Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a disease that affects the entire body, but primarily affects the face and joints.Conventional medicine does not know the cause, nor are curative drugs available.The symptoms are then tackled with heavy artillery.Traditional Chinese medicine, which offers a number of options for those affected by lupus, offers an alternative with few side effects.Lupus erythematosus affects the skin and the connective tissue of the blood vessels.This leads to inflammation of the blood vessels and their surroundings.Women are 10 times more likely to be affected by this condition than men.They mainly become ill when they are of child-bearing age.Every year, 5 to 10 new cases occur for every 100,000 people.The cause of the disease is not fully understood.Symptoms of lupus erythematosus include: fever, weight loss, weakness, muscle pain when the muscles are inflamed (myositis), and joint pain when the joints are inflamed (polyarthritis).A very typical skin change in systemic lupus erythematosus is butterfly erythema, a reddening of the cheeks and nose.The skin of a lupus patient is usually very sensitive to light and the mucous membrane shows e.g.T. in the nose and throat area so-called Ulzera (ie defects in the mucous membrane).As the disease progresses, scarring alopecia (hair loss) can occur.If lupus is the cause of the alopecia, this can be clearly demonstrated by a biopsy, since the typical lupus antibodies are found in the tissue in this case.The organs mostly affected are the heart, lungs, kidneys and the nervous system.Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) or the sac around the heart (pericarditis) can occur.The inflammation of the kidneys associated with lupus erythematosus has its own name: lupus nephritis.If the nervous system is affected, clouding of consciousness, depression and, as a result of vascular inflammation, a stroke can occur.In Western medicine, drugs are mostly used in systemic lupus to reduce the inflammatory response.These include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hydroxychloroquine, cortisone preparations, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, possibly also treatment with the antibody rituximab.They can all lead to serious side effects if taken long-term, which is why those affected sooner or later start looking for sensible and tolerable alternatives.The concepts of illness in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are not comparable to those in western medicine.You use other mental and disease concepts to approach the problem and to tackle it therapeutically.According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the following disease patterns are often found in systemic lupus erythematosus:(If you have not had any contact with TCM before, please do not let the somewhat strange-sounding descriptions irritate you. I usually explain the patterns that are relevant to the patient in detail in the initial consultation.)A patient usually has different proportions of the different patterns, which are diagnosed by means of a detailed anamnesis, tongue and pulse diagnosis and, if necessary, specialist medical findings (blood count, imaging, biopsy results).Occasionally, not all aspects of an illness are visible at first contact, so that in the course of therapy parts that were not visible at the beginning are usually still visible.In the case of chronic or systemic (ie affecting the entire body) diseases - as is the case with lupus erythematosus - according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Chinese medicines are required for treatment.Acupuncture can be used to help, which is often useful.Nevertheless, I believe that Chinese medicines are indispensable.In the first examination, the doctor records the entire diagnosis of the patient in detail and then makes the Chinese diagnosis, which - as already mentioned - often includes several aspects.According to these aspects of the Chinese diagnosis, the treatment plan, ie the composition of the Chinese medicines and the combination of the acupuncture points, is then selected.Chinese medicines are predominantly herbal in nature.But animal and mineral substances are also used.The individual substances are combined for the patient in individual formulations of around 10-15 components and should – if this is possible due to the illness – also be prepared by the patient.This is a kind of tea preparation (decoction).For patients who cannot do this, there is also the option of hydrophilic concentrates.These are ready-to-use medicines, of which between 12 and 20 ml are taken daily.Important Chinese medicines for the treatment of the above-mentioned disease patterns are, for example:In the case of butterfly erythema on the face, the external application of Chinese medicinal herbs in ointment form is also useful.Rhizoma coptidis (huang lian) is often used here.If you want to look up the plants, here are some tips on what the first part of the name means:In addition to the internal treatment, joints can also be treated externally with Chinese medicinal herbs.In my opinion, this is particularly useful in the case of very active inflammation.The herbs are usually prepared as a decoction and applied externally with compresses.The herbs can also be prepared as a paste or ointment.The following Chinese medicines are used here:A paste made from herba violae (zi hua di ding), which is applied to the affected areas once or twice a day, can also be used as a home remedy.I recommend this treatment for hot, red and swollen joints.There are no general dietary recommendations for patients with lupus according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).Diet recommendations depend on the individual diagnosis of Chinese disease patterns.According to TCM, foods are divided into cold, cool, neutral, warm and hot according to their temperature behavior.This classification is very important when choosing the right food for the individual patient.I would rather avoid the extremes (cold and hot) so as not to strain the patient too much through their effects.Cool foods include mung beans, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, eggplant, apples, soy sauce, and green tea.Temperature-neutral foods include sesame seeds, adzuki beans, coconut, soybean oil, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots.Warming foods (used less often) are e.g.B. Sezuan pepper, spring onion, fennel seed and garlic.Acupuncture can also be used to support the therapy options described.The acupuncture points listed below are just a selection of examples:I hope I was able to give you a first impression of the extremely complex clinical picture of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its treatment options with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).However, I can only advise against trying to treat yourself using the medicines mentioned here as examples, since the sensible use of Chinese medicines requires a professional diagnosis.In addition, Chinese medicines are rarely used as individual remedies, but almost always as part of a complex formulation in which certain components ensure the compatibility of other components.If you are interested in the treatment of lupus erythematosus or another disease with traditional Chinese medicine, you should consult a TCM doctor who will make your individual diagnosis and therapy.drmedicalKatrin Schumacher Practice for Traditional Chinese MedicineDear readers, Here you have the opportunity to leave a comment on our articles.We look forward to praise, but also to constructive criticism.If you provide criticism, please also indicate the source/study you are referring to.If you have specific questions, please use the contact form.Many thanks, your editors from the Center for HealthThis information is passed to the best of my knowledge and belief.They are intended exclusively for interested parties and for further training and should not be understood as diagnostic or therapeutic instructions.We assume no liability for damage of any kind arising directly or indirectly from the use of the information.If you suspect an illness, please consult your doctor or naturopathExciting information about health and nutrition once a monthLogin Successful.You will shortly receive a confirmation to the email address you provided.With your registration you allow the regular sending of the newsletter and accept the provisions on data protection.HEALTH CENTER © 2022 Neosmart Consulting AG.All rights reserved.