Zhongnanhai

I'm Chinese and sometimes I have the same feelings as you. The Traditional Chinese Medicine works very slowly. But, it does work. I remember I had a serious coughing (must be from the pollution) and tried a lot of medication with no use. By a friend's recommendation, I started taking a local coughing syrup and it worked, slowly but worked. TCM is not always as quick and effective as the "Western Medicine" (aka Xi Yao in Chinese) but with all the natural herbs and recipes, and all the fancy stories I’ve heard, I believe it works…

All the parts of TCM that have been proven to work in proper double-blind trials have already been integrated into Western medicine (and more effectively, with standardized doses of the active ingredients instead of mashed up herbs). Anything that's left is just placebos or worse.

For a cold I will usually take Chinese medicine over Western medicine, and yes it does work. It is generally slower to act than Western medicine, but some of the Chinese medicines I and others I know have tried kick in really fast. And sometimes they come with quite a quick, indeed. As Ron Frost points out, many Chinese medicines have been scientificalised and adopted into Western medicine. That's because they work. However, the process has only just begun and there is a lot more research to be done into Chinese medicine. Or put it this way: thousands of years of trial and error, and Chinese people aren't all rushing to abandon Chinese medicine. There must be something good in it.

Of course, one must also remember that different people respond to different medicines in different ways. The same is true for Western medicine. Tylenol might effectively kill a cold for you, and have no effect on me whatsoever.

I don't want to take shots at Chinese medicine, because anything that has survived centuries must be of some value.

However Chriswaugh and Justin both said that it takes a long time for Chinese medicine to be effective. I'm thinking even if I don't take any medicine, over a period of time my health will still improve. So how do you know it's the medicine that's helping?

http://www.center-of-chinese-medicine.com/html/uk/Pyram-uk.htm

If this is anything to go by its a crock of BS!

My girlfriend is Chinese and she is so lovely but sometimes I am worried at her naivity on medical and other issues, I think the education system leaves alot to be desired in some areas of China. I am worried for China's people who may be manipulated by more advanced world/people if the government keeps controlling the information. Freedom of information is essencial to a countries growth, and health. I am going to China next year and will see for myself what its like. BTW when I say "more advanced" I mean from a knowledge perspective only.

My GF is from a Rural area in northern China, and I'm sure I could easily con all the money from the locals if they had any, though they must be getting used to charletans by now.

I can sniff some voodoo a mile away, its built in. I will do my best to stamp it out where ever I go, and I will never use knowledge to manipulate anyone, only to educate those want to listen.

However, I know some of the herbs that have been found by chinese doctors contains real active ingredients, like that one used against malaria.

But I'm am very sceptical unless I can build a scientific argument for why something is effective, or there is a overwhelming rate of success of the medicine or practice. Things like pyramid power are ridiculous and insulting in the year 2007.

Thanks,

Greg