Chinese Herbal Medicine for Wellness
May 11th, 2009
An important component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the use of herbal medications and formulas. Chinese herbal medicine uses more than 600 different herbs prescribed in different combinations to treat specific diseases. There are hundreds of classic formulas, composed primarily of herbs of plant origin.
While conventional therapies often do not incorporate herbal medication into treatment, Chinese herbal medicine has been proven effective in health maintenance and disease prevention. Over 50 percent of allopathic pharmaceuticals are composed of botanical substances.
Chinese herbal medicine is used internally and externally. The most common way internal formulas are administered is in an infusion, or concentrated tea form. Occasionally, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners will create herbal formula capsules, pills, granules, or tinctures. External herbal formulas are prepared as liniments, powders, extracts, pastes, and salves.
There are over 6,000 medicinal substances in the Chinese pharmacopoeia. Herbs are always used in combined formulations to treat specific conditions; TCM practitioners do not prescribe single herbs to treat disorders.
When recommending specific Chinese herbal formulas for treatment, TCM practitioners take into consideration the therapeutic effect of each herb as well as the combined effect of the herbs when processed together. A formula typically consists of 4-20 herbs to treat related secondary aspects of the disorder as well as the root cause and to reduce side effects of individual herbs.
Herbs are categorized by temperature and taste. Temperature characteristics are described as cold, cool, hot, or neutral. Taste properties include: Sour, bitter, sweet, bland, spicy, and salty.
Herbs are also organized according to affinity and primary action. Affinity refers to an herb’s relation to a particular organ system. Primary action is the effect of a specific herb. Combinations of these four properties result in herb formulas tailored to treat different conditions and qi imbalances.
In traditional Chinese medicine, all living things contain qi, or life force energy. While herbal formulations are composed to treat specific qi imbalances, each herb also has its own qi, which determines the basis of its action mechanism.
Your TCM practitioner or acupuncture physician will diagnose your condition and may create or recommend a standard formula to enhance the effects of acupuncture therapy.
Chinese herbs have been proven to be very effective in treating colds, anemia, chronic cough, wheezing, back and knee ache, poor circulation, an impaired immune system, allergies, digestive disorders, fatigue, influenza, chronic headaches, skin disorders, and rheumatoid arthritis, among others.
Chinese herbal medicine is a main component of TCM and is used to treat all conditions and ailments.
For information about acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy for wellness call Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician, at (305) 595-9500. .
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