What is Chinese herbal medicine?
Chinese herbal medicine has evolved over thousands of years. In Chinese culture, herbs are very much part of the food culture, seen as part of the diet that can affect a person’s health and wellbeing.
Chinese herbal medicine uses hundreds of different herbs that are customarily combined in a safe and effective way, into herbal teas, powders or pills to suit a person’s individual needs.
Chinese herbal medicine can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions such as hormonal issues like PMS, fertility and menopause, digestive and respiratory problems, allergic and autoimmune diseases, emotional issues like stress, anxiety and insomnia, as well as skin problems like psoriasis, eczema and acne.
Many ailments, especially in their chronic forms, are difficult for conventional to address, whereas Chinese herbal medicine can produce remarkable results.
Chinese herbal medicine has always been considered the leading therapy of healing in traditional Chinese medicine. It is practiced extensively throughout medical hospitals and clinics in China alongside Western medicine, and also used in everyday life by Chinese people in food.
The systematic and effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine has had an incredible influence on medicine and everyday diet throughout Eastern cultures for centuries. Thousands of years and generations of doctors have carefully observed patterns of illness and have used powerful natural remedies to alleviate these problems and restore and sustain good health and wellbeing.
Are the herbs you prescribe safe?
Yes, the herbs I prescribe are safe. They are safe both because of my education and training in herbal medicine and because of the high quality of herbs that I use in my practice.
Practitioners of Oriental medicine in the United States have a four-year Masters of Science graduate degree in herbal medicines. We learn about hundreds of herbs, hundreds of herbal formula recipes, herbal and pharmaceutical interactions and how to research the quality of herbal products. We continue to learn about herbal medicine through required postgraduate coursework for the longevity of our licensure.
I only use herbs of excellent quality in my practice.
You should absolutely question and have high standards for where your herbal and supplement products are coming from. Herbs and supplements are not really regulated…like at all. If you wanted to you could go out and start telling people which Chinese herbal medicine formulas they should take. Please don’t, I’m really just trying to make a point.
The good news is that most producers of high quality Chinese herbal medicines only sell their products to licensed practitioners.
The companies I purchase herbal products from, both dried herbs or herbal pills and tinctures, have incredibly high standards for the products they produce. They are all in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards, which are the practices required to conform to a set of guidelines recommended by agencies that control the licensing of the manufacture and sale of things like food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, medical devices, herbs and dietary supplements.
All of the companies I use for my herbal products have a high standard for the sourcing of the raw materials (herbs) they are using, do lots of testing for pesticides, providing certificates of analysis on their websites, and high standards regarding processing and delivery of their product to practitioners and therefore to patients. I love the companies I work with and am so grateful their are herbal medicine companies out there that have such a high standard for the products they produce.
Which herbal medicine brands do you use?
Here’s a list of the primary Chinese herbal medicine brands I use and dispense in my practice:
- Spring Wind Herbs
- China Herb Co.
- Kan Herb Company
- Nu Herbs
- Blue Poppy Herbs
- Snow Lotus Essential Oils
The products I use in my practice reflect my support for the widening global movement striving to uplift and strengthen cultural, ecological, and biological diversity and sustainability.
How long will it take the herbs to work?
How long it takes for herbal medicine to work really depends on what’s being treated. If someone is being treated for a cold, they often feel a change very quickly, within hours or a day. Someone taking an herbal medicine formula for anxiety may start to notice a difference in a few weeks, and it can be subtle. People say they notice they are in situations that may have caused them anxiety and now it doesn’t. If being treated for fertility issues, someone may feel different from taking the herbs or they may have better menstrual cycles, a better sperm count or their hormones are better regulated and they are able to get pregnant.
How much do the herbs cost?
On average, herbs cost between $60 and $90 for a three to four week supply. That’s $20 per week. $2.85 per day. Taken two times per day, that’s $1.43 per serving. Which by most measures is very affordable. Do you agree?
What about interactions with my pharmaceutical prescriptions?
When prescribing herbs, I look at what prescription drug medications you’re taking to make sure there are not contraindications, or things that cannot be taken together. Chinese herbal medicines are most often very safe to take with medications, can help reduce the side effects of many prescription medications and assist the body to better simulate the drugs being taken.
That being said, there are specific hers which shouldn’t be taken with certain drug prescriptions and I evaluate each person’s medical history when putting together an herbal medicine order.