Chinese Herbs Information

Chinese herbs are a part of the ancient practice of traditional Chinese medicine, also known as TCM. Unlike most herbal medicine in the West, Chinese herbology is a sophisticated and complex medical system built on thousands of years of practice. Resting firmly on a bedrock of Chinese philosophy and cosmology, Chinese herbology not only uses herbs unknown until recently in the West, it also diagnoses illness using completely different categories from those used in the West.

History of Chinese Herbal Medicine

Though the roots of Chinese herbology are lost in prerecorded history, we can trace them back to at least 200 BC to the "Huangdi Neijing." This book, also known as the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon," is the world's oldest medical textbook. In it Huangdi lays out the essentials of theory, diagnosis and treatment on which Chinese herbology is built.
Shen Nong, known in China as the divine farmer, is the earliest figure to whom Chinese herbology can be traced. A semi-legendary figure who is said to have lived 5,000 years ago, he reputedly ingested hundreds of herbs to test their effects and medicinal value. His work, passed along by word of mouth at first and later written down, formed the basis for the first Chinese pharmacology.

Basic Theory of Chinese Herbs

Unlike Western medicine, Chinese herbology is not interested in distilling and using the active compounds in herbs. Quite the contrary, Chinese herbology is a system built on combinations of raw herbs. Ted J. Kaptchuk, in his book "The Web That Has No Weaver," describes medicine built on a system of balances: hot versus cold, dry versus damp, vacuous versus replete. The balance of herbs and their properties is used to rebalance this system in the body. In other words, a person with too much dampness needs a formula that is drying; one who is too cold needs a warming formula.

How Chinese Herbs Are Prescribed

According to David Price, clinical dean at the Asian Institute of Medical Studies in Tucson, Ariz., formulation of an herbal prescription begins with a governing formula, a traditional combination of herbs used to treat a particular pattern of symptoms. Chinese herbal masters typically begin with this governing formula but rarely use it without modification. Herbs are added to tailor the formula to the individual. The formula is filled by a Chinese pharmacist, and may include whole dried herbs to be boiled into a tea, powdered herbs to be dissolved in water, or herbs processed into capsule or tablet form.

Conditions Treated Well by Chinese Herbs

Chinese herbology can treat most conditions treated by Western medicine. Emergency medicine involving bone-setting and removal of foreign matter from the body, as well as conditions requiring surgery, are beyond its purview. It does, however, excel at treating health problems that require systemic solutions. According to Chinese Medicine Works, a San Francisco clinic, some of the conditions treated well by Chinese herbology are acne, allergies, various kinds of arthritis, colds and flu, depression and anxiety, headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, menopausal symptoms, skin conditions and obesity.

Commonly Known Chinese Herbs

Chinese herbology uses more than 1,000 herbs combined into more than 1,200 formulas, according to the TCM Assistant, an online resource. A few of the herbs that have made their way into Western use are ginseng, cinnamon, ginger, licorice and ephedra. In Western use, these herbs treat specific conditions. In Eastern use, they are thought to have specific properties that combine with the properties of other herbs to treat patterns within the human body that are manifest as illness.

Finding a Chinese Herbs Practitioner

If you would like to try Chinese herbs, it is crucial that you find a Chinese medical practitioner. Chinese herbology is no more a do-it-yourself field than endocrinology, for example. To find a practitioner of Chinese medicine, check out the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine website at nccaom.org. Many capable practitioners are not members of the NCCAOM, but those who are have been screened carefully. More important, look for a practitioner who has graduated from an accredited school of Chinese medicine with training in herbs. Then check to make sure this person's state licensing is up to date.