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Fragrant lemongrass notes mingle with earthy ginger and tangy tamarind, accented by the sharp, menthol-like notes of camphor. It has the scent of a traditional Thai herbal compress, familiar to spa-goers.
For this treatment, herbs are mixed into a cotton cloth, wrapped into a compact ball, steamed for about 10 minutes, and then applied to the body by the practitioner, usually after a massage.
Herbal poultices have been used for centuries to reduce muscle and joint pain and inflammation. However, it is unclear how much benefit there is Herbs: 2015 review paper The effects were primarily heat-related, highlighting that heat increases blood flow and reduces pain.
While there are Chinese herbal medicines, billions of Differences in industries, cultural practices, beliefs, and knowledge prevailing around the world make standardization and regulation difficult. According to report In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) found that almost half of its member countries had no national policy on traditional medicine, and only 64% had regulations regarding herbal medicine.
WHO says a lack of research data is one of the biggest barriers to effective regulation.
In Thailand, the Center for Applied Thai Traditional Medicine Research (CEATMR) at Thammasat University in Pathum Thani will provide research on the unique properties of herbs used in herbal poultices, making this ancient treatment more accessible. said Alumporn Italat. Center director.
As in other Southeast Asian countries, alternative therapies are popular in Thailand, with research showing the use of herbal medicine. General Among the population, especially in rural areas. But Italat says there is a lot of traditional knowledge that needs to be scientifically proven.
“The properties of herbs vary widely, and this variability is one of the main challenges we face,” she says. “The (extraction) process must be validated to ensure consistency across all batches.”
Another problem is that “there can be many different varieties of a single herb,” Italat said, adding, “Misidentification is a big problem in herbal medicine.”
In 2020, she the studyA peer-reviewed paper published in Science & Technology Asia found that some herbs may contribute to the effectiveness of herbal poultices. “By testing each component in isolation, this study identified specific components that contribute to the overall anti-inflammatory effect,” Italat says.
The research center is We apply traditional knowledge, such as when to harvest herbs, to make our extracts more effective.
For example, regarding Zingiber montanum, a type of ginger known as ‘prai’ in Thailand, elders always stress that the roots must be harvested in winter, when the plant dies and its active ingredients are concentrated in the roots. “I’ve done that,” he says. Italat. CEATMR works to validate and standardize this type of traditional knowledge, which is often anecdotal and not scientifically tested.
“Extracts can be developed into finished medicines to make them easier to use and to control quality,” Italat says.
These extracts are incorporated into modern products such as emulsion gels and creams, which are sold at CEATMR’s herbal pharmacy located at Thammasat University.
Italat is also exploring other innovative applications in his research. cooling hydrogel patchstudies have shown that the release of herbal extracts is more controlled compared to oils and creams. An electric herbal compress developed in collaboration with Thailand’s National Science and Technology Development Agency and the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center.
A ball-shaped thermally conductive compress is attached to a long handle and has a built-in battery. Instead of applying an herbal compress, apply a gel containing concentrated herbal extracts to your skin and massage with an electric compress.
“Normally, compresses need to be steamed and replaced many times, but our electric compresses can last up to eight hours,” says Italat.
Applying the herbal gel directly to the skin provides better efficacy than using a cotton cloth and provides a standardized and controlled dosage of the active ingredient, Italat says. The electric compress is still in development, and the team is trying to reduce the size of the prototype’s handle to make it smaller and more portable.
Thailand is invested a lot of money In traditional medicine research and law. In 2021, Thammasat University began offering the Thai Traditional Medicine Master’s Clinic Program, the first curriculum of its kind in the country that integrates traditional and modern medicine.
Scientific interest in the effects of traditional treatments and herbal medicine is growing in other regions as well: A 2020 literature review pointed out that since 2001, there has been a rapid increase in publications on medicinal plants worldwide, with approximately 5,000 publications published annually over the past decade.
China and India each have their own traditional medicine systems and have led research in this area, including efforts to standardize herbal knowledge. For example, researchers in China and Taiwan some databases Collates information about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on thousands of herbs and their associated diseases, drug similarities, and interactions.
However, there are still significant gaps in the available information. 50,000 Plant species are used medicinally throughout the world, and there is limited crossover between national databases. Botanical names are also often not standardized, leading to ambiguity as to which herb is being discussed, leading to ineffective treatments and even the risk of poisoning.
Itarat hopes that more traditional knowledge will be validated and introduced as complementary therapies to help patients heal and recover faster.
“Humanity has relied on nature for medicines for thousands of years, so the connection between nature and human health is undeniable,” Italat says. “The challenge is to make this traditional knowledge more accessible while preserving it for future generations and sharing it around the world,” she added.
