by Claire Shuiqing Zhang; Shaonan Liu

The twelve volume in the Evidence-based Clinical Chinese Medicine series is a must read for Chinese medicine practitioners interested in neurology or rehabilitation. Using a 'whole evidence' approach, this book aims to provide an analysis of the management of post-stroke shoulder complications with Chinese and integrative medicine.This book describes the understanding and management of post-stroke shoulder complications with conventional medicine and Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine treatments used in past eras are analysed through data mining of classical Chinese medicine books. Several treatments are identified that are still used in contemporary clinical practice.Attention is then turned to evaluating the current state of evidence from clinical studies using an evidence-based medicine approach. Scientific techniques are employed to evaluate the results from studies of Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture and other Chinese medicine therapies. The findings from these reviews are discussed in terms of the implications for clinical practice and research.Chinese medicine practitioners and students can use this book as a desktop reference to support clinical decision making. Having ready access to the current state of evidence for herbal formulas and acupuncture treatments allows practitioners to be confident in providing evidence-based health care. This book is an easy to use reference, thus allowing practitioners to focus on providing high quality care supported by the best available evidence.This book links formulas, herbs and acupuncture points with treatment efficacy, providing the reader with potential for creating new formulas. Several of the most frequently used herbs from randomized controlled trials were investigated to identify their pharmacological actions in animal and cell-line studies. This gives the reader insight into the potential actions of herbs and their chemical constituents that are relevant to the pathogenesis of post-stroke shoulder complications, and may provide leads for drug discovery.The editors of this series are internationally recognized, well-respected leaders in the field of Chinese medicine and evidence-based medicine with strong track records in research.