Moxibustion, mugwort, a Nobel Prize-winning plant
The Lasker Foundation , and later the Nobel Academy, have recognized the power of mugwort and honored the tenacity of the eminent Madame Tu Youyou. This pharmacopoeia researcher, born in 1930, developed a treatment for malaria based on the principles of Traditional Oriental Medicine and the potential of Artemisia annua, whose medicinal virtues have been known for thousands of years in China and used in the preparation of moxibustion. Proof that ancestral medicine and modern medicine are not to be opposed.
The Nobel Prize in Medicine
Youyou Tu thus becomes the first Chinese woman (and the twelfth woman since 1901) to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. For Youyou Tu, it was primarily traditional medicine—and not the fight against parasitic diseases—that was her primary interest. A pioneer in the search for an antimalarial treatment for Vietnamese and Chinese troops fighting the French and American colonizers in the Indochinese jungle, Mao Zedong entrusted her with a secret mission called "523" (like the date it was launched, May 23, 1967), whose objective was to find a cure in traditional Chinese medicine for the scourge of malaise, Malaria. And why not overtake the United States, where scientists were also striving to find a cure against which malaria would not develop resistance, in vain. Youyou Tu is sent to Hainan province to observe the effects of the disease where she examines more than 2,000 recipes for traditional remedies.
Among the 380 plant extracts she tested on mice, one used to reduce fever—the Chinese herb Artemisia annua—appeared to reduce the number of parasites in the blood. Initially, the beneficial effects of the plant-based preparation were short-lived. Inspired by an old document, "Emergency Prescriptions to Keep Under Your Elbow," Youyou Tu modified the extraction process for this substance to make it more effective before isolating the active ingredient, artemisinin. She then decided to begin human trials on herself before testing them on real patients. In about thirty hours, this treatment was able to lower both fever and the number of parasites in the blood.
Political obstacles have long hindered the recognition of this knowledge. Currently, artemisinin is considered a highly effective treatment for malaria, a disease that affects nearly 200 million people a year. The results reported in some African countries testing treatments based on this substance are "spectacular." According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), artesunate , a derivative of artemisinin, reduces mortality from severe malaria cases by 39% in adults and 24% in children.
Now distinguished, mugwort, in its artemisinin form, is subject to all sorts of tests and developments: Since then, the plant has been demonstrating its virtues in alternatives to certain chemotherapies.
Michael Phelps: A suction cup and it starts again
Michael Phelps, the most decorated athlete in the history of the Olympic Games (28 medals including 23 gold) has put the spotlight on "cupping".
The cupping technique used by many athletes whose body is their working tool made headlines during the Rio Olympics in 2016, when the famous swimmer appeared with purple marks on his back, legs and arms. The media rushed to rediscover "a fairly simple method that was practiced ancestrally in Europe, like poultices and wraps. But while it has fallen into disuse here, Chinese tradition has preserved its use" (Eurosport ) . This technique of regenerating oxygen in the blood allows for deep recovery and faster elimination of fatigue.
At the time, this technique was performed using very strong glass jars, inside which cotton wool lit with 90-proof alcohol was passed to create a vacuum. They were then pressed against the back, which created a depression that sucked the skin. This method was then used primarily as a counter-irritant to treat pulmonary congestion.
The Chinese have continued to use this old-fashioned recipe. The suction cups are now made of plastic, have a small valve, and the vacuum is created with a small hand pump. This same method is used by American swimmer Michael Phelps, as can be clearly seen in a photo he shared on his Instagram account.
Cupping, effective against period pain
As part of more advanced holistic medicine, cupping therapy is still widely used in Chinese hospitals. It is, for example, commonly used to treat menstrual pain in women by applying it to the lumbar region or sacrum.
In Chinese medicine, understanding energy, fine analysis of diagnosis, circulation in the system of meridians which irrigate the body give access to tools such as: fine needles, massages, but also cupping.
There is thus a whole line of points on the back that correspond to different organs. If we want to reach the lungs, we would rather target the area located between the shoulder blades, whereas for lower back pain, we would aim for the sacrum. Optimizing breathing and digestion, managing stress, and promoting recovery can only be achieved through comprehensive care by a Chinese medicine practitioner.