Herbal medicine is the main treatment method within Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM is the world's oldest, continually practiced professional medicine. Its written history stretches back over 2,500 years and its practice is probably much older than that.
Although acupuncture was the first Chinese method of treatment 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.
Q:
What's the difference between Western folk herbalism and Chinese herbal
medicine?
A:
Western folk herbalism primarily treats diseases or symptoms, such as headaches,
runny nose, menstrual pain, etc. Chinese herbal medicine, when practiced as a
part of TCM, is based on an individualized pattern diagnosis as well as a
disease diagnosis. Your pattern is made up of your signs and symptoms, your
emotional temperament and the overall composition of your body.
The
TCM patient receives a custom written herbal prescription designed to treat
their individual pattern as well as the symptom or disease.
Q:
Are there any other differences?
A:
Western folk herbalism usually focuses on one symptom or disease at a time and
use a single herb or groups of herbs for treatment.
TCM
formulas are crafted to treat your entire pattern as well as the symptoms or
disease that prompted you to seek treatment. TCM formulas may include six to
eighteen herbs to treat the symptoms or disease as well as your entire pattern.
Q:
Are all the "herbs" vegetable in origin?
A:
Chinese herbal medicine may include vegetable, animal, and mineral ingredients,
however, the majority of ingredients are from vegetable sources. Leaves,
flowers, twigs, stems, roots, tubers, rhizomes, and bark are among the parts of
the vegetable used..
Q:
Do all the herbs come from China?
A: The Chinese adopted and incorporated herbs from all over the world. Fifteen to twenty percent of the 500 ingredients considered standard originated from outside China. What makes these "Chinese" herbs is that they are prescribed according to Chinese medical theory and a TCM pattern diagnosis.
Q:
Does Chinese herbal medicine work for Western patients?
A: Yes, Chinese herbal medicine works as well for Westerners as it does for Chinese. Chinese herbal medicine has been used successfully in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and all throughout Asia.
Q:
How are Chinese herbal medicines taken?
A: The most common method of taking Chinese herbal
medicine is drinking a liquid, prepared by boiling the selected herbs, There are
also herbal pills, tinctures, tired powdered extracts for those who do not have
the time or taste for drinking the more traditional liquid form.
Q:
What are the benefits of drinking Chinese herb medicines in. liquid form?
A: 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 frequently, if necessary, and the liquid forms tend to be more potent than other means of administration.
Q:
Why do liquid herbal medicines taste so bad?
A:
Chinese herbal teas tend to taste very bitter because they are made mostly from
roots and bark where the strongest medicinal ingredients are found. The bitter
taste may go away after a day or two.
Q:
What are the benefits of pills and powders?
A:
Pills and powders are good for:
- prolonged administration, like for chronic disease Pills
and powders are also commonly used to continue therapeutic results after a
successful initial treatment with liquid herbal medicine. Q:
Do Chinese herbal medicines have side effects? A:
Most of the components of Chinese herbal medicine 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
few, if any, side effects, only beneficial healing results. If
you experience any discomfort while taking Chinese herbal medicine, tell your
practitioner who will modify the formula until there are no side effects. Q:
What is Chinese herbal medicine good for? A:
Chinese herbal medicine treats the full range of human disease. It is used to
treat:
- acute diseases, like intestinal flu and the common cold
Chinese herbal medicine is especially good for promoting the body’s ability to
heat and recover from illness. Q:
Can pregnant women take Chinese herbs? A: A professional TCM practitioner can write
prescriptions that are appropriate for pregnant women and lactating mothers. Q:
Can children take Chinese herbal medicine? A:
Yes again. Pediatrics is a specialty within TCM and children can be given
reduced dosages. There are also specially 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. Q:
How long does it take to see results with Chinese herbal medicine? A: In acute conditions, results may occur 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, signs that the medicine is working should be apparent to the
patient and practitioner alike almost from the very start. Q:
How do I know if a practitioner is professionally trained in Chinese herbal
medicine? A:
Although Chinese herbal medicines are safe when prescribed by a trained,
knowledgeable practitioner, they are strong medicine. Patients should ask about
where the practitioner trained, how long the training was, how long he or she
has been in practice, and what experience the practitioner has had in treating
the patient's specific ailment.
- where formulas do not need to be very potent
- where formulas do not need to be changed very often
- chronic diseases, such as allergies, gynecological disorders, autoimmune diseases, and chronic viral diseases
- degenerative diseases due to aging.
Chinese herbal medicine may be part of the testing done where acupuncture is a licensed and regulated healthcare profession. Ask your practitioner if your state requires a license to practice; about half the states do. In states that do not currently require licensing, patients should ask their practitioner if they are certified by the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists (NCCA). NCCA has created a certification process for Chinese herbal medicine. Practitioners who have passed that certification are entitled to add the abbreviation Dipl. C.H. (Diplomate of Chinese Herbs) after their name.
Courtesy of the American Society of Acupuncturists