growing at a pace faster than the average rate of the entire pharmaceutical industry. In 2008, the size of the TCM market was about US$26 billion and the yields totaled 1.2 million tons. By November 2009, the cumulative sales value of the TCM industry increased by 23 percent and amounted to RMB 222.166 billion, approximately US$32 billion.

Xinhua News Agency reported that in 2006 China exported traditional Chinese medicine to 164 countries and regions around the world, with export earnings reaching an all-time high of US$830 million. The export earnings represented a 14.5 percent increase from the previous year.

The implementation of the new medical reform as well as the launch of the Project of the Developing Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry stressed the backup and promotion of the TCM industry from the Chinese government. TCM is gaining on popularity for the environmentally friendly and holistic and alternative way of therapy it represents.

TCM Going Global

In 2006, more than 3,000 clinics of traditional Chinese medicine have been opened in Britain. Some 2.5 million British people spend a total of 90 million pounds annually to receive treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, including Chinese herbal medicine, massage and acupuncture. In France, there are 2,600 clinics of traditional Chinese medicine with 7,000 to 9,000 acupuncturists.
The United States has more than 20,000 traditional Chinese acupuncturists and 400 companies specializing in the sale of Chinese herbal medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Demystified - History and Philosophy

To find the origins of TCM we have to go back in time. Way back, into ancient history. Into the China of over 2,000 years ago and entering the mythical world of Fu Xi, Shen Nong and Huang Di, three legendary rulers.

Fu Xi created the Book of Changes and developed the trigrams of Yi Jing (I Ching). Trigrams are eight diagrams used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts (Heaven, Lake, Fire, Thunder, Wind, Water, Mountain, and Earth). Each consists of three lines, each line either "broken" or "unbroken," representing yin or yang, respectively.

Medicine is For Veterinary

Sunday, October 28, 2012
Medicine that falls under the Fluoroquinolone class of antimicrobial anti-infective pet medications. It is manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Baytril meds and other pet medication were a huge development in the veterinary field as they are very effective and easy to use. Earlier it was difficult to treat bacteria like Pseudomona. It is a medicine suggested or prescribe by veterinarians to treat various number of infections in dogs and cat. In dogs and cat it is used to treat problem like respiratory, urinary tract infections and digestive problem. Baytril is also recommended by veterinarians for the treatment of skin, wound infections and ear problem as well.

Baytril is a medicine that falls under the Fluoroquinolone class of antimicrobial anti-infective pet medications. It is manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Baytril meds and other pet medication were a huge development in the veterinary field as they are very effective and easy to use. Earlier it was difficult to treat bacteria like Pseudomona. It is a medicine suggested or prescribe by veterinarians to treat various number of infections in dogs and cat. In dogs and cat it is used to treat problem like respiratory, urinary tract infections and digestive problem. Baytril is also recommended by veterinarians for the treatment of skin, wound infections and ear problem as well.

Baytril is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of espiratory, urinary tract infections and digestive problem in cats and dogs. Its main ingredient is Enrofloxacin. This medication is available in form of eye drops and by generic name. This medicine is for Veterinary use only. Keep it away from the reach of the children. Before using this medication on your pet you should know full information about the medicine including its side effect too. If your pet is pregnant or nursing you should not use Baytril in that case. You should avoid using Baytril in pet suffering from fits. Make sure that you give or provide dose of the medicine as prescribe by the veterinarian to avoid inside damage. This medicine is a eye drop used in cats and dog. It is available in form of eye drop, tablets and injections.

This medication is for veterinary use. Use this medicine as suggested and directed by the vet. All medicine has some common to serious side effect. Baytril also has some side effect such as vomiting and stomach upset due to overdose, cartilage can damage in small puppies, can produce crystals in the urine. You should inform your vet if you are using any other medicine on your pet to avoid any side effect. Inform your vet if you are using Sucralfate, Theophylline, Cyclosporine and any medicine contains zinc and magnesium to avoid any interaction with Baytril in your pet. The recommended dosage for this medicine is about 5-10 drops, every 11-12 hours for 2 weeks. Do not increase or decrease the dose of the medicine on your own as it may lead to serious side effect.

Medicine For Hemorrhoids

Monday, October 15, 2012
When the bleeding becomes severe and when the bleeding does not stop or cannot be stopped, a lot of blood can be lost that could then lead to anemia.

The condition as with any other condition will then need immediate medical attention. There are several hemorrhoid medicines in the market today that is readily available in the market today. Hemorrhoid medicine varies in its price, contents and dosages.

Since the symptoms of internal hemorrhoid are not obvious most of the time, people cannot notice or tend to ignore these conditions. Given the fact that it may come unnoticed, the affected areas may become infected due to the fact that they do not know that there is a condition that needs to be treated immediately. It is therefore advised to seek immediate medical attention if you notice that there is bleeding that is happening. The doctor will then give you immediate medical attention and will give you prescription medicines.

The medication may contain natural contents or chemical contents, you must be sure to know what your preferences are that is more suitable to your needs. These hemorrhoid medicines are formulated to stop the bleeding. You can opt for chemically formulated medications together with creams, ointments, pads, injections, suppositories, balms and oils. Or you may prefer to use an all natural medication that can be prepared at the comfort of your own home.

This hemorrhoid medicine provides quick relief for your pains and cannot be considered as a long term solution to your condition. During cases of emergency, you must have in hand an antiseptic and a petroleum jelly within your reach.

Majority of these medications are effective and can have chemicals or natural ingredients. They primarily work as quick relief and not as long term answer for your hemorrhoids. A patient who is suffering with bleeding hemorrhoid or even the external type of hemorrhoid should always keep antiseptics and petroleum jelly in handy during cases of emergency.

Natural Medicine in the 21st Century

Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Natural medicine is sometimes referred to as alternative medicine. Whatever one may choose to call it, natural medicine operates under a totally different philosophy from conventional forms of medicine. (Shui, 2008) While conventional treatments usually focus on treating an individual by checking on their respective symptoms, natural medicine takes a more holistic approach to the issue. The essay shall examine natural medicine in relation to evidence based practice.
How natural medicine draws on research from all levels of evidence to understand its place in 21st Century evidence based practice
In the United Kingdom, natural medicine has accounted for a large proportion of treatments. Some patients opt for acupuncture; others resort to botanical treatments while others choose to pursue other forms of treatment. Many people are in fact catching up with the trend rather than pushing it to the periphery. For purposes of this essay, more emphasis will be given to botanical treatment in Native American Indian Medicine as an example of a modality used in natural medicine.

There are a number of social, economical and environmental reasons that could be causing this paradigm shift. The first reason is that conventional medicine does not have a cure for everything. There are plenty of diseases that can be treated effectively using natural medicine yet the same may not be said of conventional medicine. ( Gregor, 2002)
The other reason why natural medicine is slowly becoming a viable alternative is linked to the economic situation. In the United Kingdom, the health care system is managed by the NHS. The latter group has concentrated a lot of effort in ensuring that the population's heath care needs are adequately catered for. Nonetheless, certain challenges inherent in a centrally managed health care system exist. First of all, not all patients can access the health care that they need. For instance, surgical procedures involving organ transplants are limited to certain demographic groups i.e. the young due to shortage of resources.

Additionally, some conditions may be given preference over others. Furthermore, health policies do not cover immigrants. In the end, it is the populace that suffers because the cost of heath care is too high especially for the latter mentioned group. In response to the problems inherent in conventional medicine, people are looking for alternatives that can allow them to seek medical care at affordable price and also in sobering environments. This has caused them to consider herbal solutions. (Ahten, 2007)
Natural medicine has secured a place in twenty first evidence based practice because a large amount of mainstream medicines are actually derived from conventional medicines.

This is a fact that people within the European continent have discovered thus drawing them to that area. Statistics released by the World Health Organisation indicated that seventy percent of mainstream medicines emanate from plants that were used in the same manner in the traditional setting such as the in the Native American Indian culture or the African culture. As if this is not enough, a substantial number of pharmaceuticals are dedicating their time and resources towards creation of drugs obtained from plant derivatives in rainforests that were initially used by traditional medicine healers. If mainstream companies are looking for botanical solutions, then patients have asked themselves why they should wait for the product to be extracted. People have decided to go to the source directly and have thus found out that they can benefit from those respective modalities.