Western & Chinese medicine work together to help with joint problems
發佈日期: 2025-05-28 19:35
TVB News
The Hospital Authority launched its integrated Chinese-Western medicine pilot programme targeting arthritis patients in the city, in a bid to relieve patients' joint pain and reduce the negative side effects of medication.
The long-term goal of the programme is to prevent patients from having to undergo joint replacement surgery.
It's a scene that may become more of a regular occurrence in the near future -- two orthopaedists, one practicing Western medicine and one practicing Chinese medicine, working together to treat patients.
The Hospital Authority noted the need for this cooperation arose from Hong Kong's rising elderly population, with cases of arthritis becoming more common.
Yuen Long's Pok Oi Hospital introduced the joint Western-Chinese medicine treatment on its premises in May last year.
Those seeking treatment for early stages of arthritis at specialist out-patient clinics currently do not need to undergo joint replacement surgery.
They could voluntarily accept referrals with clinic consultation fees costing 120 dollars.
Patients here primarily receive treatments including physiotherapy, weight management or medication.
Representatives of the HA noted they have acquired Chinese medicine experience on the mainland, having introduced treatments such as acupuncture and the use of Chinese medicine.
I think the strategy of what we're trying to put in is really to capture when we put in the Chinese medicine together, we have the advantage that we can put into the overall treatments.
In the long run, they don't need all the major surgeries and they can keep their own biological knee joints.
Now we incorporate Chinese medicines into our treatment in fact to expand our spectrums for non-operative treatments.
As of now, the Western-Chinese medicine programme has been implemented across five HA hospitals.
At least 280 patients have received such treatments as of the end of March this year.
The Hospital Authority stressed its determination to apply the integrated Chinese-Western medicine pilot programme to Hong Kong's arthritis patients primarily stems from the city's aging population problem.
Health authorities said the programme aims to strengthen patients' joint functions and slow down joint degeneration.
