Chinese and Western medicine have their own strengths and the combination of both of them results in a synergy that can provide quality holistic medical services.

 

At present, the division's physicians actively promotes the clinical medical services of integrated Chinese and Western medicine in internal medicine, pediatrics, dermatology, and otolaryngology, and have engaged in related clinical trials, such as atopic dermatitis, chloasma, and diabetes.

 

 

Our medical team published the world's first paper in an international journal on the clinical trials in the treatment of atopic dermatitis with Chinese medicine's set prescription (Xiaofeng powder), proving that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a significant effect on patients with severe atopic dermatitis by conducting a  randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.

 

Dr. Hui-man Cheng collaborated with China Medical University’s Professor Tin-yun Ho's research team to set up the world's first "in vitro cell model of skin inflammation" and to explore the mechanism of TCM inhibiting the inflammatory response by applying this model. The results of this study have been published in an international journal.

 

The division provides a special clinic for the treatment of atopic dermatitis with integrated Chinese and Western medicine and for health education consultation. Based on the severity of the disease, doctors give patients the most appropriate therapy to reduce the frequency of use of steroids and their side effects, improve their constitution, and lower the recurrence of atopic dermatitis. In addition, patients with severe atopic dermatitis are offered outpatient care with integrated Chinese and Western medicine, and related constitution research, studies of quality of life and personality traits are carried out.

 

Our medical team has been working with the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company in the US on the clinical and translational medicine research into the treatment of psoriasis using TCM, and the research results were published in an international journal. They have demonstrated that TCM shows a significant effect on patients with parapsoriasis en plaques by conducting a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study, exploring possible mechanism of action through modern science and technology.

 

The division provides a special clinic for the treatment of psoriasis with integrated Chinese and Western medicine and for health education consultation (including daily routine and diet suggestions). According to the severity of the disease, the doctor uses TCM to change patients' constitution, which is helpful to improve the condition of psoriasis and reduce its recurrence. Patients with severe psoriasis (including PASI>18 of psoriasis vulgaris; lesion area > body surface area by 20%; pustular psoriasis, and psoriasis erythroderma) are given inpatient care with integrated Chinese and Western medicine.

 

Diabetes is among the ten leading causes of death in the nation (ranked fifth in 2016). At present, more than 2 million people are suffering from diabetes, accounting for about 10 percent of the population in Taiwan. Diabetes can induce a variety of chronic complications associated with cardiovascular disease. More than 60 percent of diabetics died of cardiovascular disease and diabetes also leads to visual impairment, amputation, dialysis, and other disabilities. The therapy with the combination of Chinese and Western medicine can reduce diabetes-induced chronic cardiovascular disease and minimize the harm caused by chronic complications of diabetes to the lives and quality of life of the patients.
 

The treatment of hyperthyroidism in Western medicine includes three kinds of methods—medicine, operation, and radioiodine. In general, people still choose antithyroid drugs as first-line therapy, but a few patients cannot stand their side effects. Prior to the use of surgery, radioactive iodine, and other destruction therapies, TCM treatment can be an alternative for the patient.

 

Thyroid nodules are common thyroid diseases, and there is a 5 to 10 percent probability that they might turn to malignancy. Currently, there is no proper drug therapy for thyroid nodules by western medicine, with only ultrasonography with fine needle aspiration, and surgical resection. Using Chinese medicine auxiliary therapy to reduce the possibility of the disease turning into malignancy is actually great news for patients.

 

Provide therapies with integrated Chinese and Western medicine for epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, hyperactivity disorder, developmental delay, asthma, allergic rhinitis, gastrointestinal digestion and absorption dysfunction, and growth retardation, in an attempt to improve the condition and reduce a recurrence.

 

Provide therapies with integrated Chinese and Western medicine for chronic pharyngitis, tinnitus, dizziness, head and neck cancer care, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis, in an attempt to improve the condition and reduce a recurrence.

 

The integrated Chinese and Western medicine therapy model has gradually become a new trend in medicine. Many patients receive the treatment of Chinese and Western medicine separately. How to ensure the safety when patients take together Chinese and Western medicine and whether Chinese and Western medicine have interaction are also the focus of our research. For this reason, we set up a "Chinese and Western medicine interaction information network" to provide more information on drug use and enhance the safety of drug use in patients.