Public Welfare Project to Provide Tibetan Medical Treatment for Rural Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis Launched

Release time:

2025-01-08 14:14

On January 7, the China Rural Development Volunteer Service Promotion Association and Qizheng Tibetan Medicine signed a cooperation agreement titled “Ankylosing Spondylitis Health Village Project” in Lintao County, Gansu Province. Both parties are committed to leveraging the therapeutic advantages of Tibetan medicine to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. They will implement the “Tibetan Medical Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for Ankylosing Spondylitis,” providing patients with standardized, precise, and efficient Tibetan medical care tailored specifically for this condition. The collaboration, which will focus on treating ankylosing spondylitis patients in rural areas, is scheduled to last four years. Qizheng Tibetan Medicine will donate 12 million yuan to provide public welfare subsidies for patient treatment, thereby alleviating the financial burden on those affected.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a systemic autoimmune disease, is a chronic condition that requires long-term management. It has a high incidence among young and middle-aged adults and is associated with a relatively high disability rate and misdiagnosis rate. For impoverished patients, the disease can exacerbate poverty and even lead to relapse into poverty due to medical expenses. Ankylosing spondylitis is also an ancient disease; in Tibetan medicine, it is known as “Lung Nai Xin Ren,” which translates to “stiffness disease.” It is one of the twenty types of Lung disorders, and the 8th-century Tibetan medical text, the "Four Medical Tantras," already included detailed treatment protocols for Lung disorders.

The Tibetan medicine treatment protocol for ankylosing spondylitis integrates Tibetan dietary therapy, behavioral and psychological interventions, pharmacotherapy, and external treatments such as Tibetan medicinal baths. Among these therapies, 18 treatments—including Tibetan medicinal baths—feature the unique characteristic of being able to treat multiple conditions with a single method or simultaneously address several diseases. The average cost per treatment under this protocol is significantly lower than that of other treatment regimens for similar conditions.

As the designated medical institution for this project, LinTao County Qizheng Tibetan Medicine Hospital has summarized 25 clinical cases of ankylosing spondylitis treated at the hospital. The clinical efficacy rate was 88%, and the remarkable efficacy rate was 68%. After 2 to 3 years of treatment, patients showed improved physical function and enhanced psychological and social adaptability. With guidance from the Gansu Provincial Society of Rheumatology and Tibetan medicine experts from Tibet and Qinghai, the hospital has compiled the "Clinical Practice Guidelines for Ankylosing Spondylitis in Tibetan Medicine," which have been officially promulgated by the Gansu Provincial Health Commission. These guidelines aim to provide clinicians with standardized recommendations for the application of distinctive Tibetan medical treatments in the management of ankylosing spondylitis, promoting the rational use of established Tibetan medicinal formulations and external therapies to better enhance patients' quality of life.

Reporting media: China National Medicine Network

Report link: http://www.cntcm.com.cn/news.html?aid=267035

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