Johannah Shergis - Evidence-based Clinical Chinese Medicine - Volume 7: Insomnia

Evidence-based Clinical Chinese Medicine

Print ISSN: 2529-7562
Online ISSN: 2529-7554

Series Co Editors-in-Chief

Charlie Changli Xue(RMIT University, Australia)
Chuanjian Lu(Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, China)

Published

Vol. 8Alzheimers Disease
Lead Authors: Brian May & Mei Feng

Vol. 7Insomnia
Lead Authors: Johannah Shergis & Xiaojia Ni

Vol. 4Adult Asthma
Lead Authors: Johannah Shergis & Lei Wu

Vol. 3Chronic Urticaria
Lead Authors: Meaghan Coyle & Jingjie Yu

Vol. 2Psoriasis Vulgaris
Lead Authors: Claire Shuiqing Zhang & Jingjie Yu

Vol. 1Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
by Charlie Changli Xue & Chuanjian Lu

Forthcoming

Vol. 5Allergic Rhinitis
Lead Authors: Claire Shuiqing Zhang & Qiulan Luo

Vol. 6Herpes Zoster and Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
Lead Authors: Meaghan Coyle & Haiying Liang

Published by

World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224

USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601

UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Xue, Charlie Changli, author. | Lu, Chuan-jian, 1964 author.

Title: Evidence-based clinical Chinese medicine / Charlie Changli Xue, Chuanjian Lu.

Description: New Jersey : World Scientific, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015030389| ISBN 9789814723084 (v. 1 : hardcover : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9789814723091 (v. 1 : paperback : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9789814723121 (v. 2 : hardcover : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9789814723138 (v. 2 : paperback : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9789814759045 (v. 3 : hardcover : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9789814759052 (v. 3 : paperback : alk. paper)

Subjects: | MESH: Medicine, Chinese Traditional--methods. | Clinical Medicine--methods. | Evidence-Based Medicine--methods. | Psoriasis. | Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive.

Classification: LCC RC81 | NLM WB 55.C4 | DDC 616--dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015030389

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-981-3207-73-8 (v. 7 : hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-981-3207-74-5 (v. 7 : paperback : alk. paper)

Copyright 2018 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the publisher.

For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to photocopy is not required from the publisher.

For any available supplementary material, please visit
http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/10386#t=suppl

Printed in Singapore

The information in this monograph is based on systematic analyses of the best available evidence for Chinese medicine interventions both historical and contemporary. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and completeness of the data of this publication. This book is intended for clinicians, researchers, and educators. The practice of evidence-based medicine consists of considerations of the best available evidence, clinical experience and judgment of practitioners, and preferences of patients. Not all interventions are acceptable in all countries. It is important to note that some of the substances mentioned in this book may no longer be in use, may be toxic, or may be prohibited or restricted under the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Practitioners, researchers, and educators are advised to comply with relevant regulations in their countries and with the restrictions on the trade in species included in CITES (Appendices I, II, and III). This book is not intended as a guide for self-medication. Patients should seek professional advice from their qualified Chinese medicine practitioners.

Since the late 20th century, Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and herbal medicine, has been increasingly used throughout the world. The parallel development and spread of evidence-based medicine has provided challenges and opportunities for Chinese medicine. These opportunities include evidence-based medicines emphasis on the effective use of the best available clinical evidence, incorporation of clinicians clinical experience, and consideration of patients preferences. Such practices are patient-centred, thus reflecting the historical nature of Chinese medicine practice.

However, the challenges are also significant due to the fact that, despite the long-term development of Chinese medicine and rich literature accumulated over 2,000 years, there is an overall lack of high quality clinical evidence for many of the interventions used in Chinese medicine. To address this knowledge gap, we need rigorous clinical studies to produce reliable evidence that can promote evidence-based practices of Chinese medicine.

Modern Chinese medicine is rooted in classical literature and the legacy of ancient doctors, grounded in the practice of expert modern clinicians, and increasingly informed by clinical and experimental research efforts. In recognition of the unique features of Chinese medicine, for each of the conditions in this series, a whole evidence approach is used to synthesise the different types and levels of currently available evidence. This synthesis thus presents practitioners with the current best evidence and enables them to make informed clinical decisions.

There are four main components of the whole evidence approach. Firstly, we present the current approaches to the diagnosis, differentiation, and treatment of each condition as suggested by textbooks and clinical guidelines. This provides an overview of how the condition is currently managed. The second section provides an analysis of the condition within a historical context based on systematic searches in the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which includes the full texts of more than 1,000 classical medical books. These analyses provide objective views on how the condition has been treated over two millennia, reveal continuities and discontinuities between traditional and modern practice, and suggest avenues for future research.

The third component is the assessment of evidence derived from modern clinical studies of Chinese medicine interventions. The methods established by the Cochrane Collaboration are used for conducting systematic reviews and performing meta-analyses of outcome data for randomised controlled trials (RCTs). In addition, the clinical relevance of data from these meta-analyses is enhanced by examining the herbal formulae, individual herbs, and acupuncture treatments that were assessed in the RCTs, and the evidence base is broadened by the inclusion of data from non-randomised, controlled clinical trials, and non-controlled studies. The fourth component is to determine how the herbal medicine interventions may achieve the effects indicated by the clinical trials. Thus, for each of the most frequently used herbs, we provide reviews of their effects in pre-clinical models and the likely underlying mechanisms of their effects.