Journal of Traditional Medicine & Clinical Naturopathy
Open Access

Abstract

There have been numerous psychological and psychiatric terms recorded in ancient TCM bibliographies, developing a TCM specialty called mental-emotional diseases, in which symptomatology, etiology, psychopathology and various therapeutic approaches have been well established. In TCM practice, herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, scraping, massage, dietary therapy, psychological consultant, aromatic therapy, exercise therapy (such as tai-qi), meditation and mindfulness, humor therapy, and folk music therapy are often applied in the management of mental symptoms and wellbeing. These TCM therapies also have been increasingly introduced into today�s clinical practice aimed to enhance the clinical efficacy, reduce adverse effects caused by conventional treatment and comorbid symptoms. This fact is further reflected in an increasing number of research publications, showing the potential benefits of herbal medicine, acupuncture and TCMbased exercise therapy in the treatment of various psychiatric symptoms, in particular sleep, anxiety, and mood disorders. This talk will provide an overview of the use of TCM in the management of mental-emotional symptoms and related research results.

Biography

Zhang Zhang-Jin is a Tenured Professor and Associate Director of the School of Chinese Medicine, Honorary Professor of Psychiatry, Family Medicine and Primary Care and Anatomy in the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He serves as a Vice-President of the Hong Kong Association for Integration of Chinese-Western Medicine, Deputy Director of Specialty Committee of Mental Diseases of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS), and Deputy Director of Sleep Medicine Specialty Committee of WFCMS. He received his Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and Western Medicine training and earned his PhD in Neuroscience in China. During 1994-2006, he moved to USA to continue his research work in Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University and then Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). His long-term research interest has focused on seeking novel psychotropic agents and developing effective treatment strategies from acupuncture and herbal medicine for neurological and psychiatric disorders, including pain, anxiety, mood disorders, dementia and schizophrenia. He is also interested in investigating neural mechanisms of acupuncture. He has directed numerous clinical studies. He has authored over 100 original papers, reviews and book chapters.

Email: zhangzj@hku.hk