The ultimate goal of Chinese Herbal Medicine is always to address the root causes of disease and to heal the whole body without sacrificing the integrity of its parts. For example, a doctor of Chinese herbal medicine would never heal the liver with herbs that would at the same time damage the kidneys. This commitment to holistic healing stands in stark contrast with the more recent practice in the medical community of prescribing pharmaceutical drugs– which, ironically, are very often derived from herbs. In fact, 25% of all prescription drugs dispensed in the US between 1959 and 1980 were derived directly from herbal remedies. The word “drug” itself is taken from the Anglo-Saxon word for “dried herbs”.
Top 10 Reasons to Take Chinese Herbs
1. Chronic Fatigue
Chinese herbs can help you regain your energy by supporting what the Chinese call the “Qi” or “Life Force” of the Kidneys, the Spleen, and the Lungs. Chinese herbs can also help you to resolve underlying pathologies that may be detracting from your get-up-and-go, such as Dampness or Cold.
2. Insomnia
Instead of taking intense drugs that can be addictive or have other harmful effects, you might want to try Chinese herbs, instead. They work by healing the Liver, Calming the Mind, and Nourishing the Heart Blood. This helps to actually resolve the real root cause of your insomnia.
3. Infertility or Low Libido
Chinese herbs are famous for being able to help increase fertility outcomes and strengthen sex drive. There are so many facets to fertility, but it all comes down to making a patient really healthy. So you have nothing to lose – either a baby shows up, or you feel fantastic!
4. Migraine Headaches
We treat a lot of migraine sufferers with Chinese herbal medicine, and the results are truly impressive, especially when combined with acupuncture. So often the root cause of migraine resides in the Liver. When we heal the Liver using Chinese herbs, we usually see migraines disappear.
5. Indigestion
Gas, bloating, belching, acid reflux – these conditions are really unpleasant, but also really easy to treat with Chinese herbs. The results can be felt very quickly, too.
6. Cough or Asthma
Chinese herbs can resolve a cough or help soothe asthma very effectively. Your herbalist can also help you strengthen your immune system once the respiratory issue has ebated. We don’t want those symptoms coming back!
7. Skin Rashes
Chinese herbs are extraordinarily effective at treating skin conditions. We have especially good results with eczema and hives.
8. Kidney or Gallbladder Stones
The effectiveness of Chinese herbs for treating kidney and gallbladder stones is something that we wish more people were aware of. There are few things more painful than a kidney stone, but there really is a safe and natural solution that really works!
9. Menopausal Symptoms
Hot flashes, night sweats, and weakening bones are just a few of the unpleasant symptoms that menopause can bring about. Fortunately, the Chinese have been helping women to overcome these issues through safe and natural means, without the requirement of hormone replacement therapies. Your body just needs help nourishing the Yin of the Kidney and Liver, and we need to gently draw out the Heat.
10. Menstrual Issues
Chinese herbs treat menstrual issues by allowing the smooth flow of Liver Qi, which regulates the menstrual cycle; by nourishing the Liver Blood, which in turn nourishes the Blood of the Uterus,, and by warming the Kidney Qi and dispelling Cold from the Uterus, which helps to stop pain and stuck Qi. Finally, we use gentle herbs to move the Liver Blood to stop pain, and it all makes for a much better menstrual cycle.
Drugs — Dangerous by Definition
Pharmaceutical companies take these ancient herbal remedies and strip them down to their “key chemical constituents” in order to make them patentable and more potent, with the hopes that this will in turn lead to greater medical and financial gains. However, by isolating these chemicals from the rest of the plant and then concentrating them, the drug no longer contains the moderating effects of the whole herb in its natural state, and it can thus become quite dangerous or even deadly to the body in this form. It is unfortunately a fact that correctly prescribed pharmaceutical drugs claim the lives of over 100,000 Americans every year, according to very conservative estimates.
Let Food Be Thy Medicine
Although our herbalists have trained extensively in the use of Chinese herbal medicine and are nationally certified as a Chinese herbal practitioners, they prescribe Chinese herbs less frequently than perhaps do other herbalists. This is because we have noticed that more and more people who come to us are suffering from nutritional deficits or malnutrition, and these issues must always be addressed with alterations to their diet or with nutritional supplements. Good nutrition is the foundation of good health; as Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine”. From our point of view, it makes no sense to give a patient an herbal formula to boost their Qi when in reality they are eating poorly and are therefore suffering from a deficiency in vitamins, essential fats, trace minerals, amino acids, and so on. These deficiencies must be addressed first, for they are the building blocks of life. Of course, there are often instances when your herbalist will feel it is appropriate to prescribe a Chinese herbal formula, in which case they will do so.
Where Do Chinese Herbs Come From?
The herbal formulas we use are made at state of the art, medical-grade facilities in Taiwan and China, all of which have earned international certification from the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for years, and are ranked in the top 1% in their industries for best manufacturing practices.
What Does Chinese Herbal Medicine Treat?
Chinese herbs can accomplish many things that modern medicine struggles to treat without dangerous medications or hormones. However, although there are literally thousands of studies on Chinese herbal medicine that support their medical use, we are legally not allowed to make medical claims on unregulated supplements. So we instead describe the actions of Chinese herbal medicine on the body according to Traditional Chinese Medical theory and terminology. These actions include “Tonifying the Qi,” “Nourishing the Blood,” “Draining Damp,” “Warming the Uterus,” and other terms that might seem unfamiliar to the Western ear. However, if you ask your Chinese herbalist, they can easily explain what these terms mean for your health.