What is Chinese Herbal Medicine? Chinese herbal medicine is one of the most sophisticated professional systems. There are more than 10,000 medicinal substances published by the Chinese Ministry of Health. Most herbs come from plant sources and have been found through hundreds of generations of experimentation to be effective for a wide variety of conditions. What are Chinese herbs?
Chinese herbs are not limited just to barks and roots; this simple term has been broadened to include many other medicinal agents and includes animal as well as mineral products. The development of the TCM "materials for medicine" has gone from an original 364 entries when it was first formally compiled around the fourth century AD, to almost 6,000 items today.Chinese medicinal plants have played an important role in disease prevention and in the treatment of the Chinese people for thousands of years,. Currently, their importance and significance have been recognized by the Western world and are now openly received by the general public.
Why Take Herbs? Herbs are a powerful way to rebalance and nourish the body with very few side-effects. Herbs can be used to fight infection, improve immunity, help digestion, enhance liver function, relieve anxiety, help depression, and improve sleep to name a few. We take into account drug-herb interactions when prescribing.
Why is Chinese Herbal Medicine So Powerful? The diagnostic system recognizes patterns of imbalance – groups of signs and symptoms categorized into patterns, not just diseases. Because of this specificity to the individual two patients that may have the same condition in conventional medicine may have different patterns in Chinese Medicine and receive their own herbal formulas.
Why Do We Combine Herbs into Formulas? The synergy of herb combinations is a key component of Chinese herbal medicine. Just like a meal contains a combination of flavors to create a taste greater than the sum of the individual parts, the same is true for herbal formulas. A typical formula will contain 4 to 20 herbs.
What Are Tonic Herbs? Tonics are a special category of Chinese herbs that have been used for centuries to rebuild the body’s vital energy. They can be used to:
• Strengthen the immune system • Increase energy • Balance hormones • Improve athletic performance • Strengthen libido
Some of the best known and researched herbs in the Chinese pharmacopeia are tonic herbs such as ginseng, reishi mushroom, cordyceps and dang gui.
What About Herb Quality? We use only herbs from reputable suppliers that have been manufactured to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards, tested for heavy metals, adulterants and toxins.
At Bayside Acupuncture and Natural Medicine, our clinic herbs are dispensed as custom-made formulas in granulated herbal teas, capsules, tablets and raw herbs.
