70 % of Taiwanese have visited Chinese medicine clinics: poll

 2012/06/01 14:30:47Taipei, June 1 (CNA) Seventy percent of Taiwanese have consulted Chinese medicine doctors at some point in their life, according to a survey released Friday by a local magazine. About 55 percent females and 68 percent of patients over the age of 40 said that they had sought treatment at Chinese medicine clinics, said Lin Chen-tsen from Common Health Magazine. She said individuals seek traditional Chinese medicine for a variety of illnesses, with bone and muscle pains topping the list at 64 percent, followed by flu, menstrual irregularities, recuperation and acupuncture. "But despite the popularity of traditional Chinese medicine in Taiwan, there are some misconceptions," Lin said. For example 63 percent of the respondents in the poll believed that women must eat a decoction called "si wu tang" to replenish the blood after a menstrual period, Lin said. The poll also found that 86 percent of people think that Chinese medicine can only invigorate the body while Western medicine can effectively target problem areas. In response, Chen Wang-chuan, a Chinese medicine doctor, said that "si wu tang" consists of four basic herbal elements but the proportions should be modified according to the patient's symptoms and complaints. Since Chinese medicine could have side-effects and complications, all patients should consult a certified doctor before taking herbal remedies, Chen advised. "You shouldn't just walk into a supermarket, buy the ingredients and eat them," he said, emphasizing that herbal treatments do have medicinal effects. "There are limits to every kind of medical treatment," he said. Chinese medicine, if well applied, could supplement Western medicine in warding off diseases, he added. "The difference between the two approaches lies in the diagnostic process and drugs, but our goals are the same—to make people healthy again," he said. The survey, conducted April 2-7, drew responses from 1,080 people aged 20 and over. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.