Herbal medicine is the main modality or treatment method within Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM. TCM is the world’s oldest, continually practiced, professional medicine. Is written history stretches back not less than 2,500 years and its practice is undoubtedly much older than that. Although acupuncture was the first Chinese modality to gain wide acceptance in the West, Chinese herbal medicine is quickly establishing itself as one of the most popular and effective alternative therapies in the West.
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Western herbalism primarily treats disease or symptoms, such as headaches, runny nose, menstrual pain, etc. Chinese herbal medicine when practiced as part of TCM is base on an individualized pattern diagnosis as well as a disease diagnosis. Herbal prescription designed to treat both the symptoms or disease and also their individual pattern. Such a TCM pattern is made up of a person’s signs and symptoms as well as their emotional temperament and bodily constitution.
Western herbalism primarily uses single herbs or groups of herbs which treat the same symptom or disease.TCM formulas include from 6-18 herbs. They are carefully crafted to include herbs addressing a person's main symptoms as wel1 as the their entire pattern.
Although called Chinese herbal medicine, TCM practitioners use ingredients from all three kingdoms, vegetable, animal, and mineral. However, the majority of these are from vegetable sources. Leaves flowers, twigs, stems, roots, tubers, rhizomes, and barks are some of the many vegetable parts used.
From 15-20% of the standard Chinese repertoire of 500 ingredients originated from outside China. The Chinese have adopted and incorporated into their materia medica herbs from all over the world. What makes these “Chinese” herbs is that they are prescribed according to Chinese medical theory and a TCM pattern diagnosis.
Yes, empirical evidence has proven that Chinese herbal medicine works for Westerners just as well as for Chinese. Chinese herbal medicine has been used successfully in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and all throughout Asia.
The most common method of taking Chinese herbal medicine is as a decoction. This means that the herbs are boiled for 30 minutes to an hour or more and then strained and drunk 2-3 times per day. However, there are also herbal pills tinctures, and powdered extracts for those who do not have the time or taste for drinking traditional decoctions
This method allows the practitioner maximum flexibility in writing a prescription. They can put in just what is necessary in just the right amounts, The formula can be changed even on a daily basis if necessary and decoctions tend to be more potent then other means of administration,
Chinese herbal teas tend to taste very bitter because they are made mostly from roots and barks where the strongest medicinal ingredients are found. If the formula is correctly written, the bad taste should go away after 1 ~2 days. After that time, the patient may even come to crave the taste. This shows that the medicine is working.
Pills and powders are good for prolonged administration in the case of chronic disease where formulas do not have to be very potent or changed on a frequent basis. Pills and powders are also commonly used to consolidate therapeutic results after a successful course of therapy with decoctions.
No, not if the formula has been correctly chosen and written. Most of the medicinals in the Chinese materia medica have a very low toxicity compared to even common, over-the-counter Western drugs. When they are prescribed according to a correct TCM pattern diagnosis, they should have virtually no side effects, only beneficial healing results. If a patient experiences any discomfort while taking Chinese herbs, they should tell their practitioner, who will then modify the formula until there are no side effects.
Chinese herbal medicine treats the full. range of human, disease. It treats acute diseases, like intestinal flu and the common cold, as well as chronic diseases, such as allergies, gynecological disorders, autoimmune diseases, chronic viral diseases, and degenerative, diseases due to aging. In particular, Chinese herbal medicine is especially good for promoting the body’s ability to heal and recuperate.
Yes, if prescribed by a professional TCM practitioner. Chinese herbal medicine has been used for over 2,000 years to treat more than two score of diseases and symptoms occurring during pregnancy without harm to the fetus. Likewise, lactating mothers can take Chinese herbal medicine safely as long as they are prescribed by a trained practitioner.
Yes. Pediatrics is a specialty within TCM and children can be given reduced dosages. There are also special prepared pediatric medicines in pill and powder form. Chinese herbal medicine can treat colic, the fussiness of teething, earache, diarrhea, cough, and fever in babies and children.
In acute conditions, results can be expected in a matter of minutes, In chronic conditions, some results should be seen within two weeks. Although chronic conditions may require taking Chinese herbal medicine for a long time, nonetheless, signs that the medicine is working should be apparent to patient and practitioner alike almost from the very start.
Acupuncture and Oriental medicine work by adjusting the qi of the involved channels so that the qi is able to carry out its function and resolve any symptoms and discomforts that have arisen. In order to accomplish this with maximum potential, the physician must first penetrate the abstract principles of Yin & Yang and distinguish between the polar opposites of Interior/ exterior, Deficiency/Excess, and Cold/Hot that are displayed in a physical condition. This information is then combined with a patient's own bodily signs which are gathered through the Four Examinations. The Four Examinations include Looking, Listening & Smelling, Asking, and Touching. The inter-weaving of information then creates a unique clinical picture of the individual patient and from this the diagnosis and treatment plan are developed.
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