Research progress in use of traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of spinal cord injury

Yubao Lu, Jingjing Yang, Xuexi Wang, Zhanjun Ma, Sheng Li, Zhaoyang Liu, Xuegong Fan · Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy · 2020 April 23

DOI 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110136

Objective

This paper systematically reviews research related to existing TCM treatments for SCI, with the aims of identifying deficits and shortcomings within the field, and proposing feasible alternative prospects.

Conclusions

This paper showed that TCM treatments can serve as promising auxiliary therapies for functional recovery of patients with SCI. These findings will contribute to the development of diversified treatments for SCI.

Critical Appraisal

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Insights

Traditional Chinese medicine treatments can serve as promising auxiliary therapies for functional recovery of patients with spinal cord injury.

The literature search identified a total of 652 articles regarding traditional Chinese medicine for spinal cord injury. Twenty-eight treatments (16 active ingredients, nine herbs, and three compound prescriptions) were selected from these articles; the treatments have been used for the prevention and treatment of SCI. In general, these treatments involved antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and/or antiapoptotic effects of TCM compounds. This paper showed that TCM treatments can serve as promising auxiliary therapies for functional recovery of patients with SCI. These findings will contribute to the development of diversified treatments for SCI.