Chinese Herbal Medicine
What is Chinese Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is a major component of traditional oriental medicine, a comprehensive health care system used for over 3,000 years in China and throughout the world today. Herbs have a balancing or regulating effect on the body. When disease occurs, specific herbs are chosen to rebalance the energy and allow the body to heal itself. Herbal medicine consists of 5,767 substances derived from plant, animal, and mineral sources. Most herbalists, however, work with 200-300 herbs.
Conditions Treated by Chinese Herbs
Herbal Medicine treats the whole person, not just the symptoms or complaints, thus helping the body heal itself. It has a long clinical history of treating acute and chronic conditions. Herbal medicine excels in treating conditions that western medicine has difficulty in treating as well as conditions that do not have a western medical diagnosis. Chinese herbal Medicine may be used to treat infants, elderly patients and pregnant women.
How does a Chinese doctor make a diagnosis?
Looking, Listening, Asking and Touching are the four important techniques used by a Chinese doctor to gather diagnostic information. The doctor will ask a variety of questions regarding your specific complaint and your general health and will pay particular attention to your tongue and wrist pulses because different tongue status and pulse patterns will tell the doctor the state of your internal organs. After completing an evaluation, the doctor may recommend an herbal formula consisting of several herbs.
What is Chinese herbal formula? How to preparation?
Individual substances are rarely prescribed alone in traditional Chinese medicine. The combination of substances in a formula creates a new therapeutic agent that can treat much more effectively and completely than a single substance. The traditional method of preparing herbs is to cook the raw herbs in water to form a decoction or tea (See below). Although the taste is sometimes bitter, most people find this acceptable given the health benefits.
Safety of Chinese herbs
One of the most appealing qualities of Chinese Herbal Medicine is the low risk of adverse reaction or side effects. Herbal medicine uses all the constituents of the plant, including the cellulose. The herb is completely balanced, and therefore has minimal side effects. The most common problem is minor gastrointestinal upset, gas and bloating due to slight difficulty digesting the herb material. If this or any other problem occurs, discuss it with your Chinese doctor so the doctor may modify the herbal formula.
How to Prepare Your Herbal Drink?
The treatment will normally start with 5-7 packs of mixed herbs, which are prescribed specifically according to your conditions. One pack is used per day, and prepared in 3 easy steps. (from experience, it is more convenient to prepare the drink in the evening and drink half then and half in the morning after breakfast)
Step 1. Put one pack of herbs into a pot with cold water (The herbs must be immersed in water and soaked for 30-60 minutes). Bring to a boil. After the water has reached boiling point, keep simmering for 20 minutes under a lower heating.
Step 2. Drain the herbal liquid (herbal drink) into a mug. Using the herbs left in the pot add the same amount of cold water, boil it, and simmer for anther 25 minutes.
Step 3. Drain the second herbal liquid into the same mug. Mix and drink half while still warm. Keep the other half in the refrigerator and drink warm (microwave a bit) the next morning. It is better to drink after a meal.
v When you have consumed all packages, return and consult with your Chinese doctor.
v The herbal drink may taste bitter, but it is in most cases, therapeutic and good for you. Try to put up with the taste (many people actually like it). If you cannot stand it, add some honey (no sugar) to it.
Mission statement
Dr. Zuo’s acupuncture and herbal clinic provides expertise on Chinese herbal therapy, acupuncture and Chinese body work. He is well qualified in Chinese medicine and has extensive clinical experience in Chinese and western medicine. All prescriptions contain only the best quality herbs, all imported from china.