Clinical analysis of Parkinson's disease treated by integration of traditional Chinese and western medicine.

Parkinson's discase is an extrapyramidal disease characterized by tremor, hypokinesis and postural reflex disturbance. It often occurs in the middle and the old-aged. People usually use synthetic drugs such as atropine, levodopa or medopa to gain temporary relief, but the side effects are serious. Along with prolongation of medication, the effective rate reduces step by step. Hence, seeking for a new therapy via the approach of integrating traditional Chinese and western medicine becomes a pressing issue. Since the early 1970's, the author has made use of Chinese herbal drugs, acupuncture and moxibustion as the main measures to treat this affection, and definite therapeutic effects have been obtained. Owing to the scarceness of data regarding syndrome differentiation and treatment of such illness in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the author puts forward some of her personal views in this aspect for colleagues' further discussion.