%0 Journal Article
%T Application of Traditional Medical Ideas to Geriatric Syndrome
%A Takashi Seki
%A Shin Takayama
%A Masashi Watanabe
%A Noriko Tsuruoka
%A Tadao Matsunaga
%A Yoichi Haga
%A Junnosuke Okajima
%A Atsuki Komiya
%A Shigenao Maruyama
%A Kenichi Meguro
%J Advances in Geriatrics
%D 2014
%R 10.1155/2014/528042
%X Background. Japan is a superaging society, with the percentage of persons aged >65 years increasing year after year. Traditional medicine (TM) for elderly has been practiced worldwide for thousands of years. Treatment methods for aspiration pneumonia, gait disorder, glaucoma, and bowel symptoms have been developed. The ideas of acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal medicine have been implemented in modern medical settings, and medical devices using heat transfer engineering and nanotechnology have been developed. An ultrasound scanner can be used for the evaluation of effects and indications for these therapeutic measures. Objectives. To review published literature and our studies that evaluated medical treatments for the elderly on the basis of ideas of TM. Search Methods. We searched Pubmed, Scopus, and reference lists of relevant clinical trials. Authors¡¯ Conclusions. Many studies were found. But there are insufficient data on the effects of traditional medical therapies and further research is needed. TM therapies vary widely and studies of these therapies that ascertain practical application are essential for the utilization of ideas of TM in modern medicine. Moreover, to verify practical application, a quantitative evaluation index is necessary. Nonetheless, modalities using ideas of TM may be promising treatments for some diseases in the elderly. 1. Background and Aim Japan is a superaging society. Year after year, the percentage of persons aged >65 years increases. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Japan estimated that the percentage of elderly people will exceed 39% in 2055 [1]. Because they tend to be frail, elderly persons require treatment methods that best suit their condition, which often involves geriatric syndrome. Until recently in Japan, moxibustion therapy had been provided in most households [2]. According to statistics for 2012, 83.8% of physicians prescribe herbal medicines in Japan [3]. In Japan, there are more acupuncturists than physicians [1]. Traditional medicine (TM; as opposed to conventional or modern medicine), which has been practiced throughout history in Japan, can offer some possible treatment for geriatric syndrome. Nonetheless, most of the Cochrane systematic reviews on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are inconclusive [4, 5]. One reason for the inconclusive results is heterogeneity in interventions and diagnostic procedures among these studies. In TM, it is said that different acupoints and herbs have different therapeutic effects, and different types of acupuncture treatment or
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ager/2014/528042/