Expert Chinese Herbal Medicine Advice and Prescriptions Draft
What is Chinese Herbal Medicine?
Chinese herbal medicine is the use of roots, leaves, barks and other organic matter in varying forms to treat health conditions. Chinese herbal medicine forms one of the two primary pillars of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has throughout history been the most widely used and documented part of Chinese medicine.
Chinese herbal medicine has a long history, stretching back more than 2000 years. Modern Chinese herbal medicine builds upon this history in the form of case studies, books and more recently scientific studies.
A key component of the effectiveness of herbal formulas is their flexibility. In fact, TCM formulas are designed to be modified and this ability for precise customisation allows a skilled practitioner to design formulas that can treat a variety of conditions.
There are four main treatment types in Chinese herbal medicine, raw herbs, granules, pills and tinctures with the main difference being efficacy and the time taken to prepare the medicine. In short, raw herbs and granules are both customisable and are considered to be stronger, with raw herbs, the strongest, while granules are easier for the patient to make up. Tinctures and pills are generally pre-made and are not as strong but can still be effective for patients who cannot take granules or raw herbs, For more information on raw herbs (much of which applies also to granules) visit our blog.
With a variety of treatment options and more than 300 commonly used herbs, the herbal dispensary is the other very important part of Chinese herbal medicine. Herbal dispensaries need to ensure their range allows practitioners the freedom to prescribe exactly what they want while providing herbs that are high quality and accurately dispensed.
Chinese Herbal Medicine Benefits
Chinese herbal medicine takes an holistic approach to healing. While health conditions may present in symptoms such as eczema, endometriosis, pain or digestive issues Chinese medicine theory suggests that that health conditions generally arise from an imbalance in the body. This theoretical understanding of the body and the issues that can arise allows Chinese herbalists to treat a wide variety of health conditions.
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In Western dermatology problems are often treated with topical creams or strong medications that help superficially but often do not treat the root cause. The relief may be instant and strong, but sometimes these medicines are too strong to be able to be sustained over a long period of time. Chinese medicine takes a more holistic approach to healing seeing the skin as a reflection of the internal health of the body. A Chinese medicine treatment while addressing the symptoms will also look to resolve the underlying issues, utilising herbal medicine treatments and addressing diet and lifestyle to attempt to resolve the root cause. Chinese herbal medicine treatments for skin generally use tailored raw herb or granule formulas as these are stronger and tend to provide the best results. For a more detailed explanation of how Chinese medicine can help skin conditions visit our page on dermatology.
Endometriosis is described in Chinese medicine as resulting from the slowdown and stagnation of blood flow in the pelvis. This stagnation gradually becomes visible by laparoscopy as endometrial lesions. Chinese medicine treatments for endometriosis attempt to address the underlying issues behind the condition, diagnosing the cause of the blood stagnation and tailoring specific herbal prescriptions to address this. Chinese herbal medicine treatments for endometriosis often consist of a tailored raw herb or granule formula as well as pills or tinctures taken daily. For a more detailed explanation of how Chinese medicine can help visit our page on endometriosis.
Digestive disorders are commonly seen in Chinese herbal medicine with a number of studies showing how Chinese herbs can be effective for constipation, IBS, reflux and a number of other issues. See research here Chinese herbal medicine treatments for digestive issues can include raw herbs or granules (if suitable for the patient) or in cases where the digestion is too weak for stronger herbal formulas, milder formulas, pills or tinctures can be taken. Acupuncture can also help to make herbal treatments more palatable and this is sometimes done as an adjunct to herbal treatments for digestion. For a more detailed explanation of how Chinese medicine can help visit our page on digestion.
There are a number of different sleep issues which can be benefited from Chinese herbal treatments. These can include insomnia, waking up feeling groggy (poor sleep), sleep apnea and others. Studies are starting to come out showing that Chinese herbal medicine and chinese medicine in general can assist in the treatment of sleep related health conditions. See research here. Chinese herbal medicine treatments for sleep use a variety of formulas depending on the patients symptoms, these are generally in raw herb or granule form taken once or twice a day, however pills and tinctures can also be effective. For a more detailed explanation of how Chinese medicine can help visit our page on sleep.
Chinese herbal medicine is commonly used in the treatment of women who are trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or recovering in post pregnancy. Chinese herbal medicine when used by a trained practitioner is a safe and beneficial way to prepare the body for pregnancy as well as correcting any imbalances that may be preventing a pregnancy from taking place. There is scientific research on the use of Chinese medicine for assisting with infertility. See research here Treatment for infertility usually consists of raw herb or granule formulas addressing the balance of the body, ensuring healthy menstrual flow, correcting any abnormalities and improving fertility. Pills and tinctures can also be beneficial. Chinese herbs can be used as a standalone treatment or with acupuncture, and both can work in conjunction with IVF treatment. For a more detailed explanation of how Chinese medicine can help with gynaecological issues such as infertility visit our page.
There is a saying in Chinese medicine that when there is free flow, there is no pain and when there is pain, there is no free flow. The saying is talking about the flow of qi and blood around the body. Chinese herbal medicine treatment for pain will diagnose areas of stagnant flow and attempt to restore the correct flow and balance to the body. There is considerable research on the use of Chinese medicine for the treatment of pain. You can find links to the research here Treatment for pain usually consists of raw herbs or granule formulas, or pills and tinctures. It is recommended to utilise Chinese herbal medicine in conjunction with acupuncture for pain related issues as this usually yields the best results.