Chinese Herbal Medicine Introduction

All traditional cultures have used some form of herbal medicine to treat illness and maintain health. The medicine we need to heal ourselves often grows all around us. 

For instance, aspirin was created from research on white willow bark, a substance that has traditionally been used as a form of herbal medicine in some Native American cultures. 

Chinese Herbal Medicine is the most sophisticated herbal system in the world, with an unbroken tradition going possibly as far back to the 3rd century BC.

Modern medicine is now studying many of the Chinese herbs that have been used for thousands of years. In fact, Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) possibly predates acupuncture, having been firmly established by 200BC (at the latest).

Jing Fang 經 方 means classical formulas and is the name given to a set of herbal prescriptions that were composed, mostly from pivotal works like Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (神農本草經) and Shang Han Za Bing Lun (傷寒雜病論), this was the medicine of imperial China from around the time of the Han dynasty, the Golden Age of Chinese Medicine.

The Shāng Hán Zá Bìng Lùn (傷寒雜病論) Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases, was written by Zhāng Zhòng Jǐng (張仲景)  from 210-219 CE. 

During the Song Dynasty around 1100CE, it was reconstructed and compiled into two other books: Shang han lun (傷寒論) and Jin gui yao lue fang lun (金匱要略方論).

Diagnosis

The theoretical and clinical concepts of Jing Fang are the oldest and most authoritative formulation of Chinese medicine, and have been proven highly effective in the clinical practice of internal medicine for nearly two millennia.    

But it takes a tremendous amount of study which I do on average 4 hours per week.

Since its inception, Chinese Herbal Medicine has established how to differentiate between various dis-eased physiological states and matching an effective herb prescription to correct physiological function.  

It is not a medicine where “you take this herb for this symptom”.  The concept of  “one disease many formulas, one formula many diseases” is what underlies this medicine as it is about restoring your physiological function.

After a thorough intake asking questions, looking at the tongue, feeling the pulse, and abdominal palpation a patient’s underlying physiological imbalances can be better understood.  It is from there that a formula is written.

Chinese Herbal Medicine is a rich and complete medical system that is used to treat a variety of ailments throughout the world.  

It is the understanding of how to diagnose and properly write a formula that makes it so powerful.  We have two thousand years of doctor’s case studies to learn from which makes this plant medicine just as effective today as it was a millennium ago.

• Yin and Yang
• The five elements in Chinese herbal medicine
• Herbs used in Chinese medicine
• Additional treatment and advice
• Special considerations
• Where to get help
• Things to remember

Chinese herbal medicine is part of a larger healing system called traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which also includes acupuncture, massage dietary advice and exercise. 

TCM is a popular method of treatment, with nearly three million Australians visiting TCM practitioners every year.

The underlying principles of TCM are very different from traditional Western notions about health, illness and the workings of the body. 

Chinese herbs are prescribed to normalise imbalanced energy, or Qi (pronounced ‘chee’), that runs through invisible meridians in the body. 

Whether or not the philosophy is believed, studies have shown Chinese herbal medicines to be successful in treating a range of disorders, particularly gynaecological and gastrointestinal disorders.

Yin and Yang

The ancient Chinese proposed that every living thing is sustained by a balance of two opposing forces of energy, called Yin and Yang. 

Together, they make up the life essence, or Qi - a type of energy that flows through the body via invisible channels called meridians. 

Half of certain organs and meridians are governed by Yin and the other half by Yang. 

When Yin and Yang are out of balance in the body, this causes a blockage of Qi and a subsequent illness. 

Yin and Yang imbalances can be caused by stress, pollution, poor diet, emotional upsets or infection. 

For diagnostic purposes, Yin and Yang are further subdivided into interior and exterior, hot and cold, deficiency and excess.

The five elements in Chinese herbal medicine

The TCM philosophy proposes that everything including organs of the body - is composed of the five elements: fire, earth, metal, water and wood. 

The herbs are similarly classified into the five tastes - sweet, salty, bitter, pungent and sour - which correspond to the five elements, for example, since the skin is a metal element Yang organ, it would be treated with a pungent herb.

Herbs used in Chinese medicine

Chinese herbal medicines are mainly plant based, but some preparations include minerals or animal products. 

They can be packaged as powders, pastes, lotions or tablets, depending on the herb and its intended use. 

Different herbs have different properties and can balance particular parts of the body. 

Prescribing a particular herb or concoction of herbs means the practitioner's diagnosis has to take into account the state of the patient’s Yin and Yang, and the elements that are governing the affected organs.

Additional treatment and advice

Your practitioner might advise you to make specific changes in your diet, such as avoiding spicy foods or alcohol. 

Foods are believed to either ‘heat’ or ‘cool’ the constitution, making dietary changes an important part of the healing process. 

Acupuncture might also be used to treat disrupted Qi.

Special considerations

Herbs can act on the body as powerfully as pharmaceutical drugs and should be treated with the same caution and respect. 

Some herbs can be toxic in high doses, while others can cause allergic reactions. 

Make sure your practitioner is fully qualified. Never abandon your regular medication or alter the dose without the knowledge and approval of your doctor.

Where to get help

• Your doctor
• Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner

Things to remember

• Chinese herbal medicine is part of a larger healing system called Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• Herbs are prescribed to restore energy balance to the opposing forces of energy - Yin and Yang - that run through invisible channels in the body.
• Herbs can act on the body as powerfully as pharmaceutical drugs and should be treated with the same caution and respect.