Characteristic Therapy of Department of Rheumatism and Immunity

Scleroderma belongs to the category of numbness of the skin and Yin-Yang toxin

syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine claims that scleroderma should belong to the category of "arthralgia syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine. Its causes include invasion of the six evils, seven emotions, diet and labor and rest, asthenic diseases of five internal organs and other reasons. Its pathogenesis is that: Yang-deficiency is the asthenia syndrome of the primary (clinical statistics shows for more than 5000 patients, Yang-deficiency account for 86%); and toxin obstruction is excessive superficial. Deficient root with overdo superficial interact as both cause and effect. Yang is deficiency, which is susceptible to toxin. Toxin stays for a long time, which will consume healthy qi. In clinical practice, deficiency and excess often appear at the same time. Doctors should carefully distinguish whether it is based on deficient root with overdo superficial or state evil dominate. Doctors should seize the basis of Yang deficiency closely and toxin obstruction as standard. Chief physician Zhang Qingchang and other researchers of Hebei Yiling Hospital have developed a three phase therapy for softening scleroderma.

Three phases therapy has the following characteristics. In the early period of the morbidity, patients have skin edema and heat-toxin is exuberant. Treatment is based on clearing away heat and toxic materials, promoting blood circulation and alleviating edema, eliminating swelling of patients in skin. Second, patients’ skin is hardening, which is difficult to pinch by hand. Treatment is adopted with medicines for warming Yang and dispersing cold, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis to soften the skin and restore skin elasticity. In the third phase, the skin is atrophy and thinning, and even muscle atrophy and visceral lesions take place. The focus of treatment is to promote growth of atrophic skin and muscle and to control the development and progression of visceral diseases.

Using traditional Chinese medicine three phases for the treatment of softening scleroderma has characteristics of short course of treatment, no easiness to relapse and therapeutic effects consolidation. It can also gradually reduce and stop hormone, avoid the side effects caused by long-term use of hormone, soften the skin effectively and improve symptoms such as muscle weakness, joint spasms, pain, and breathing and swallowing difficulties. The sunken skin atrophy can be re-uplift, full of elastic. Patient's appearance can be improved and their physical strength can be restored.

Experimental results show that series of drug for stage therapeutics of scleroderma has functions of regulating microcirculation. Performances are improvement of micro vascular (pressure of micro vascular is increased and speed of blood flow velocity is accelerated) and morphological improvement (bleeding is reduced; loop deformity is improved; loop is newly born), which can further improve muscle metabolism, protein metabolism, enzymes metabolism and blood physicochemical properties so as to improve the internal environment of the patients and can promote regeneration and repair of necrotic nerve ending, promote growth of atrophy of muscle and effectively prevent development of the disease from skin to the visceral organs. Thus, traditional Chinese medicine three phases for the treatment of softening scleroderma not only has the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, but also has basis of modern medical science.

1. Three Phases Special Treatment for Softening Scleroderma