Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. versus Sulfasalazine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A well-designed clinical trial of a botanical demonstrating effectiveness

Claims that Traditional/Alternative medicine (TM/AM) remedies are effective are routinely ignored by Western Medicine. However, the results of a clinical trial that demonstrated the clinical efficacy of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. (TW), a TM used as an anti-inflammatory, were recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Why this article was published in a peer reviewed Allopathic medical journal is an important question that begs examination and may lay the future promise of TM/AM therapeutic interventions. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.