Treatments in Conventional Medicine and Their Limitations
Conventional medicine focuses on lowering bilirubin levels through medication or procedures depending on the cause.
- Procedures & Surgery: If the bile duct is blocked by stones or tumors, ERCP is used to remove stones or insert stents.
- Antivirals & Steroids: Antivirals are used for Hepatitis B/C, and steroids for autoimmune hepatitis to suppress inflammation.
- Supportive Care: For liver injury caused by alcohol or drugs, the causative agent is stopped, and fluids/nutrition are provided while waiting for the liver to recover.
[Limitations]
While excellent for resolving physical obstructions like gallstones, there are often limited treatments beyond "management" for regenerating liver cells in chronic hepatitis or early cirrhosis.
Additionally, sequelae such as chronic fatigue, indigestion, and itching that persist even after levels normalize are often difficult to resolve with conventional medication.
BM's Integrative Solution: A Duet of Detoxification and Regeneration
BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic selects critical conditions requiring conventional medical attention through diagnosis and integrates Korean Medicine treatments to aid hepatocyte recovery and bile excretion.
- Clearing Heat & Promoting Urination (淸熱利濕): For acute jaundice, we prescribe formulas like Injinho-tang to rapidly excrete Damp-Heat through urine and soothe liver inflammation.
- Tonifying Liver & Activating Blood (補肝活血): For chronic liver dysfunction and progressing fibrosis, we use formulas like Saenggangonbi-tang to increase hepatic blood flow and soften hardened tissues, aiding cell regeneration.
- Autonomic Regulation: Acupuncture stimulates liver meridians to aid detoxification and relieves Qi stagnation caused by stress, improving systemic circulation.
Evidence-Based Korean Medicine (Scientific Evidence)
Studies prove that Korean Medicine treatments are effective in improving jaundice, protecting hepatocytes, and inhibiting liver fibrosis.
- Promotion of Biliary Excretion and Hepatoprotection by Inchinkoto (Injinho-tang): It has been revealed that Inchinkoto, long used for treating jaundice and liver diseases, activates bile secretion transporters (Mrp2) in hepatocytes to resolve cholestasis and activates the antioxidant system (Nrf2) to protect liver cells.
- Okada K, Shoda J, Kano M, et al. Inchinkoto, a herbal medicine, and its ingredients dually exert Mrp2/MRP2-mediated choleresis and Nrf2-mediated antioxidative action in rat livers. American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 2006;292(5):G1450-G1463. doi:10.1152/ajpgi.00302.2006
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- Inhibition of Liver Fibrosis: Studies suggest that herbal medicines, with their multi-component and multi-target mechanisms, effectively control liver fibrosis. They are particularly strong in inhibiting the activation of Hepatic Stellate Cells (HSCs) and regulating Extracellular Matrix (ECM) metabolism.
- Feng Y, Cheung KF, Wang N, Liu P, Nagamatsu T, Tong Y. Chinese medicines as a resource for liver fibrosis treatment. Chinese Medicine. 2009;4(1):16. doi:10.1186/1749-8546-4-16
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- Improvement of Liver Function by Acupuncture: A meta-analysis indicates that acupuncture therapy can help lower liver function markers (ALT, AST, TBIL, ALB) and liver fibrosis indices (HA, LN, PCIII, IV-C).
- Qi L, Li S, Xu J, et al. Acupuncture for the treatment of liver cirrhosis: A Meta-analysis. Gastroenterology Research and Practice. 2020;2020:1-9. doi:10.1155/2020/4054781
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