Chinese Herbal Medicine
Traditional, effective & safeChinese Herbal Medicine is one of the main tools, alongside acupuncture, used in the system of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Although the practice of Chinese herbal medicine only began to expand in the UK in the 1980s, it is one of the great herbal traditions of the world, with an unbroken history going back in China to the 3rd century BC.
Due to its effectiveness Chinese herbal medicine continues to be play a major role in healthcare treatment in China, with separate Chinese herbal dispensaries and Western pharmaceutical dispensaries in situ within many Chinese state hospitals. Based on many centuries of clinical experience, Chinese herbal prescriptions have been used for a range of medical conditions.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
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Like the other practices of traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese Herbal Medicine is based on the principle that good health depends on achieving optimum vitality and balance within our body. It aims to understand how a particular pattern of physical and or emotional signs and symptoms reflect an underlying disease or disharmony within the body rejecting a one size fits all treatment mentality. Following diagnosis, the practitioner uses therapeutic combinations of herbs tailored to the patient to correct the perceived cause of ill health. Unlike pharmaceutical medicines, which introduce chemicals into the body, herbal medicines harness the interactions between different compounds to treat illness.
Herbs are usually prescribed in complex formulas that are carefully matched to a specific pattern of ill health that underlies the condition being treated. With the underlying cause of their disease being tackled, rather than just the presenting symptoms, patients often report improvements not only in their presenting condition but in other seemingly unrelated areas of their health. One of the benefits of Chinese herbal medicine is that it is taken every day so works on a daily basis to help with the presenting condition and symptoms.
How do I take Chinese herbal Medicine?
Your herbal prescription is made up of a number of individual herbs depending on your symptoms, condition and Chinese medicine diagnosis. Most commonly, the herbs come in the form of concentrated powders. The prescription is then taken in the form of a tea made from adding boiling water to these concentrated powders. This herbal tea can taste anything from sweet to bitter. Some common herbs include mint, ginger and cinnamon. Sometimes if the taste of the tea is bitter honey or orange juice can be added. All the herbs that are prescribed by Fiona are plant based.
Is Chinese herbal medicine safe?
Side effects from being treated with Chinese herbal medicine are very rare, and as a discipline it has a very good safety record. Fiona is a member of the Chinese herbal register ( RCHM ) and as such is trained to a high standard and practices in compliance with their professional code of practice and conduct. She uses a Chinese herbal company called Phoenix Medical that is on the RCHM Approved Suppliers Scheme to ensure that the herbs she prescribes are safe for medicinal use and of the highest possible quality. ( Any Company on the Approved suppliers list is checked annually by a trained pharmaceutical auditor to see whether it meets the required standards for herbal quality assurance as well as complying with CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) restrictions.
How long does a course of CHM treatment last and how much does it cost?
The length of treatment will vary greatly depending on the condition. Often a course of treatment can last from anything between one and six months. Some people take herbs for a course of treatment and then return with another condition or set of symptoms that they want help with. The average price of herbs works out at approximately £40 – £50 per month.
What conditions can Chinese Herbal medicine help with?
Chinese Herbal Medicine is most commonly used in the following specialist medical areas: