According to a new review of existing research, complimentary and alternative medicine may help men manage premature ejaculation.  For the full review, click here.

​The authors reviewed research on the effectiveness, safety, and evidence for acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Ayurvedic herbal medicine, and a Korean topical cream on premature ejaculation.

Results showed that acupuncture delayed ejaculation by 30 seconds compared to a placebo, Chinese herbal medicine delayed ejaculation by about two minutes, Ayurvedic herbal medicine by nearly a minute, and the topical cream by more than eight minutes.

In one instance, the combination of Chinese herbal medicine and SSRIs (a common drug intervention) delayed ejaculation by two minutes longer than SSRIs alone and nearly three minutes longer than Chinese herbal medicine alone.

There are no approved treatments for premature ejaculation.  While there were limitations due to the weakness of the studies being evaluated, this review shows complimentary and alternative medicine is an option for men who do not want to visit the doctor, take drugs long-term, or be on a waiting list for counseling.

If you want to try something different, call up your acupuncturist.  They will be happy to answer any questions you have and find an herbal formula to help!

April is Parkinson's Awareness month!  This post highlights some exciting new research in Parkinson's Disease (PD) at Cornell University. 

Researchers found that the main ingredient in aspirin may stop the process leading to cell death in PD.  The published paper can be found here.  The compound is called salicylic acid and is found naturally in many plants.  Scientists were studying its effect on cell death in plants when they noticed its similarities to a medication called selegiline, used to prolong the anti-parkinson activity of levodopa.

To understand its potential to treat PD, the researchers know they would need to study it in human cells.  They tested three forms of salicylic acid (plant-derived, synthetic, and a form from Chinese medicinal herb licorice) to see if it could prevent cell death in human cells.

Results:

• All forms of salicylic acid were able to stop a specific enzyme from damaging brain cells.
• The salicylic acid derived synthetically and from medicinal Chinese licorice were more effective than the plant-derived salicylic acid.

Discussion:
This research shows that salicylic acid may interact with an enzyme linked to PD to stop cell death in laboratory settings.  This opens the door to development of compounds that are similar to, but more effective than, aspirin.  Undoubtedly, more research is needed.  Note, although salicylic acid is a main component of aspirin, aspirin itself has not been shown to be beneficial in PD. 

In this study, a medicinal Chinese herb was as effective as a synthetic compound, and more effective than aspirin itself. Meanwhile, eating licorice for these therapeutic purposes is not recommended.  The licorice used in this study is a specific form derived from Chinese medicine.

About licorice root:
Licorice root, Radix Glycyrrhizae, is traditional Chinese herb that tonifies energy, especially in the digestive and respiratory systems.  In combination with other herbs, it releases cramps and alleviates pain, is used as a poison antidote, can lessen the harsh and toxic nature of other herbs, and enhances the overall effects of an herbal formula. 

Source: Parkinson Disease Foundation