What is Chinese herbal medicine?
Chinese herbal medicine is a modality of Chinese medicine. In a way it is the pharmacology of Chinese medicine, where as acupuncture is physical medicine (though acupuncture can be used for internal medicine and herbs can be used for physical medicine, this is a generalization).
In Chinese herbology, formulas are made up of multiple herbs and are prescribed to treat a condition. Knowing the therapeutic action of each herb, the prescribing doctor will make specialized combinations in order to treat your specific issue. There are also pre-established formulas doctors may prescribe if your condition fits with the known signs and symptoms associated with that formula.
One of the benefits of Chinese herbal medicine is it can be created to be very specific for your particular disease. TCM understands that even though someone may be diagnosed with a certain disease, it can look differently in different people. Why? Because each of our metabolic make-ups play a big role in how our bodies deal with disease. The TCM doctor will recognize this and tailor make a formula to fit you as an individual.
How does Chinese herbal medicine work?
As previously stated, these formulas consist of specific herbs that fit the needs of the condition they are treating. Each herb contains one or more active compound that works synergistically to fight a specific disease. For example, there may be a formula that contains a set of herbs that have antiviral properties, or another formula that will work to relieve constipation, or another that contains herbs that expand the vessels in the lungs to help with diseases like asthma. Each formula has specific dosages and the appropriate amount will be prescribed by your doctor.
This is how the medicine will be administered
Typically, herbal formulas are taken in either a liquid form, where the herbs are boiled in order to extract what is needed. Other forms of administration that are common are powder, which can be taken with warm water, or in pill form.
With herbal medicine in general, a higher dosage is consumed than with a pharmaceutical drug because the active compounds are less by volume. In other words, if a set of herbs are boiled, the ingredients that actually work to affect change in your body are not as great by volume as it would be if it was chemically refined in a lab. So it is common to take 10 pills of a Chinese medicine formula where you may typically only take one or two pharmaceutical drugs per dose.
Your doctor will inform you about exactly how much you should take and for how long.
What’s the benefit of taking herbs in this way?
In Chinese medicine it is thought that it is actually safer to consume herbs in this way and there are far less side affects than there are with pharmaceuticals. The herbs in their raw from work synergistically to “balance” each other in a way that toxicity is avoided and therapeutic benefit is amplified.
So if one herb has the affect of increasing the amount of blood flow in the Lungs, another may work to balance out that action so blood pressure doesn’t drop too much.
What can Chinese Herbal Medicine treat?
Through clinical experience, Doctors of TCM have found Chinese Herbal Medicine to be effective for many conditions! Studies continue to emerge about it’s effectiveness in treating various issues. Check out How Does TCM Treat… to find a condition you’re curious about. If the list doesn’t contain disease you’re interested, check in later. I’m always adding to it!
There are actually some conditions that Chinese herbal medicine has a lot of success at treating that pharmaceuticals don’t have. Dermatology is one of these areas. Another is fertility.
Where can I find an Herbalist?
Chinese medicine herbalists are licensed differently in different states. In most states, licensed acupuncturists can prescribe herbs, therefore your herbalist may have a credential like L.Ac. (Licensed Acupuncturist) or DACM (Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine). In Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington D.C. one must have a specific certification to prescribe Chinese herbal medicine. All practitioners in the United States, irregardless of certification title have to pass the standards of the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) and this is true for acupuncturists as well.
I highly recommend you check out How To Find A Qualified Acupuncturist Or Chinese Herbal Medicine Doctor Near Me for a simple yet comprehensive guide to find your next doctor.
Good luck and stay healthy!