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Chinese Herbology
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Chinese Herbal medicine may be even older than acupuncture. Herbs comprise an important treatment method within Oriental Medicine. While most Westerners are accustomed to drugs consisting of a single ingredient to produce a specific effect, in Chinese Medicine, complex highly individualized formulas are composed with consist of two to fourteen or more ingredients. Typically, these are modified to fit as closely as possible the client's patterns of imbalance. For example, antibiotics may eliminate bacteria but do not improve resistance to being infected. As with all methods in Oriental Medicine, herbal therapy is used to restore balance in the body and mind to promote normal healing. Herbs can be given as teas, granules or pills and are taken regularly, just like conventional Western drugs. Herbal medicine has a unique aspect to it in the use of herbs to strengthen the body, which can be used as part of medicinal therapy and also somewhat like vitamins. What is Chinese Herbal Medicine?Chinese herbal medicine has been used as a form of treatment for multitude of ailments ranging from acute infections to chronic fatigue. There are hundreds of commonly use individual herbs that are nearly always used in combination with other herbs to counteract possible side effects and address various aspects of an illness. The prescribing of Chinese herbal medicine is based upon an individual diagnosis using the techniques of pulse and tongue evaluation in conjunction with the reading of other signs and symptoms to form a unique pattern diagnosis. This diagnosis and it's resulting choice of formula(s) is based on training in Oriental medical theory with is the basis for not only the selection of Chinese herbal medicine but also the proper selection of acupuncture points. There are several factors that are involved with the practitioner's choice in using a pre-formulated formula versus a raw herbal formula. The raw herbal formulas are often a bit stronger in their effect and they allow for a bit more customization. The pre-formulated medicines on the other hand, are far easier to store. They are also much easier to take for the patient since there is no cooking involved and the taste is not a factor (the raw herbs require cooking and the taste can be too harsh for some patients). Most importantly, the clinical outcomes for pre-formulated formulas are excellent. Chinese herbal medicine is quite powerful in its effect. In the case of certain acute illnesses, the effect can be felt immediately (e.g. sinusitis, bronchitis, hives, colds). When treating chronic illness or cases of deficiency (e.g. anemia, chronic fatigue etc.) the effect may take some time often-raging form 2 weeks to several months. This aspect of Chinese herbal medicine is unique in that it allows the practitioner to determine a particular weakness in the body's system and prescribe a form of tonic that specifically addresses that weakness. These tonic formulas are especially valuable for those who have undergone a severe mental, emotional or physical trauma; women who are peri-menopausal or in menopause; and many men and women over forty. It is of the utmost importance that the patient follows the dosage guidelines prescribed by their acupuncturist. Chinese herbal medicine is very powerful but it is not of the concentrated strength of pharmaceuticals. Therefore it is important to take the proper dosage consistently in order to gain the benefits. |
