Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) isn't supported by most Westerners.
TCM will be included in the new version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which will be published by the World Health Organization in 2019, Nature magazine reported. Ryan Abbott at the Center for East-West Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, US, said this could benefit TCM.
For example, during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, US swimmer Michael Phelps was seen with circular bruises(瘀青) on his body. Such bruises are caused by cupping, a traditional Chinese medicinal practice that has been around for more than 2,000 years.
In 2015, Chinese scientist Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for her discovery of artemisinin(青蒿素), a drug that can cure malaria(疟疾). She said she was inspired by traditional Chinese medicine.
Twenty-six TCM centers were set up overseas over three years, according to a 2017 report published by Xinhua News Agency.
TCM still faces many challenges, such as a lack of clinical evidence as to precisely how it works. Some say that TCM methodology should be combined with modern scientific methods to make it more acceptable to people outside of China.
A. However, this is starting to change.
B.TCM has cured millions of people in the world.
C. China has made some efforts to promote TCM overseas.
D.TCM's effectiveness has been difficult to study or provide evidence for.
E. Tried and tested over thousands of years, the effectiveness of TCM is clear.
F.TCM has seen some growth in other countries, with a number of famous people being known to use it.
G. This is the first time for TCM to be included in the ICD, which serves as the international standard for diseases and health conditions.
