Post Series: Global Traditional Medicine Systems
In order to spread awareness about the rich living herbal traditions from around the world, this post series is intended to introduce some of the characteristics of the herbal or traditional medicine systems to which plants belong.
Kampo is a traditional medicine system practiced in Japan that originated in China and dates back approximately 1500 years, but seeing a revival today. The word “Kampo” means “method from the Han period (206 BC to 220 AD) of ancient China.” Although its origins are Chinese, the seclusion of Japanese culture early on led to evolution of differences from Chinese concepts. Kampo was evolved to favor more pragmatic diagnostic methods that directly relate to the symptoms of the patient, rather than more philosophical concepts found in Traditional Chinese Medicine. One of the main influences was from Yoshimasu Todo in the 18th century, who developed a refined abdominal palpation technique called fuskushin, which was developed to give more clinical information on the patient with which to better select from the approximately 300 prescriptions (that had already been reduced from the thousands of available Chinese crude drugs).
In Kampo the mind and body are seen as one, and therefore are treated in a holistic manner in order to re-establish harmony to the body. Much of the diagnosis and treatment regimen is based on symptoms, physical examination of clinical intake (including such characteristics as sensation, complaints/symptoms, temperature, and sweating), abdominal palpitation, tongue and pulse diagnosis. Through these diagnostic techniques, the Kampo diagnosis (sho) is made, taking into account the state of ki (vital energy), ketsu (blood) and sui (body fluid).
Today the majority of physicians in Japan prescribe Kampo drug preparations, which are composed of mainly herbal extracts, and are covered within the national health insurance system. Although the original formulations were mainly decocted crude drug formulations, the modern ready-to-use forms are mainly spray-dried granular extracts of these formulations. These preparations are made according to the Japanese pharmacopoeia and regulations for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), as well as Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).
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