Medicinal herbal envelopes: millennia -old tradition and modern research

Medicinal herbal envelopes: millennia -old tradition and modern research

The scent of aromatic lemon grass mixes with earthy ginger and sweet and sweet tamarind, accompanied by the sharp, menthol -like aroma of camphor. It is a familiar smell for wellness visitors: a traditional Thai herbal compress.

What are herbal compresses?

This treatment combines different herbs in a cotton cloth that is wrapped into a compact ball and is steamed for about 10 minutes before the practitioner puts it on the body - usually after a massage. Herbal compresses have been used for centuries to relieve muscle pain, joint pain and to reduce inflammation. However, it is unclear how much benefits actually go from the herbs: a 2015 emphasized that the effects mainly related to the heat that increases blood circulation and relieves pain.

challenges of herbal medicine

The herbal medicine presents a MultiMilliard dollar industry that is widespread worldwide. Different cultural practices, beliefs and knowledge complicit, however, complain about the standardization or regulation. According to a (Who) From 2018, almost half of the member states had no national politics on traditional medicine, and only 64% had regulations for herbal medicine.

research in Thailand

The WHO says that a lack of research data is one of the greatest obstacles to effective regulation. In Thailand, the Center of Excellence in Applied Thai Traditional Medicine Research (CEATMR) is pursuing the goal of promoting research on the unique properties of the herbs used for herbal compresses and making this old remedy more accessible, says Arunporn Ithar.

tradition vs. science

As in other countries in Southeast Asia, alternative therapies are popular in Thailand, with surveys show that the use of herbal medicine is particularly widespread in rural areas. "However, there is a lot of traditional knowledge that has to be scientifically proven," explains Itatarat. "Herbs differ significantly in their properties, and this variability is one of the greatest challenges with which we are confronted," she says. "We have to validate the (extraction) process to ensure consistency with every batch."

research results

Another problem is that "individual herbs can have many different varieties," adds Itatarat, "Miss identification is a major problem in herbal medicine". In her Research of 2020 stated that some herbs can contribute to the effectiveness of a herbal compress. "The insulation and testing of the individual ingredients identifies the study specific components that contribute to the general anti -inflammatory effect," says Ithar.

modern applications

These extracts were integrated into modern products such as emulsion gels and creams that are sold in the herbal pharmacy of the CeatmR at the Thammasat University. ITArat also researches other innovative application methods in your research, such as a Hydrogel paving , which according to research offers a more controlled release of the extract compared to oils and creams, as well as an electrical herbal compress in cooperation with the National Agency for Science and Technology Promotion of Thailand and the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center.

The growing business

Thailand belongs to a handful of countries that considerably in research and legislation of traditional medicine . In 2021, the Thammasat University of offering the Master Program for Thaimedicine began the first curriculum of this kind in the country that integrates traditional and modern medicine. Scientific interest in traditional therapies and the effects of herbal medicine also grows elsewhere: a Literature overview of 2020 has had a dramatic increase in publications over medicinal plants worldwide since 2001, with around 5,000 publications per year in the last decade.

future prospects

China and India, each of which have their own traditional medical systems, have cited research in this area, including work on the standardization of herbal knowledge. Researchers in China and Taiwan have several database Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in which information is collected at thousands of herbs and their associated diseases, drug equivalence and interactions. Nevertheless, there is still an enormous information gap: About 50,000 plant species are used for medical purposes worldwide, and there are only limited overlaps between the Databases from different countries. Plant names are often not standardized, which can lead to unclear about which herb is discussed, and the risk of ineffective treatments or even poisoning.