Traditional Chinese Therapy May Help Ease Eczema

[Celebration]

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/03/14/traditional-chinese-therapy-may-help-ease-eczema.html

SATURDAY, March 14 (HealthDay News) -- Certain traditional Chinese medicine, including tea and acupuncture, may safely and effectively help treat chronic eczema, a new report finds.

Use of Erka Shizheng Herbal Tea, a bath additive, creams and acupuncture over eight months greatly reduced the severity of the itchy, red skin condition and improved the quality of life of 14 atopic dermatitis (eczema) patients studied by researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. The patients received the treatment at a Manhattan center for natural health.

All but one patient saw at least a 60 percent improvement in eczema severity, based on standard rating scales to measure disease activity, after a little more than three months of treatment. All but one also experienced a 50 percent increase in a quality-of-life questionnaire after about two and a half months of treatment.

The use of steroids, antibiotics and antihistamines by the patients also greatly decreased within 3 months of starting the traditional Chinese medicine. No abnormalities of liver and kidney function were found.

[babylonsister]

1. 60% Wow.

I had a principal years ago who had eczema, and I'm sure it was uncomfortable. Plus it's a very noticeable skin disease.

This sounds good.

[Sgent]

2. Arghh......

They used at least 3 modalities, not double blinded... It was a waste of time to even write it up. You can't figure out if something works if you have (at least) three dependent variables (acupuncture, creams, bath additives).

Hopefully they will take this and start doing something useful with it.

[Celebration]

3. well, one or all of the three things appeared to work

Probably didn't have any money for a control group.......

It's useful, up to a point. Since none of them seem to have much potential for side effects, and they are probably not that expensive, I might try the combo if I had the problem.