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submissions to | Home > Reviews > Restored Harmony |
Restored Harmony - An Evidence Based Approach for Integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine into Complementary Cancer |
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By Stephen M. Sagar M.D., TCM, OM Dreaming DragonFly Communications
Hamilton, Ontario Reviewed by Douglas Eisenstark, L.Ac., www.taiqi.com Those visiting of Acupuncture.com are either licensed acupuncturists/herbalists or "consumers/patients" looking for answers to their own health issues. Very well organized, concise and informative, Restored Harmony is interesting and necessary reading for both groups. At first glance this would seem to be a consumer-level book aimed at cancer patients and their families. It is written by a M.D. with impressive credentials and experience in alternative medicine, most particularly in cancer care and Chinese Medicine. Restored Harmony is not intended to be a "Fu Zheng" manual of how to treat these patients. There are no formulas given nor point combinations. However what Dr. Sagar does do is give the reader a realistic view of the possibilities of treatment for TCM for an oncology patient. All acupuncturists will have cancer patients at some point whether they come to us for that or for other complaints. For a variety of reasons, Western acupuncturists must work around the western treatments or only see patients who have abandoned Western care. Dr. Sagar has experience in integrative care and it is enlightening to see how he has seen the process work. (Is it significant that he works in Canada and not in the States?) Unlike some writers who feel they must "Westernize" TCM, Dr. Sagar emphasis over and over all aspects of the body-mind balance. In addition, he really knows his herbs and is incredibly insightful in explaining their importance in integrative cancer care. Acupuncturists will be very comfortable with the facts and viewpoints expressed in Restored Harmony. Much of this comes from the respect that he accords to TCM medicine. Although I am a true "TCM" person his biomedical explanations were still fascinating. Also useful is an index of studies and abstracts that might aid in both clinical cases or research. Acupuncturists will be interested in Restored Harmony for an excellent way to open discussion with those outside of the TCM profession. Many acupuncturists would like to have closer professional relationships with Medical Doctors and Restored Harmony would especially be appropriate to give to your patient's M.D or to MD.πs with whom you would like to work. Rarely have the facts of TCM and cancer been presented in such a coherent and convincing manner. I would not hesitate to recommend Restored Harmony to those patients and their doctors so that might alleviate some fears and to get a realistic view of integrated care.
Below are a few excerpts: "Some herbs are antioxidants that can mop-up an excess of free radicals, allowing them to destroy cancer cells, but terminating their activity before they can damage noncancer tissue. In Chinese terminology, yang is allowed to attack the cancer cells, but is balanced by yin that restores and sustains an environment suitable for our normal tissue cells to quickly recover. There is increasing evidence that suggests that TCM can favorably modify the tumor response to conventional Western cancer treatment. There are correspondences between the TCM theory of cancer and recent medical research findings." And note how Dr. Sagar emphasizes how herbs should only be administered by experienced herbalists: "In TCM, herbs are used in combinations that enhance their benefits while reducing their side-effects". In effect, multiple low dose pharmacologically agents are being administered synergistically. This is in complete contrast to our Western model that focuses on a high dose effect of a single pharmaceutical agent. The interaction of low doses of pharmacologically active agents with the wide spectrum of both homologous and heterogeneous cell membrane receptors, may enable a more gradual shift in cell function, with minimal adverse side effects and less tolerance to the active agents. A skilled Chinese pharmacologically is very necessary in order to prepare the correct balance of herbs. The administration of single agents at high dose will simply induce many of the disadvantages of conventional pharmaceutical agents, such as severe side effects, tolerance, and addiction. Moreover, an appropriate shift in the natural pattern of interaction between local hormones, neurotransmitters, and intracellular signaling chemicals is more likely to enable a natural shift back to the normal health-orientated homeostatic state. The administration of herbs without the advice of a certified TCM. practitioner cannot be condoned in view of the complexity of mixing appropriate herbs in the correct proportions, and being aware that inappropriate combinations or doses can result in possibly serious side-effects." I am quite impressed with Dr. Sagar's book and am glad that someone in Western Medicine finally "gets it" as to what our medicine is about. I plan to keep a few copies of Restored Harmony for my patients as well as recommend that the schools where I work keep copies in their bookstores to be purchased by patients from the student clinic. I congratulate Dr. Sagar on Restored Harmony. |
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