Chinese medicine works better than traditional western treatment in relieving irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), said a study revealed by the Chinese University of Hong Kong on Thursday.

The university's Faculty of Medicine conveyed a study more than a year ago, in which 84 patients with IBS, a common digestive disease in Hong Kong, were divided into groups receiving different treatments.

The results show that after eight week's treatment, 46 percent of the patients taking traditional Chinese medicines which include seven types of herbal medicines reported overall improvement in symptoms, compared to 29 percent from the western medicine group.

The above trend was maintained after stopping treatment for eight weeks, with patients taking Chinese medicine still had significant improvement in bowel movements.

Director of Institute of Digestive Disease of the University Professor Joseph Sung said that over 70 percent of the IBS patients have troublesome abdominal pain and diarrhea that lead to major disturbance on daily activities and psychological well-being.

Sung said that conventional Western medicine cannot provide satisfactory and sustained relief of IBS symptoms. Many patients even experience worsening of symptoms after taking these medicines.

"This pilot study suggests that traditional Chinese medicine can be a promising treatment for IBS," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2009)