Fundamentals of TCM

Development Plan of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Medical and Research Center

Through thousands of years, Chinese medicine has developed its own theoretical system from clinical experience, which is not only important for maintaining health of human beings, but also serve as a significant part in medical development. With an increasingly understanding towards Chinese medicine from around the world, it is having a bigger influence in supporting the health for the world citizen, and is already recognized in over hundreds of countries and states. In the year of 2009, 67% of Swiss citizen voted for Chinese Medicine as one of the five recognized complementary medicine, which is covered by the supplementary health insurance in Switzerland. In 2015, Chinese medicine became a part of registered natural medicine diploma and it is required to take a registration test in order to become a Chinese medicine therapist. These acts help the development of Chinese medicine in Switzerland as well as in Europe.

Since then, Chinese Medicine has a quick development in Switzerland, there are always a couple of clinic providing Chinese Medicine therapy in every city even in small town, and thousands of people are now working in this industry in Switzerland. However, there are also challenges ahead of the Chinese Medicine development, namely the high variation of qualification of those working in the industry, the education level of the therapist, lack of systematic administration, cultural barrier, financial obstacle, Chinese Medicine is not yet a part of higher education program in Switzerland.

With the promotion of “The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21^st Century Maritime Silk Road” (“Belt & Road”, or “B&R” in short) development plan from Chinese government, according to the Chinese Medicine B&R Development Plan (2016-2020), setting up a Chinese medicine research and development center in Switzerland could promote the communication and cooperation in integrative medicine, strengthen the research of integrative medicine in Switzerland, encourage the advance of technology in Chinese medicine and contribute to the health service in Switzerland and the wider region in Europe.

Major Component

 

1. The Platform

 

With Dr Dong SA as the center of collaboration, technical and other supports from La Tour Medical Group, University of Geneva and its associated hospital, and under the lead of Prof. DONG Hongguang, setting up an integrative medical center which provide clinical service, education, research and development for medicine. It would become the center of Chinese and western integrative medical in treatment, scientific research, academic exchange and medical personal training in Switzerland, and become the model of research based medical and educational center. With contributions of experience from one of the best Chinese medical college, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine and its associated hospital, we developed the module of research based medical service which contribute back to research. The main components of our integrative medicine are: supportive care in cancer treatment, sports medicine, pain management and reproductive health.

 

Our aim is to enable the bilateral exchange between both the Chinese and Swiss medical school and hospital, promote regular knowledge exchange and visit, exchange of visiting profession to hold conference and symposia, with the vision in training and nurturing high-quality talent for the field of Chinese medicine in Switzerland.

 

2. Clinical and Research Center: using Dr Dong Clinic as main center and construct the role model of hospital

 

Collaborating with Chinese medicine hospital in China to setup an integrative medical center, we intend to be the role model of integrative medicine, providing excellent service, quality and reliable specialist treatment, with the mission of promoting the understanding of Chinese medicine therapeutic method to medical practitioners as well as layman in Switzerland and Europe. We are also aim at providing support for medical student in University of Geneva as a training and practical center, as well as those who are already working in the field of Chinese medicine for further education.

Through integration of different therapeutic method and multidisciplinary collaboration, constructing a systemic approach on diagnosis, evaluation and treatment, and composing a guideline in integrative medicine, in order to provide early diagnosis and quality treatment of disease.

 

3. Emphasize on four major area 

 

1. Supportive care in cancer treatment

World Health Organization (WHO) has raised 3 “one-third”: 1/3 of cancer is preventable, 1/3 of cancer is curable, and 1/3 of cancer sufferer can have a better quality of life and prolonged the life expectancy. The treatment process of cancer is always complex, complicated and individual. In additional to routine treatment, Chinese medicine could play a major role in handling cancer because of its individuality, which could be well integrated with western medicine.

 

1. Perioperative support in Chinese medicine

After the radical operation of tumor resection, most patients need further chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment. Chinese medicine is useful in enabling the patient to have a better condition to receive Chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

 

2. Integrating Chinese medicine into chemotherapy or radiotherapy

Chemotherapy or radiotherapy is necessary for post operated cancer patients, yet they bring a lot of side effects. Patient suffer from the side effect may lead to discontinuation or abandon the treatment. Chinese herbal medicine could help not only improve the side effect from chemo or radiotherapy such as fatigue, sweating or anorexia, but also tackle chemo or radiotherapy related problem which is not yet solvable in modern medicine. Therefore, integrating Chinese herbal medicine with chemo or radiotherapy could bring a better result than using either method alone.

 

3. Maintenance therapy and Chinese medicine

In modern medicine, the use of maintenance therapy to slow the growth of advanced cancer could prolong the patient’s life, which suit the idea of “co-living with cancer” in Chinese medicine. There is already long-used method in Chinese medicine to suppress growth of cancer and promote the health condition together, which could be well integrate with the maintenance therapy and boost the therapeutic effect.

 

4. Integrative therapy to improve quality of life 

Chinese medicine could improve the quality of life of the cancer patient of any stage, reducing pain and other cancer related symptom, as well as prolong the life expectancy. Chinese medicine is a symptom based medicine which is effective in reducing symptom, thus improve the life quality.

 

5. Diet control

For patients in different stage of cancer recovery, controlling the dietary component according to Chinese medicine theory could help the recovery and reduce the chance of remittance.

 

2. Sport injuries and sport medicine

Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, tuina and herbal product is widely used in the field of sports medicine. Research shown that these could help relieving muscle fatigue, tackle musculoskeletal injuries and speed up sports recovering, which is also widely used in elite sport professional in china.

 

1. Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture

Acupuncture could strengthen the immune system of sport professional, increase their immunity against diseases and increase their tolerance of training, prevent infectious disease, and prevent overtraining. Herbal medicine, moxibustion and tuina could help increasing the performance of sport professional. By using these legal and scientific method to adjust the body of athletics could help them ready to get into fitness, increase the performance and get a better result during competition.

 

2. Herbal infusion

Chinese herbal infusion could boost the circulation, remove toxin and relax muscle; the steam from herbal infusion provide the warmth which is one of the important therapeutic effect in reducing inflammation. Herbal infusion could be adsorbed from the skin, and trigger the blood circulation around the site to relieve muscle tension. The warmth from the steam could also increase the pain threshold, reduce stimulation to nerve ending around the site, relieving muscle, tendon and ligament tension or stiffness, and thus relieving pain. Moreover, the increase of temperature on the skin could increase the temperature in surrounding tissue and lead to vasodilation, which could also increase blood circulation and activate macrophage system, thus reducing the inflammatory substance or the accumulation of metabolite, speed up the recovery of soft tissue and reduce edema. The herbs use in herbal infusion are mostly contain volatile substance, which can be easily absorbed with the help of heat. These substances could reduce the inflammatory metabolite and work collectively to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Chinese herbal infusion is allowed by International Olympic Committee as a type of rehabilitation therapy.

 

3. Herbal medicine for external use

Applying herbs on skin for external use is effective by penetration and absorption effect of herbs, and thus activate the acupoint. Such method could direct or indirect stimulation the body and restore the balance of hormone. The herbs apply on the skin are mainly for stimulating blood circulation, activating meridians and flow of energy, thus restore the balance inside the body. This method could be used in acute or chronic sport injuries, which is cost effective, easy to apply and having minimal side effect. It could be widely use in different kind of sport injuries.

 

4. Tuina

Tuina can be apply before, during or after sport for relieving fatigue. This therapeutic technique can directly act on fatigue muscle, thus promoting energy flow and circulation. Having an immediate effect on relieving symptoms and fatigue, it could help the sportsman to sustain under demanding training.

 

5. Integrative treatment for acute or chronic sport injuries

Acupuncture could relieve fatigue from sport training; Combining acupuncture and tuina in treating joint sprain bring a better result than using either method alone; external application of herbal medicine could increase local circulation and reduce swelling on applied area, turning it into spray product could have a cooling effect which further reduce swelling and increase the absorption of herbs. Combining all these methods could increase the therapeutic effect than using any of them alone.

 

3. Pain management

In China, there is long history of using herbal medicine, acupuncture, cupping, tuina and herbal infusion in pain management. These therapeutic technique is effective in acute or chronic musculoskeletal related pain, neuropathic pain and other pain related problem. In combine with modern therapeutic technique, we offer a wide range of treatment in pain related disorders.

 

4. Reproductive health

Europe is the continent with the lowest fertility rate. The use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) is recommend but the success rate is still a big issue. Chinese medicine is effective in assisting fertility rate for ART and it is also effective for both male and female reproductive problem.

 

4. Scientific research

Explore the possibility in combining the theoretical and clinical knowledge in integrative medicine with the collaboration between University of Geneva, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine and research center, thus promoting interdisciplinary academic exchange and strengthening the scientific research in both theoretical and clinical aspect in Chinese medicine. The areas of interest are namely: Integration between Chinese and western medicine into routine clinical practice; Diseases having better result by using integrative medicine than either Chinese or western medicine alone; Active ingredients inside OTC Chinese medicine; Possibility of new Chinese medicine combination; Preventive medicine in theoretical and clinical aspect of Chinese medicine. We are ambitious in setting up a guideline in integrative medicine, using both modern technology and Chinese medicine therapeutic technique in diagnosis and prescription.

 

5. Education

Training and nurturing Chinese medicine professional and academic exchange

 

The cooperation between Switzerland and Chinese in medical research enables the academic exchange between two countries, which could further support the research and education in the field of Chinese medicine, and establish the possibility of higher education of Chinese medicine in the University of Geneva. Our first priority is to recruit Chinese medicine lecturer and profession, building up a team of expertise and outline the course structure of higher education program in Chinese medicine. With supports from partnering Chinese medicine university from China, conducting bilateral visiting or academic exchange program for student and research scientist. We would also conduct popular science education about Chinese medicine for European citizen by organizing exhibition and seminar for layman. Our objective is to become the center of research and development in the field of Chinese medicine in Europe.