5 Things About Chinese Herbal Medicine That Will Impress You

Are you intrigued by Chinese medicine’s profound philosophy, but don’t have much of a grasp on what it’s all about? Here’s a quick guide to what lies behind one major aspects of Chinese medicine: Chinese herbal medicine.

What is Chinese herbal medicine? Just herbs?

 

As the name suggests, herbs are the main ingredient in Chinese herbal medicine. Indeed, Chinese herbology recognizes more than 3,200 different types of herbs. Some prominent examples are ginseng and astragalus (root is used).

But that’s not all. Chinese herbal medicine also utilizes a slightly less mind-numbing 300 different minerals, insects, sea-creatures, and animal extracts. Cinnabar (ore of mercury), silkworm, seahorse, and rhinoceros horn, are some examples.

The different herb and non-herb ingredients are often combined as formulas, of which there are more than 400 widely known permutations.

So it’s the chemical properties of the herbs that are important, right?

Like Western medication and vitamins, Chinese herbs are chemical agents with illness-treating properties.

But the chemical component of Chinese herbs is not the sole consideration for an effective treatment. Rather, the level of energy output of each formula that goes toward restoring the body’s yin-yang balance is the key determinant.

With so many herbs and ingredients, how do they know which to combine?

In most cases, four types of herbs are included in the formula, categorized as: “emperor,” “minister,” “assistant,” and “ambassador.” There can be more than one of herb of each type.

These herbs are not casually termed. The “emperor” targets an illness’ main symptoms and underlying causes, while the “minister” treats the accompanying symptoms and their underlying causes. The “assistant” harmonizes the formula and eliminates possible toxins and side effects. Finally, the “ambassador” is there to get the formula to the afflicted meridians and organs.

Before being administered to a patient, these four herb types are made into a decoction (medicinal liquid) or capsule and pill variant. After that, like a proper, functioning bureaucracy, these herbs perform their own roles, and combine for efficient “governance” of illnesses.

 

 

Categories: chinese, chinese herbal, Chinese Herbs, Chinese medicine, formula, herbal, herbal medicine, herbs, medicine

What Everyone Ought to Know About Chinese Medicine

Are you intrigued by complementary wellness? Do you feel that your wellbeing is not being optimised by western medicine, and that there might be something better out there? Here’s what everyone should know about one of the biggest aspects of Chinese medicine – Chinese herbal medicine.

 

Chinese herbal medicine is not just about herbs. Although herbs are the main ingredients in Chinese herbal medicine (in fact Chinese herbology boasts more than 3,200 different herb types – some prominent examples being ginseng and the root of astragalus), there is more to herbal medicine than just herbs.

 

Chinese herbal medicine also uses a huge variety of different minerals (over 300 different ones), various insects, animal extracts and sea creatures in its make up. Cinnabar (ore of mercury), seahorse, silkworm and rhinoceros horn are all examples of the various compounds that go into Chinese herbal medicine.

 

All these various compounds – both herbal and non herbal – are combined together to make more than 400 widely-known supplements.

 

Much like western medications and vitamins, Chinese herbs are full of chemicals which have illness-treating properties and agents. However, the chemical component in Chinese herbs is not the only consideration when planning an effective treatment. Instead, the level of energy output that each formula has is considered, in terms of how this can restore the body’s yin/yang balance.

 

In most cases, there are four types of herbs included in each formula. These are categorised as the emperor, minister, assistant and the ambassador. There can be more than one herb in each category. The reason that these names are used is because the emperor herb targets the main symptoms of an illness and any underlying cause, whilst the minister treats any accompanying symptoms of the illness and their underlying cause. An assistant herb harmonises the formula and gets rid of any toxins or any possible side effects. The ambassador herb’s job is to get the formula to the right medians and organs in the body.

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Infertility: Could Chinese Medicine Be The Answer?

In a recent study of complementary therapies, researchers found that women receiving Chinese herbal medicine treatments were twice as likely to get pregnant within a four month period than those taking Western fertility drugs and IVF. The findings of the study also suggest that the quality of the menstrual cycle appears to be crucial to the success of the treatment for female infertility. Infertility is usually defined as an inability to conceive after a year or more of regular, unprotected sexual activity. There has been a  long recorded history of Chinese herbs being used to treat infertility, dating back as far as 200 AD. Alternative TCM treatments have become increasingly popular in Western countries as more studies are proving that they are both safe and effective. It’s not surprising, given that more than a quarter of the world’s population uses Chinese medicine as part of their regular health care regime.

Researchers did a meta-analysis of non-randomised controlled trials or cohort studies, then compared clinical pregnancy rates which were achieved with Chinese herbal medicine compared to Western medicines, including IVF. In addition to this, they collected common TCM pattern diagnosis in infertility relating to the quality of the menstrual cycle and the associated symptoms. The results show that women had a 3.5 greater chance of achieving pregnancy with Chinese herbal medicine therapy over a four month period than those using Western medicine drug therapy alone. Average pregnancy rates were at 60 per cent for Chinese herbal medicine compared to just 32 per cent for Western medicine. While health is said to be the common goal of both Chinese medicine and conventional treatments, the ideas on the etiology disease, disease itself and the process used to maintain wellness are quite different. Western physicians learn that disease should be cured by prescribing medicine or using surgical intervention, whereas in TCM there is a focus on healing the patient and treating the whole person, not just the disease. As such, there are other factors to take into account, such as the individual’s state of health. According to TCM, a person is far more than their pathology – treating the pathology is usually temporary, however successful it may be at the time of testing and treating.

 

Where female infertility is concerned, the key factors in TCM are focussing on the reduction of stress and re-establishing balance, as well as regulating hormones and menstruation. It is recognised that many cases of infertility stem from a problem that is often more functional than structural, whereas Western medicine treatments are not only invasive but also stressful for patients. Stress is not conducive to a health pregnancy, and as such can often be the cause of infertility problems. Fertility management has been studied in depth and is well developed in Chinese medicine. GPs in modern China have a reported 70 per cent success rate in treating both men and women with herbs for infertility, and hundreds of herbs are used within these treatments. Herbal medicine is often used with a combination of other therapies, such as massage, diet and lifestyle modifications, and acupuncture. TCM fertility techniques are usually non-invasive and can often provide a better success rate than the costly Western treatments we are more familiar with. If you’re having trouble conceiving, you should speak to your GP who can offer advice on the subject and offer testing to see whether there is anything wrong with regards to your ability to get pregnant.

Categories: chinese herbal, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, medicine treatments, menstrual cycle, month period, pregnancy, pregnancy rates, success rate, western medicine

Acupuncture Eases Endometriosis Pain - New Study

on 25 December 2013.

Researchers find that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are effective for the relief of endometriosis pain. Local Abdominal AcupunctureThe total effective rate for auricular acupuncture was over 90%. The total effective rate for Chinese herbal medicine was 60%. A closer look revealed that the effective rate for mild to moderate dysmenorrhea due to endometriosis for both auricular acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine was similar. However, auricular acupuncture showed greater efficacy for the relief of severe dysmenorrhea due to endometriosis.

A total of 24 studies were reviewed for this investigation. One of the studies met all of the inclusion criteria and was the basis for the research conclusions. The study inclusion criteria ensured that only credible research meeting the toughest standards underwent evaluation. The study had to be a randomized, blinded controlled trial of women that are of reproductive age. Additionally, a laparoscopy was required to confirm the diagnosis of endometriosis.

The study reviewed by the researchers meeting all inclusion criteria consisted of 67 patients. Based on the positive clinical outcomes reviewed, the researchers suggest that additional studies are appropriate to investigate the efficaciousness of acupuncture for the treatment of endometriosis related pain.

In related findings, Dr. L.C. Giudice, MD, PhD cited acupuncture as effective for the treatment of endometriosis related pain in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Dr. Giudice cited another randomized, sham-controlled trial of women suffering from endometriosis pain. The study concluded that acupuncture definitively and significantly reduces endometriosis related pain.

This type of research is important because endometriosis pain often worsens over time and can be both severe and debilitating. Approximately 10% of reproductive age women suffer from endometriosis. Additionally, approximately 50 percent of infertile women have endometriosis. Biomedical approaches to controlling endometriosis include surgery, oral contraceptives and anti-inflammatory drugs. GnRH agonists are also used as a treatment modality. However, GnRH agonists lower estrogen levels and may lead to endometrial atrophy and amenorrhea. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) including acupuncture and herbal medicine has a documented history for the treatment of dysmenorrhea related pain for over 1,000 years and is now the subject of modern research.

HealthCMi Authors: The Healthcare Medicine Institute publishes acupuncture continuing education courses for acupuncture CEUs and acupuncture PDAs online. Many of the HealthCMi course materials include acupuncture and herbal medicine treatments for PID, cervicitis, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis and infertility. The HealthCMI news division publishes research and related items on topics relevant to licensed acupuncturists and their clinical practices.

References:
Zhu, Xiaoshu, Kindreth D. Hamilton, and Ewan D. McNicol. “Acupuncture for pain in endometriosis.” Sao Paulo Medical Journal 131, no. 6 (2013): 439-439.

Endometriosis. Linda C. Giudice, M.D., Ph.D. N Engl J Med 2010; 362:2389-2398June 24, 2010.

Wayne PM, Kerr CE, Schnyer RN, et al. Japanese-style acupuncture for endometriosis-related pelvic pain in adolescents and young women: results of a randomized sham-controlled trial. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2008;21:247-257.

Categories: auricular acupuncture, chinese herbal, controlled trial, effective rate, endometriosis pain, endometriosis related, herbal medicine, inclusion criteria, related pain