Like the other Chinese medicine disciplines, Chinese Herbal Medicine is based on the principle that good health depends on achieving optimum vitality & balance – a balance described in terms of the polarity of Yin & Yang. Chinese Herbal Medicine has a great deal to offer in supporting that vitality & balance.
What does Chinese Herbal Medicine treatment involve?
Treatment with Chinese Herbal Medicine involves the use of combinations of herbs, which are designed to correct the particular disharmony of the individual. The Chinese materia medica contains several hundred commonly used ingredients, including roots, stems, flowers, leaves, and barks, together with some non-plant materials. The principle is that a balance of ingredients with certain properties is matched to the individual patient’s pattern, allowing the practitioner to adapt to the changing needs of the patient. Chinese Herbal Medicine may be administered in a variety of ways. Most commonly it is prescribed either as a tea, to be made up from raw herbs or from concentrated powders, or as a ready-made formula in tablet form. External preparations are also used, including creams, ointments and washes for skin conditions, and compresses for traumatised tissue.
Chinese herbal teas tend to be bitter, but most people get accustomed to them quickly.
What can Chinese Herbal Medicine treat?
The possible uses of Chinese Herbal Medicine are very wide, and people of any age or constitution can benefit from it. The following conditions are commonly treated:
Skin disease, including eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea.
Respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic coughs; allergic and perennial rhinitis and sinusitis.
Digestive complaints, including irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, ulcerative colitis.
Gynaecological problems, including pre-menstrual syndrome, painful periods, menopausal syndromes, endometriosis, some forms of infertility.
Urinary conditions, including chronic cystitis.
Rheumatological conditions, including rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis.
Headaches and migraine
Chronic fatigue syndromes
Anxiety and depression
Hepatitis and HIV: some promising results have been obtained for Hepatitis C, and supportive treatment may be beneficial for HIV
Some metabolic disorders, including diabetes and thyroid conditions, may benefit from supportive treatment.
