A Comparative Study Between Methods Employed By Traditional Chinese Medicine And Japanese Kampo Medicine In Treating Haemorrhoids

The aims of this research are to conduct a literature search on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Japanese Kampo medicine (Kampo) for information relating to treatment of hemorrhoids, and through a systematic collation and summay of the information, explore how Chinese and Japanese physicians understand the syndromes characterized by hemorrhoids and the rules for choosing the herbs used for treatment. We hope that the results will provide a guide for clinical practice and improve the effectiveness of the treatment, thereby further enhancing the level of treatment using TCM or Kampo, and providing a reference for scientific research.After comparing the prescriptions and herbs used by TCM and Kampo for the treatment of hemorrhoids, we found a significant difference; for example:TCM places emphasis on syndrome differentiation-based treatment, going through the eight principal syndromes before deciding on the type of prescription to use, while Kampo simply uses "disease differntiation" to decide on the prescription specified in "The list of Kampo preparations for general use" promulgated by the Japanese government.Results:(1) The main ingredients in TCM for the treatment of hemorrhoids are: Sanguisorba officinalis (charred), Bud Styphnolobium japonicum, Rheum rhabarbarum, Scutellaria baicalensis, Angelica sinensis, Fructus Styphnolobium japonicum and Fructus ponciri trifoliatae. The functions of these herbs are mainly to purge fire, cool blood and stop bleeding, evidence to show that TCM treats hemorrhoids as mainly excess syndrome.(2) The 7 herbs most commonly used by Kampo are:Radix Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Rheum rhabarbarum, Angelica sinensis, Scutellaria baicalensis, Cimicifuga foetida, Paeonia lactiflora and Radix Bupleurum chinense. (3) Kampo physicians use Makyokansekito and its derivative Gokoto to treat hemorrhoids, while TCM physicians have been using them to treat lung diseases (because of their lung-clearing and anti-asthma properties). (4) The prescription Otsujito developed by Kampo physicians has been proven by modern TCM physicians to be the near-ideal prescription for treatment of hemorrhoids.Conclusion:Japanese Kampo medicine does have something for us to learn from, its Otsujito has been proven to be the near-ideal prescription for treatment of hemorrhoids.