How does Chinese medicine treat scleroderma?

The pathogenesis of scleroderma remains an unsolved mystery at the level of modern medicine. Western medicine is currently unable to explain the occurrence of scleroderma by biological and medical theories, and can only construct a basic framework through empirical summaries and bold conjectures to form a mechanism that is currently the consensus. And precisely because the root cause of the disease has not been found, there is now no specific medicine for scleroderma. When Western medicine is unable to provide satisfactory answers, the Chinese people often turn to their ancestral Chinese medicine for solutions. In fact, Chinese medicine has a method for treating scleroderma. Although it is difficult to say that Chinese medicine is the means to eradicate scleroderma at this time due to the existence of its own characteristics, it is nevertheless fair to say that Chinese medicine offers a new direction for us to think about. Right now, the treatment of scleroderma can be classified into four levels according to the change of clinical symptoms and signs, namely, basic healing, effective, efficient and ineffective. Basic healing means that the skin is mostly normalized and the accompanying organ damage is also basically normalized; effective means that the skin is 50% normalized, the spasticity of the extremities is relieved, and the organ function is mostly restored; effective means that the degree of recovery is even lower, showing that the skin damage is slightly improved, the scope of sclerosis is reduced, and the symptoms and signs are slightly improved; ineffective means that the skin sclerosis is not improved after treatment, and the scope is even In the case of ineffectiveness, the skin sclerosis is not improved after treatment, and the extent of sclerosis is even expanded, and the organ damage is not improved or even aggravated. From the statistics of cases in the past decade, TCM does have clear efficacy in the treatment of scleroderma, and from the perspective of evidence-based medicine, TCM does have unique efficacy in the treatment of scleroderma. At present, the mainstream Chinese medicine treatment for scleroderma includes acupuncture and moxibustion treatment and single prescription test methods. Acupuncture is a unique treatment in TCM, and it is effective in scleroderma, but there is great variability in efficacy due to the skill level of the acupuncturist and the complexity of the patient’s condition. The mono-therapy method consists of many individual remedies. Danshen injection, Centella asiatica glucoside tablets, and Ganoderma lucidum injection are all effective, but clinically, the effects are limited. In addition, there are a variety of other remedies and methods of TCM treatment, whose efficiency varies from person to person and from remedy to remedy, such as activating blood stasis, warming yang and clearing ligaments, warming the spleen and kidney, opening the coup and dispersing cold, clearing heat and detoxifying, and resolving blood stasis and clearing ligaments, all of which can have certain effects. While using TCM treatment, attention should also be paid to removing the foci of infection, avoiding unfavorable environment, keeping the extremities warm, avoiding smoking and alcohol, etc., as well as combining with Western medicine therapies and physiotherapy, etc., in order to obtain the maximum therapeutic effect. Despite all the drawbacks of TCM, it is still an option we can consider when facing difficult diseases. The use of TCM means to treat scleroderma undoubtedly provides another possibility for scleroderma patients. We hope that you will develop your own treatment plan based on rational judgment, according to your personal physical condition and needs, without overdoing it, and scientific treatment.