ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to verify the concept of Kampo medicine epidemiologically and demonstrate the objective bases of the Kampo treatment. For this purpose, a population based survey of subjective symptoms based on Kampo medicine was conducted among 1,486 residents of Hase village, Nagano prefecture, ages 20 and older. The completion rate was 80.7% and 1,199 residents provided favorable responses. An investigation of gender differences showed a higher rate of blood deficiency among female residents, while spleen and qi deficiency were more common in males. Considering age differences, symptoms related to blood deficiency and water-dampness affected younger females, symptoms related to qi deficiency primarily affected younger males, and symptoms of liver afflictions were common in younger both genders. Among the elderly residents, symptoms of kidney deficiency were overwhelmingly predominant in both genders. Though younger people with subjective sense of health had few diseases in western medicine, most of the elderly with perceived health actually had some kind of diseases for medical treatment. Physical symptoms in the chest area such as shortness of breath correlated positively with the perception not to be healthy, and these may be regarded as both the manifestation and factors contributing to ill health. Approximately 1 out of 12 residents reported currently receiving the treatment of oriental medicine or demonstrated the potential to benefit from such intervention. These results may clinically be useful as the objective bases to perform the Kampo treatment.
ABSTRACT
Eight family care providers with various disorders showed improvement of their symptoms when treated with yokukansan-based prescriptions. Case1complained of hot flushes, burning sensation and difficulty in concentration; Case 2 of insomnia and back pain; Case 3 of insomnia; Case 4 of irritation and palpitation; Case 5 of anxiety and insomnia; Case 6 of palm eruptions; Case 7 of a painful sensation in the eyes and headache; and Case 8 of neck pain, stiff shoulders, diarrhea, palpitation, insomnia, general fatigue, etc. These diverse symptoms were all considered to be related to “liver” dysfunction of emotions, muscles and eyes, caused by chronic and continuous stress due to their care burden. In Cases 5, 6, 7and 8 the persons whom the care providers were caring for also took the Yokukansan-based prescriptions at the same time as these said care providers did. Instructions for the traditional medicine Yokukansan indicate that “mother and child should take this medicine at the same time”. And since the relationship between a patient and a care provider in the family might be similar to that between child and mother, we applied yokukansan-based prescriptions to these care providers based on traditional instruction.