Abstract

Acupuncture as Alternative to Animal Materials of Chinese Medicines for Nervous System Disorders

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical practice, certain animal-derived medicinal materials are often used to treat nervous system disorders. In the TCM pharmaceutical industry, there is an even greater demand for industrial-grade animal-based materials, such as turtle shells, deer antlers, seahorses, donkey-hide gelatin, and Cordyceps. However, obtaining these animal-based medicinal materials often leads to resource depletion, ecological damage, and animal suffering. Acupuncture, as one of the TCM therapies that has been systematically studied by modern medicine, exhibits neural mechanisms similar to the primary pharmacological functions of many animal-based medicines. Therefore, acupuncture may serve as at least a partial alternative to animal-derived materials in the treatment of nervous system disorders. This presentation will focus on discussing the potential of acupuncture to replace certain animal-based medicinal materials.