About Herbal Medicine
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You may be familiar with
the use of herbs to treat common ailments. Some common Western
herbal treatments include Echinacea to treat a cold, St. John’s Wort for depression, or Gingko
to improve the memory. While this kind of use of herbal medicine
does have value, it is very different from how Chinese herbs are
used. For one, Chinese herbs are most often used in formulas. That
is, instead of giving one herb to treat a condition, perhaps 15
herbs will be combined in a formula.
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Using herbs in combination
allows them to work synergistically to address symptoms while also
harmonizing and balancing the entire body. When taking pharmaceutical
medications it’s no fun to experience side effects; the same
is true of herbal medicine.
The more balanced a formula
is, the less chance there is for further imbalance to occur, and
the more effective
it will be in treating your condition. I like the explanation
Dr. Nan Lu provided in a Newsweek article:
““Chinese medicine is not like a tennis
match with two opposing players—disease and drug…It’s
more like a football game, with many types of players in different
roles.” Some herbs might be star quarterbacks; others are
there to boost their efficacy; still others might tackle toxic
side effects.” (“Learning
From China” by Anne Underwood, Newsweek, 12/2/02,
p. 56)
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| The second main tenet
of Chinese herbal medicine is that each person is treated as
unique and individual. For example, if I treat ten different
patients with |
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colds, each would likely receive
a different formula. In Chinese medicine a cold is
not just a cold: Are you cold, hot, or both? Are you sweating
or not? Is your appetite diminished? Where exactly does
your body ache? These are all factors that come into play when
I design an herbal formula. This means you get a formula specific
to the nuances of your cold symptoms
and your particular constitution. I believe it is
this degree of specificity that makes Chinese herbal medicine
so powerful and effective.
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| Most acupuncturists in Washington
state are not Nationally Board certified in Chinese herbology
as I am. I have the training and expertise to recommend Chinese
herbal formulas that can address your unique concerns, keeping
in mind any possible interactions between herbs and pharmaceutical
medications that you may be taking. Herbal formulas can be
taken in the form of a convenient pill, prepared tea, or liquid
tincture. Often the most effective
treatment combines the use of Chinese herbs with acupuncture.
Together, these two therapies complement and enhance each other's
healing properties. However, either Chinese herbs or acupuncture
on its own can also be effective. |
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