"Lost in translation" issues in Chinese medicine addressed by researchers

http://www.mybiologica.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/0d19140702122244.jpg

Millions of people in the West today utilize traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, herbs, massage and nutritional therapies. Yet only a few U.S. schools that teach Chinese medicine require Chinese-language training and only a handful of Chinese medical texts have so far been translated into English.Given the complexity of the language and concepts in these texts, there is a need for accurate, high-quality translations, say researchers at UCLA’s Center for East-West Medicine. To that end, the center has published a document that includes a detailed discussion of the issues involved in Chinese medical translation, which is designed to help students, educators, practitioners, researchers, publishers and translators evaluate and digest Chinese medical texts with greater sensitivity and comprehension.”This publication aims to raise awareness among the many stakeholders involved with the translation of Chinese medicine,” said principal investigator and study author Dr. Ka-Kit Hui, founder and director of the UCLA center.The 15-page document, “Considerations in the Translation of Chinese Medicine” was developed and written by a UCLA team that included a doctor, an anthropologist, a China scholar and a translator. It appears in the current online edition of the Journal of Integrative Medicine.Authors Sonya Pritzker, a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner and anthropologist, and Hanmo Zhang, a China scholar, hope the publication will promote communication in the field and play a role in the development of thorough, accurate translations.The document highlights several important topics in the translation of Chinese medical texts, including the history of Chinese medical translations, which individuals make ideal translators, and other translation-specific issues, such as the delicate balance of focusing translations on the source-document language while considering the language it will be translated into.It also addresses issues of technical terminology, period-specific language and style, and historical and cultural perspective. For example, depending on historical circumstances and language use, some translations may be geared toward a Western scientific audience or, alternately, it may take a more natural and spiritual tone. The authors note that it is sometimes helpful to include dual translations, such as “windfire eye/acute conjunctivitis,” in order to facilitate a link between traditional Chinese medical terms and biomedical diagnoses.The final section of the document calls for further discussion and action, specifically in the development of international collaborative efforts geared toward the creation of more rigorous guidelines for the translation of Chinese medicine texts.”Considerations in the Translation of Chinese Medicine,” was inspired by the late renowned translator and scholar Michael Heim, a professor in the UCLA departments of comparative literature and Slavic studies. A master of 12 languages, he is best known for his translation into English of Czech author Milan Kundera’s “The Unbearable Lightness of Being.” The new UCLA document is dedicated to him.The document, the authors say, was influenced in large part by the American Council of Learned Societies’ “Guidelines for the Translation of Social Science Texts,” which are intended to promote communications in the social sciences across language boundaries. It was also influenced by Pritzker’s longstanding anthropological study of translation in Chinese medicine, which is detailed in her new book, “Living Translation: Language and the Search for Resonance in U.S. …


Read More: "Lost in translation" issues in Chinese medicine addressed by researchers

#Agriculture, #Alternative-Medicine, #Alzheimer, #Considerations, #Document, #Health, #Professor, #Publication, #Social, #Western

Research examines acupuncture needle quality

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/alternative_medicine/~4/VxoxnHMm5LI

The quality of needles used in acupuncture worldwide is high but needs to be universally improved to increase safety and avoid potential problems such as pain and allergic reactions, RMIT University researchers have found.The researchers looked at surface conditions and other physical properties of the two most commonly used stainless steel acupuncture needle brands.The study, published in Acupuncture in Medicine, found that although manufacturing processes have improved, surface irregularities and bent needle tips have not been entirely eliminated.Lead investigator Professor Mike Xie, Director of the Centre for Innovative Structures and Materials at RMIT, said acupuncture was a safe treatment overall but the research showed it could be made even safer.”In China, Chinese medicine including acupuncture, accounts for 40 per cent of all medical treatment, while in Western countries, acupuncture is one of the most frequently used complementary therapies,” he said.”Our findings show that acupuncture needle manufacturers should review and improve their quality control procedures for the fabrication of needles.”In particular, needle tips should be properly formed, sharpened and cleansed.”Extensive research on acupuncture has demonstrated its safety and benefit for a range of conditions. But more needs to be done to enhance the comfort and safety of patients undergoing acupuncture treatment worldwide.”China, Japan and Korea are the main suppliers of acupuncture needles, with China providing up to 90 per cent of the world’s acupuncture needles.In the study, scanning electron microscope images were taken of 10 randomly chosen needles from each brand, with further images taken after each needle underwent a standard manipulation — the equivalent of using them on human tissue — with an acupuncture needling practice gel.The images revealed significant surface irregularities and inconsistencies at the needle tips, particularly in needles from one of the brands.Metallic lumps and small, loosely attached pieces of material were observed on the surfaces of some needles. Some of these fragments disappeared after the acupuncture manipulation.Co-author Professor Charlie Xue, Director of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Program in the Health Innovations Research Institute and Head of the School of Health Sciences at RMIT, said the metallic residue could be deposited in human tissues, causing discomfort and potentially allergic reactions such as dermatitis.”While acupuncture needle induced dermatitis has been extremely rare, it is important to minimise the potential for such reaction through further improvement of the needles used in human practice,” Professor Xue said.”Malformed needle tips can cause problems including bleeding, bruising, or strong pain during needling, which are more commonly reported following acupuncture treatment.”An off-centre needle tip could result in the needle altering its direction during insertion and manipulation, consequently damaging adjacent tissues.”While none of these potential problems would result in serious or long-term injury, patient experience and safety are paramount and the quality of acupuncture needles must be more rigorously improved.”The researchers suggested the small metallic pieces found on the needle surfaces were most likely from the grinding and polishing processes during the manufacture of the needles. These processes would also generate electrostatic forces that would attract tiny metal filings to the needle surfaces. The metallic pieces should have been removed from the needles if adequate cleansing processes had been carried out, the study found.Story Source:The above story is based on materials provided by RMIT University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Read More: Research examines acupuncture needle quality

#Agriculture, #China, #Health, #Korea, #Materials, #Physical, #Professor, #School, #Science, #Western