The origins of Chinese herbal medicine date back several millennia, making it one of the oldest and still surviving systems of health-care treatment in the world.
Over the course of its long history, it has been systematically developed through a combination of innovative thinking, keen observation, and intelligent analysis on the part of some of the most capable and dedicated people to have lived.
Many written commentaries, which were derived from lifetimes of clinical practice and personal research, accumulated over the ages to form the basis of Chinese herbology as it is practiced today.
Modern science, performed predominantly in China and Japan over the course of the past forty years, has been successful in isolating some of the active ingredients believed to be involved in the therapeutic effects which were described by the historical writers.
Certain drugs in use today have been developed from the Chinese herbal inventory, such as those used in the treatment of asthma and hay fever, from Chinese ephedra, hepatitis, from schizandra fruits and licorice roots, and malaria, from artemisinin.
Clinical studies undertaken in China within the numerous research institutes, teaching hospitals and universities devoted to the study of Chinese medicine have demonstrated that many of the herbs currently prescribed are capable of greatly increasing the effectiveness of modern drug treatments, reducing their side-effects, and, in some cases, replacing them completely.
Conditions that can be successfully treated include:
- Insomnia and fatigue
- Loss of appetite and common digestive disorders
- Constipation and diarrhoea
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Common cold and influenza
- Chronic headaches
- Skin disorders
- Fluid retention
- Anxiety, depression and stress
- Allergies
- Rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
- Premenstrual syndrome and painful menstruation
- Excessive menstruation
- Infertility
- Impotence and prostate disorders
- Disorders associated with menopause
While the results of clinical studies in the West have provided mixed results in terms of evidence for the efficacy of Chinese herbs, this may be due to methodological problems in assessment arising from the differences in which illness is categorized and treated within the respective systems of Western and traditional Chinese medicine1
Regardless of such difficulties, today many people outside of China choose to be treated with Chinese herbs based upon the extensive amount of experience that exists behind their recommendation for certain disorders and their low risk of relatively benign side-effects.
At Healing Arts, we prescribe plant and mineral based herbal medications and source them from the highest quality producers. For the convenience of our patients, we also offer them in tablet, capsule or granular form.
To watch an instructional video on how to prepare a traditional herbal decoction using granular concentrates, please click the following link:
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Sources:
1 Chiang, Poney PhD. “Evidence-Based Oriental Medicine and the Future of Integrative Medicine” Pacific College. 2009. Web. 10/23/2015
Dharmananda, Subhuti PhD. “An Introduction to Chinese Herbs” Pacific College. 2011. Web. 10/15/2015
