Patient's question:
I heard from my family members that an elderly person in my family has been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. However, because I know that they have been taking Western medicine for many years, which has already caused significant harm to their bodies, I wanted to use traditional Chinese medicine to treat them. But since I haven't encountered this disease before, I am very worried. I would like to ask, how effective is traditional Chinese medicine in treating ankylosing spondylitis?Doctor's answer:
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Chinese herbal medicine are very effective in treating ankylosing spondylitis, as they can alleviate the symptoms of the condition. However, the therapeutic effect is relatively slow. Therefore, in the early stages of treatment, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hormone-based medications can be used in conjunction to synergize the treatment. Once some effects begin to show, Western medicine can be gradually reduced and treatment can be solely focused on TCM and Chinese herbal medicine. Chinese herbal medicine also has certain side effects, so it is important to carefully monitor the treatment process.