Herbal Medicine

Here in the U.S., Chinese herbal medicine is thought of as alternative medicine, yet for many people throughout the world, Chinese herbal medicine is their primary form of health care. Chinese herbal medicine may be used alone or in combination with acupuncture, movement therapy, meditation, diet therapy, therapeutic massage, or in combination with biomedical treatments. Chinese herbal medicine treats conditions ranging from acute to chronic, and all points in between. In our modern Chinese herbal medicine clinic we frequently see patients with flus and common colds, musculo-skeletal complaints, infertility, GYN concerns, insomnia, stress-conditions and any number of intractable, chronic illnesses.

Rooted in History
Documented evidence of herbal medicine use appears in literature and archeological evidence dating back more than 3000 years in China. Over the years Asian doctors recorded their treatment formulas and developed medical theories for illnesses they encountered. These medical theories and practice are documented in a canon of Chinese medical texts. Chinese medicine continues to receive the benefits of the rich body of historical literature written by Asian physicians.

Materia Medica
Beyond its literature, the practice of Chinese herbal medicine depends on the development of an encyclopedia of medicinal substances, an herbal pharmacopoeia or materia medica, in which each substance is carefully categorized according to its characteristics and actions. There are over 10,000 substances in the current Chinese material medica. Most herbalists, however, use about 200 "herbs" in the formulas they prescribe. Many Chinese herbal substances are highly processed and no longer resemble their original forms. Thees materials are processed in a variety of ways that alter the functions and chemical components of that material. For example, substances may be boiled for hours, fried in vinegar, or calcined (charred). Although we refer to Chinese "herbal medicine," the materials in the Chinese herbal pharmacopoeia are only 80% plant-based; plant substances include roots, rhizomes, bark, fruit, flowers, etc. The remainder of the pharmacopoeia is mineral or animal in origin. Substances in the materia medica are described and organized by various properties: organs, taste, temperature, function and effects.

An Evolving Medicine
The basic practice of Chinese herbal medicine has changed little over time: patients are observed, palpated, an intake interview is done, and a diagnosis developed. While rooted in empirical medical traditions, Chinese medicine has always evolved and incorporated new ideas. Today, when determining a diagnosis and creating an herbal formula, a patient's biomedical diagnoses and lab results are taken into consideration. Once the herbalist diagnoses a patient according to traditional Chinese medical theories and considers biomedical concerns, a treatment plan is created. As part of this treatment plan a combination of substances (referred to as an herbal formula) is chosen. Depending on the treatment goals, Chinese herbal medicine is administered in many forms: methods of administration include water decoction (tea) made from boiling herbs, concentrated herb powders which are mixed with teas or hot water, pills, tinctures, external-use plasters and topical herb creams. Regardless of the form administered, Chinese herbs are rarely used alone but are combined into formula based on combinations of classical and modern prescriptions and commonly include 6 to 14 medicinal substances. Most conditions can be treated with powdered herb concentrate, a powder that the patient stirs into hot water to make a tea.

Indian & Chinese Herbal Medicine
Over the centuries, many substances have been added to the Chinese materia medica and incorporated into clinical practice. Notably, there is considerable overlap in substances appearing in both traditional Indian and Chinese materia medica. These "herbs" were added to clinical practice as trade routes expanded connecting East and Southern Asia. Both traditional Chinese and Indian medicines (Ayurveda) describe the properties of herbs in terms of energetics, in contrast to Western herbalism which explains their effects as chemical actions on physical body tissues alone.