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Chinese Herbal Therapy and Acupuncture
The Chinese were among the first civilizations to realize the potential of herbal therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complete medical system for diagnosis and treatment. The best part of Chinese herbal therapy is that it sees every body part, process, thought and emotion within the individual as unique and realizes its contribution to the healthy functioning of the whole person. Therefore, the disorder is not seen as an isolated event but as an outward manifestation of the whole person being out of balance and Chinese herbal therapy aims to do just that-in a natural way.
The foundation of Chinese herbal therapy
Traditionally, Chinese medicine made use of many treatment modalities, including acupuncture, moxibustion- the application of heat to the skin, cupping-or applying suction to the skin), gua sha-scraping the skin, massage, dietary and lifestyle recommendations, exercise and stress-reduction techniques that all worked alongside the herbal medication prescribed. This is still carried forward in modern times as well as Chinese herbal therapy is aimed at the holistic healing of the individual.
Understanding the advantages of Chinese herbal therapy: main functions
Chinese Herbal therapy has three main functions:
- treating acute diseases and conditions by killing bacteria or a virus;
- healing chronic illnesses, like gastrointestinal disorder, respiratory disorder, allergies, immune system deficiency by strengthening the body, helping it to recover and
- maintaining this restored health daily by keeping the balance of human body.
Apart from these functions, Chinese herbal medicines are much gentler and safer than other forms of alternative therapy since this system uses natural herbs and extracts that do not cause dangerous side effects. If in the rare instance that side effect occurs, these can be counteracted by using other herbs to balance the metabolism. It is therefore used for treating chronic illnesses, for the reduction of side-effects caused by the use of other medication like antibiotics, chemotherapy, etc and for the prevention of disease.
Some famous herbs used in Chinese medicine:
Herbs used frequently in Chinese medicine therapy include American Ginseng, Asian Ginseng, Astragalus, Bitter Melon, Bupleurum, Chinese Scullcap, Corydalis, Dong Quai, Eleuthero, Fo-ti, Ginger-Garlic, Ginkgo biloba, Green Tea, Licorice, Maitake, Reishi, Schisandra, shiitake and Sweet Annie.
Acupuncture advantage in Chinese herbal therapy
A component of the traditional Chinese system of medicine, Acupuncture requires prior diagnosis based on TCM before the administration of acupuncture needles. This diagnosis is based on practitioner's observation of the pulse and tongue when interviewing the patient, which is a vital part of diagnosis for acupuncture therapy as it is useful for assessing the body's balance of yin and yang-hot or cold properties-; for evaluating deficiency or excess patterns of disease and determining the state of internal organs and channels.
Upon assessment, a series of acupuncture points are selected to improve the balance of yin and yang, to harmonize a deficient/excess condition and to nourish the organ/channel involved in the disease process. Experts add that even though Acupuncture has many followers, the herbs used in TCM treatment are of equal importance to the overall treatment.