Further evidence to the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in treating eczema was unveiled last week which could lead to more GPs prescribing complementary and alternative medicine methods to treat skin conditions.

A study presented to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology showed that patients with persistent atopic dermatitis (eczema) treated with TCM reported improvement to their condition and a decreased reliance on steroidal creams, antibiotics and antihistamines.

14 patients were treated using Chinese herbal teas, bath additives, creams and acupuncture and the results measured using indexes to gauge eczema severity and impairment to life quality.

13 out of the 14 treated had decreased severity of between 60-90% after 3 months and over 50% found improvement to their quality of life after 2 months. No abnormalities to liver or kidney function were found.

Researchers recommended that people suffering with eczema should first seek advice from their GP before beginning any complementary and alternative medicine treatments.

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