CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
For centuries, China and other Asian countries have embraced herbal therapy. Now, the West is catching on to the timelessness of this ancient medicine and has started to incorporate Chinese herbs in the treatment of a wide range of health concerns.
Chinese herbal medicine uses herbs to improve health. The biggest difference between Western and traditional Chinese herbalism is that herbalists don’t treat symptoms or diseases. They treat entire human beings, including their patterns of symptoms.
Chinese herbal medicine has thousands of years of data to back it up. “Throughout history, Chinese emperors worked to preserve and multiply the knowledge of the previous ages. That means today we have almost 2,000 years of clearly written records about how herbs and herb combinations work in different people.”
Chinese herbal therapy can come in different forms however at Yin Studio, Cathy uses mainly black pearls, capsules or granules.
How Chinese medicine herbs work
With Chinese medicine, we don’t treat diseases. We treat patterns and patients. Think about the many distinct habitats on our planet — the Sahara Desert, Florida swampland, Canada wilderness. We need to care for each habitat in its own way.
Our bodies also have a distinct, internal environment requiring a unique approach. It doesn’t matter how many antibiotics you may take — if your internal environment welcomes the problem, you will still have the problem. So we try to balance the body to create an environment that’s not hospitable to your health issues.
The herbs that accomplish this are highly individualised. For example, peppermint and cinnamon are both known to be antiviral. But how well they work depends on the person. Peppermint is cold, and cinnamon is hot. So you’d give peppermint to the patient going through menopause with hot flashes, but cinnamon is too hot for her.
On the other hand, cinnamon would be appropriate for the older gentleman who might wear a heavy coat and boots in summer. That’s how we avoid the side effects.
How long does it take for Chinese herbs to work? The treatment may span between one or two weeks to much longer. If we’re treating a fever or cough, you’ll be good to go rather quickly. But if you have a 40-year history of health problems and multiple chronic diseases, it will take much longer.
What are the benefits of Chinese herbs?
Herbs can help everyone, but especially people who have hard-to-diagnose problems or syndromes. These conditions include:
Allergies.
Autoimmune disorders.
Cancer treatment side effects.
Diarrhea and constipation.
Digestion issues.
Irritable bowel syndrome.
Immune system regulation.
Menopause.
Menstrual or endometriosis pain.
Persistent fatigue.
Are Chinese herbs safe?
There are many who have done extensive research on the safety of Chinese herbs. One important safety measure in both conventional Western and Eastern medicine is liver and kidney function. These organs help us eliminate drugs and herbs from the body.
Over a seven-year study, there was not a single lab result showing kidney or liver problems. And out of 333 patients, there were just five very mild cases of itching or shortness of breath due to allergic reactions.