Kampo medicine for Frailty as Kidney deficiency

Abstract

This review aims to understand the clinical efficacy of Japanese Traditional (Kampo) medicine for managing frailty-related disorders mainly based on Kidney deficiency. Kampo is Japanese traditional herbal medicine, and is the most frequently used alternative and complementary medicine in Japan. The aim of Kampo therapy is to improve patients’ condition whatever their diseases are. Kampo therapy is unique because its focus is patient’s condition not their disease. Moreover, it is widely used as Kampo formulas are covered by National Insurance System in Japan. Therefore, Kampo Medicine plays more and more important roles in closing the gap between modern Western Medicine and demand of patients. With the advent of an aging society, the concept of a fragile state of mind and body that leads to many health problems, “Frailty”, was proposed. It is not easy to prevent or cure frailty because it contains complexed factors. Here, Kampo medicine often obtains and analyzes a large amount of information through four examinations, and can grasp and deal with an aging state such as frailty. This article outlines the effects of representative formulas on frailty related to Kidney deficiency, like lumbago and arthralgia which often cause deterioration of ADL and QOL of patients. Our review showed some evidence for the usefulness of representative Kampo formulas for Kidney deficiency, hachimigan and goshajinkigan. Our review suggests that these formulas have the potential to be used for the management of aging-related and frailty symptoms, although further clinical studies in elderly patients should be conducted.