Kampo in women's health: Japan's traditional approach to premenstrual symptoms.
Kampo is Japan's traditional herbal medicine and it is an integral part of the official Westernized medical system in Japan. We describe the Kampo approach to premenstrual symptoms. We present 3 clinical cases of women treated for premenstrual discomforts in a Kampo clinic in Japan. Each of these women reported improvement in their conditions. We argue that Kampo is well-suited for treatment of premenstrual symptoms in Japan and deserves the attention of Western clinicians for three reasons: (1) patient-centered Kampo diagnosis allows physicians to handle subjective and culture-bound symptoms that are often ignored by Western medicine; (2) Kampo herbal formulas are regulated by the Japanese government, and are pure and of high quality; and (3) the settings in which Kampo is practiced set a stage for therapeutic collaboration between the doctor and the patient.
Gepshtein
Yana
Y
Center for Kampo Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Plotnikoff
Gregory A
GA
Watanabe
Kenji
K
D000328:Adult; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal