Comparison of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional Thai Medicine on Their Theories and Therapeutic Prescriptions in the Treatment of Female Infertility

Abstract

Objective: To systematize and analyze the differences between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and traditional Thai medicine (TTM) on their theories and therapeutic prescriptions for the treatment of female infertility in Thai patients and provide the prescription compatibility of herbal formulas for Thai female infertility. Methods: Systematized and analyzed 228 published papers and 161 textbooks on TCM and 87 published papers together with 29 textbooks on TTM and herbal prescriptions for female infertility treatment that were collected from 2008 until July 2018, and the historical texts for TCM documents, and all data from 1782 until July 2018 for TTM from the Medline, Cochrane, CBM, CNKI, and the ThaiJO database. In addition, we referenced books relevant to female infertility in TCM and TTM and analyzed reference lists of relevant articles from the Shanghai University of TCM, Thai National Library, and reviewed numerous TCM prescriptions from Tianfa Hospital, Zheng Wenjie TCM Clinic. The methodology used to analyze the prescription patterns included datamining and statistical analysis using IBM SPSS 21.0 for Windows, and IBM SPSS Modeler Subscription (Apriori), which were used to analyze the frequency and association rules among the prescriptions. Results: The results showed that TCM and TTM have similar explanations on the principles of getting pregnant, infertility factors, disease mechanism, and therapeutic theories for the treatment of female infertility. The analyzed treatment results show that both TCM and TTM were based on understanding the disease mechanisms and to use a holistic diagnosis pattern, followed by choosing the appropriate treatment options available. The results of TCM and TTM prescription compatibility patterns in the treatment of Thai female infertility showed TCM’s most important compatible prescription herbs were “Bupleurum chinensis - Dry human placenta, Cuscuta chinensis - Morus alba - Curculigo orchioides - Epimedium brevicornum”; TCM prescriptions to treat Thai female infertility focused on the nourishment of Qi and blood, warm and tonify kidney-Yang, regulate Chong and Ren meridians, disperse liver Qi stagnation, promote blood circulation, and remove blood stasis. “Atractylodes lancea - Angelica dahurica”, “Piper sarmentosum - Piper interruptum - Zingiber officinale - Piper retrofractum – Plumbago indica” were the most compatible herbal found. TTM prescriptions to treat Thai infertility regulate and nourish the four(4) basic body elements, nourish blood, nourish the fire element to eliminate cold inside the body, eliminate blood stasis, and treat all other blood disorders. Conclusions: There are similarities between TCM and TTM on the diagnosis and treatment of female infertility; however, there are differences in how TCM and TTM explain the underlying causes of infertility. Both TCM and TTM’s diagnoses are based on a holistic view and understanding of the body’s organs and systems. Most of the Thai female infertility patients analyzed in this research had a “cold and deficiency pattern”, and so the main treatment methods for both TCM and TTM are to prescribe herbs to regulate the menstrual cycle and flow, nourish blood, regulate and treat uterine disease, improve body circulation, and remove blood stasis. There are, however, differences between TCM and TTM in terms of the specifics herbal prescriptions used to treat infertility, which are based on their specific paradigms and understanding of the root causes of female infertility.