Chinese Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is the main modality or treatment method within Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM. TCM is the world's oldest continually practiced professional medicine. Its written history stretches back not less than 2,5000 years and its practice is undoubtedly much older than that. Although acupuncture was the first Chinese modality to gain wide acceptance in the West, Chinese herbal medicine is quickly establishing itself as one of the most popular and effective therapies in the West.
Chinese herbal medicine is based on an individual pattern diagnosis as well as a disease diagnosis. This means the patient receives a prescription designed to treat both the symptom or disease and also their individual pattern. Such a TCM pattern is made up of a person's signs and symptoms as well as their emotional temperament and bodily constitution.
What is Chinese herbal medicine made from?
Although called Chinese herbal medicine, TCM practitioners use ingredients from all three kingdoms — vegetable, animal and mineral. However, the majority of these are from vegetable sources. Leaves, flowers, twigs, stems, roots, tubers, rhizomes, and barks are some of the vegetable parts used.
What is Chinese herbal medicine good for?
Chinese herbal medicine treats the full range of human disease and has virtually no side effects, only beneficial healing results. In particular, Chinese herbal medicine is especially good for promoting the body's ability to heal and recuperate.
Treating Acute and Chronic Diseases
Acute diseases, like intestinal flu and the common cold, as well as chronic diseases, such as allergies, gynecological disorders, autoimmune diseases; chronic viral diseases, and degenerative diseases due to aging are all treatable with Chinese herbal medicine. In acute conditions, results can sometimes occur in a matter of minutes. In chronic conditions, some results should be seen within two weeks. Although chronic conditions may require taking Chinese herbal medicine for a long time, signs that the medicine is working should be apparent to patient and practitioner alike almost from the very start.
Treating Children
Pediatrics (the treatment of children) is a specialty within Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is used to treat colic, the fussiness of teething, earache, diarrhea, cough, and fever, among other things, in babies and children.
Choosing a Practitioner
In many states an acupuncturist must pass a licensing test, which includes Chinese herbal medicine. In addition, the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists (NCAA) has created their own certification process. Ask your practitioner for his or her particular educational background.
