Traditional Thai medicine is important for modern medicine and society

[webfact]

NRC’s public health committee: Traditional Thai medicine is important for modern medicine and society

BANGKOK, 1 April 2015 (NNT) - The National Reform Council’s committee on public health reform has stated that the traditional Thai medicine has been playing an important role for both the modern medicine and the local society.

Chairperson of the committee Porapan Punyaratabandhu and chairman of the NRC’s subcommittee on the reform of Thai traditional medicine Admiral Chanchai Charoensuwan on Tuesday held a news conference on the overhaul of the country’s traditional medicine.

Mrs. Porapan said that Thailand’s traditional medicine is an invaluable asset of Thailand and its complete reform will help improve the efficiency of the modern medicine and the healthcare system of the country.

Admiral Chanchai added that while traditional medicine has been downplayed greatly in the society, hospitals have been increasingly incapable of meeting the demand of all patients.

Therefore, he stated that a serious reform for this branch of medicine, along with the practice of the modern medicine, will not only help secure, but also strengthen the quality and the efficiency of Thailand’s public health system.


-- NNT 2015-04-01

[jacky54]

OK lets have a list of all the effective and proven Thai medicines, that does NOT include antibiotics, or Chinese remedies.

[Commerce]

Eat a banana and a mango and you see no ghosts. Honest!

[DM07]

Traditional Thai medicine is important for modern medicine and society

...as is leaching, pulverized lizard, rain dancing and reading the intestines of birds!

Jeeeeezuz!

[micmichd]

According to Western medicine I should be sitting in a wheelchair and be half-dead.

Fortunately I don't believe in Western medicine, that's why I walk and dance around in Thailand.

[Choctastic]

It will be interesting to see what reforms are introduced. 80% of the world use traditional systems of healing because they cannot afford 'scientific' medicine and it is ALL that is available for tens of millions. These systems are accepted and supported by the WHO and national governments. As far as efficacy is concerned, they would not have survived thousands of years, if they were not effective. When you see authentic healers curing people, that 'scientific' medicine has rejected, you will sing a very different song.

[DeaconJohn]

It will be interesting to see what reforms are introduced. 80% of the world use traditional systems of healing because they cannot afford 'scientific' medicine and it is ALL that is available for tens of millions. These systems are accepted and supported by the WHO and national governments. As far as efficacy is concerned, they would not have survived thousands of years, if they were not effective. When you see authentic healers curing people, that 'scientific' medicine has rejected, you will sing a very different song.

No doubt some traditional medicines - jiaogulan for example - are helpful in treating certain types of illness.

The placebo effect probably plays a role in the traditional treatments as well.

[sugarcane24]

As Aldous Huxley once remarked, "Medical science has made uch tremendous progress that there is hardly healthy human left."

This may sound facetious, but in fact, Western medicine is now a leading cause of death in developed countries.

[Ceruhe]

When you can't tell serious from April's Fool apart... *is exactly in that situation now*

[ravip]

Many countries have their own traditional medications. For example Ayurveda. Albeit it not having remedies to all the sicknesses on this planet it is NOT a farce. Laughing and scoffing at this type of genuine medical practices are definitely due to total ignorance.

Try to do some genuine research, it might be of some help.

Consulting a quack and blaming the system is also not very 'correct' - to say it very mildly.

Edit

Just a very minor and common example: Ever seen serious fractures cured perfectly without ANY surgery or antibiotics? And even without a sterile environment?

Edited April 1, 2015 by ravip

[jacky54]

Nobody really knows any Thai ones then, they saw crocodile blood is good if you are dying

[HerbalEd]

OK lets have a list of all the effective and proven Thai medicines, that does NOT include antibiotics, or Chinese remedies.

You sound pessimistic. Actually Thailand has a long and rich history of herbal medicine and other natural healing modalities.

[HerbalEd]

It will be interesting to see what reforms are introduced. 80% of the world use traditional systems of healing because they cannot afford 'scientific' medicine and it is ALL that is available for tens of millions. These systems are accepted and supported by the WHO and national governments. As far as efficacy is concerned, they would not have survived thousands of years, if they were not effective. When you see authentic healers curing people, that 'scientific' medicine has rejected, you will sing a very different song.

No doubt some traditional medicines - jiaogulan for example - are helpful in treating certain types of illness.

The placebo effect probably plays a role in the traditional treatments as well.

Placebo has a strong effect for many in modern medicine as well.

[HerbalEd]

Hopefully Thailand can develop a health system similar to what China did years ago. That is to incorporate the best of traditional herbal and other natural medicine practices with modern scientific medicine ... including doing modern scientific research into what works and doesn't work in traditional medicine.

To those here who scoff at traditional medicine, you do so with zero or scant investigation, reading, etc. on the subject. I have devoted the past forty years of my life and career to the subject, have spent much time with traditional healers all over the world and while there's a lot of hocus pocus, there's also a lot more that is real and highly useful. In fact, 60% of all prescription drugs are either made from plants or are based upon the chemistry of plants ... including antibiotics.

Edited April 1, 2015 by HerbalEd

[baboon]

You traditionalists crack on with your ancient oriental remedies, until the day you are screaming out for relief from the suffering that all of a sudden can no longer be catered for, or death to put you out of your misery once and for all.

I have been there and am quite happy to throw in my lot with western medicine - You lot chew your leaves while they are sawing off your leg. Me, I'll opt for the anaesthetic.

[HerbalEd]

You traditionalists crack on with your ancient oriental remedies, until the day you are screaming out for relief from the suffering that all of a sudden can no longer be catered for, or death to put you out of your misery once and for all.

I have been there and am quite happy to throw in my lot with western medicine - You lot chew your leaves while they are sawing off your leg. Me, I'll opt for the anaesthetic.

Who says it has to be either/or and all or nothing? The intelligent way is to take the best of both worlds. And modern medicine is by no means perfect nor does it have all the answers. Being in the medicinal herb business most of my life I have see far too many people who have not only not been helped by modern medicine, but have been damaged by it. In fact, approx. 30% of people who go into a USA hospital contact or develop a disease or damage that they did not go in with. It's what's called iatrogenic medicine (i.e., doctor induced disease).

[englishoak]

Theres a big difference between herbal medicines with specific observed and recorded benefits in usage and the snake oil cure all rubbish such as ground up tiger penis or bear claw powder sold in the markets etc.

Alternative remedies can be very good but theres also a lot of mumbo jumbo placebo mixes out there too. You should know exactly what your ingesting, anything can be in a market snake oil cure all tincture and often is.

[HerbalEd]

Theres a big difference between herbal medicines with specific observed and recorded benefits in usage and the snake oil cure all rubbish such as ground up tiger penis or bear claw powder sold in the markets etc.

Alternative remedies can be very good but theres also a lot of mumbo jumbo placebo mixes out there too. You should know exactly what your ingesting, anything can be in a market snake oil cure all tincture and often is.

So do you know what your ingesting with a synthetic chemical drug? I don't mean its name (which few can pronounce) but what it actually is. Try reading the side-effects in that white paper that's in the drug's box ... it'll scare you. However, the pharmacist has probably thrown it away before dispensing the drug, which is what almost always happens in almost all pharmacies. They don't want to scare you into not taking the drug.

Indeed modern medicine has much good to offer, but how many times have you read about an FDA-approved drug being taken off the market? "Ooops! Sorry about that."

Edited April 1, 2015 by HerbalEd

[Tokay]

Can we get a list of THAI medicine that isn't actually Chinese medicine, that actually is proven to work?

I've seen clinics sell an elixir (2000b per bottle) that cures everything from AIDS to Cancer, so I don't have much faith in "Thai medicine."

[HerbalEd]

Can we get a list of THAI medicine that isn't actually Chinese medicine, that actually is proven to work?

I've seen clinics sell an elixir (2000b per bottle) that cures everything from AIDS to Cancer, so I don't have much faith in "Thai medicine."

And I've seen scores of people who have be harmed ... and a few who have been killed ... by modern medicine.

If you want to spend the hours researching the subject you can find hundreds of herbs that have been proven by modern phyto-pharmacological science, and some of the Thai ones have been approved by the Thai FDA and are sold in Thai pharmacies ... if you know what to ask for.

But, as I said before: You don't have to exclusively choose traditional medicine or modern medicine. You can use both. Each has it's flaws and each has it's benefits. Unfortunately, unlike synthetic chemical pharmaceuticals, herbal medicines can't be patented and so there's little financial incentive to spend the millions of dollars and several years to bring a new drug to market.

[englishoak]

Theres a big difference between herbal medicines with specific observed and recorded benefits in usage and the snake oil cure all rubbish such as ground up tiger penis or bear claw powder sold in the markets etc.

Alternative remedies can be very good but theres also a lot of mumbo jumbo placebo mixes out there too. You should know exactly what your ingesting, anything can be in a market snake oil cure all tincture and often is.

So do you know what your ingesting with a synthetic chemical drug? I don't mean its name (which few can pronounce) but what it actually is. Try reading the side-effects in that white paper that's in the drug's box ... it'll scare you. However, the pharmacist has probably thrown it away before dispensing the drug, which is what almost always happens in almost all pharmacies. They don't want to scare you into not taking the drug.

Indeed modern medicine has much good to offer, but how many times have you read about an FDA-approved drug being taken off the market? "Ooops! Sorry about that."

You think im going to drop a pink pill dispensed into a plastic bag without knowing what im taking ? I dont think so and precisely why a breakdown and listed side effects are required and available, I dont scare easy but they are happy to provide the little leaflets if you ask and have on more than one occasion told the pharmacist to give me another alternative, dont ever recall a similar breakdown in local remedies.

You want to ingest ground down tiger penis and other crap sold along with decent herbal remedies up to you.

Traditional medicine comes in two forms, real knowledge and alternative herbal options and total crap like bear claw or some anatomy from some animal... Traditional Thai remedies are also practised by monks and the favourite prescribed remedy usually includes if Thai.................. changing your name because its always the root of every problem according to monks... and not donating enough.

[lvr181]

Garlic is great! All the people I know, who eat garlic have never been bitten by a vampire, therefore, eating garlic will stop vampire bites!

[Choctastic]

You traditionalists crack on with your ancient oriental remedies, until the day you are screaming out for relief from the suffering that all of a sudden can no longer be catered for, or death to put you out of your misery once and for all.

I have been there and am quite happy to throw in my lot with western medicine - You lot chew your leaves while they are sawing off your leg. Me, I'll opt for the anaesthetic.

You seem confused. There are four kinds of conditions. 'Acute', 'Emergency', 'Chronic' and 'Degenerative'. Modern medicine can be brilliant with Acute and Emergency and worthless with Chronic and Degenerative, simply because it avoids the elephant in the room, underlying cause. Standardized industrialized medicine has been designed by and for the benefit of Corporations, not Doctors, to keep you alive so they can increasingly milk you for the rest of your life. Expecting orthodox medicine to offer you safe, non-invasive alternatives is like walking into a Chinese restaurant and ordering Pizza. It isn't on the menu, they don't know how to make it and you aren't going to get it. 'Disease management' NOT cures, is where the money is to be had. For non-existent 'disorders' is even better. Statins, an example.

Scientific medicine is more rewarding and glamorous for Doctors than traditional. They get to drive BMWs while your authentic healer rides a Honda Click. The patient never gets cured, is often harmed and requires more and more toxic chemicals to counter the side effects of the first and subsequent chemicals. It's a beautiful profit model that offers rapid relief. If you are happy with relief, while your disease continues to progress, that's up to you.

Who are 'traditionalists'? It is simple common sense. Where modern medicine works, I use it. Where it doesn't, I look for something that does. You are quite right. There are many modalities and over the counter remedies which are a waste of time and money, often because you are using the wrong tool, for the wrong job, or the technique is limited, or that Echinacea you bought at the health section has NO Echinacia in it. Someone doing a 2-day Reiki Master course cannot know as much as a Doctor who has trained for 12 years. Buyer Beware. Acupuncture is good for nerve-type problems but it isn't going to cure your diabetes. Reiki isn't going to fix a broken leg. If you have no experience of methods that work, go and find them. If you are too ideologically blocked and get your education from 'Quackwatch', then hold on to your disease and snipe on message boards. Bashing has a placebo effect too.

I have mixed feelings about Thai Traditional Medicine because it is a cut-down version of Ayurveda and missing some useful techniques. Well done to countries like India, China and Thailand for supporting traditional and modern systems. We need BOTH.

[ravip]

You traditionalists crack on with your ancient oriental remedies, until the day you are screaming out for relief from the suffering that all of a sudden can no longer be catered for, or death to put you out of your misery once and for all.

I have been there and am quite happy to throw in my lot with western medicine - You lot chew your leaves while they are sawing off your leg. Me, I'll opt for the anaesthetic.

The term "tunnel vision" comes to my mind.

Edit

Most 'traditional' medicines need to be taken for an extended period of time due to its low dosage. Further, you are most often required to restrict your diet. These are some inconveniences you will face when undergoing traditional treatments.

Edited April 2, 2015 by ravip

[ravip]

Theres a big difference between herbal medicines with specific observed and recorded benefits in usage and the snake oil cure all rubbish such as ground up tiger penis or bear claw powder sold in the markets etc.

Alternative remedies can be very good but theres also a lot of mumbo jumbo placebo mixes out there too. You should know exactly what your ingesting, anything can be in a market snake oil cure all tincture and often is.

It is similar to choosing your life partner - do it right you are happy, otherwise you will be ranting and abusing all the Thai people around!

Be wise, choose right!

[ravip]

Theres a big difference between herbal medicines with specific observed and recorded benefits in usage and the snake oil cure all rubbish such as ground up tiger penis or bear claw powder sold in the markets etc.

Alternative remedies can be very good but theres also a lot of mumbo jumbo placebo mixes out there too. You should know exactly what your ingesting, anything can be in a market snake oil cure all tincture and often is.

It is similar to choosing your life partner - do it right you are happy, otherwise you will be ranting and abusing all the Thai people around!

Be wise, choose right!

[maidee]

just face this : USA cancer threatment (radiation, chemo) , gives / creates more CANCER than patients with CANCER

thanks to GMO (monsanto) that makes cancer crops and lobbied to get it approved by frudulent FDA practices, do not want their frankenmonster food to be labeled as GMO

sugar which is now laced in every food (eating 140 pounds per year of that chemical drugs), is a big source of people getting fat, diabetes & CANCER

there are some great local thai herbs (maybe from india) like curcumin, which fights cancer growth cells & others

bitter melon, that helps the pancreas not to spike insulin (making you fat) & prediabete

3rd world countries, who adopt the Western life style garbage food (coco cola, mc death, kfc) ... see their population getting fatter by the year

but think about this : this is what the governement wants & help promote : FAT people don't go demonstrate against the governement

just look at the arab countries... did you see any FATTY demonstrating against the fascist regimes ???

[ravip]

Here's something I found doing a quick search...

Thai Medicine Guide - Discover the Traditional Healing Arts of Thailand

[baboon]

just face this : USA cancer threatment (radiation, chemo) , gives / creates more CANCER than patients with CANCER

thanks to GMO (monsanto) that makes cancer crops and lobbied to get it approved by frudulent FDA practices, do not want their frankenmonster food to be labeled as GMO

sugar which is now laced in every food (eating 140 pounds per year of that chemical drugs), is a big source of people getting fat, diabetes & CANCER

there are some great local thai herbs (maybe from india) like curcumin, which fights cancer growth cells & others

bitter melon, that helps the pancreas not to spike insulin (making you fat) & prediabete

3rd world countries, who adopt the Western life style garbage food (coco cola, mc death, kfc) ... see their population getting fatter by the year

but think about this : this is what the governement wants & help promote : FAT people don't go demonstrate against the governement

just look at the arab countries... did you see any FATTY demonstrating against the fascist regimes ???

I think a fair few folk would be shocked at just how much sugar goes into today's Thai cuisine. Sure, you can opt to cook it healthily yourself and eat brown instead of white rice, but if you eat out you are ingesting a fair amount of crap.

Whitey is not to blame for all the world's ills...

[lvr181]

just face this : USA cancer threatment (radiation, chemo) , gives / creates more CANCER than patients with CANCER

A bold statement. Back it up with some proven facts.