Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbal medicine is composed of various Chinese herbs grown throughout China. Herbal medicine has long been used for various ailments. Formulas have been documented in ancient texts dating back 2000 years.
Throughout Chinese Medicine’s history, these formulas have been used for a variety of conditions and many of these formulas are still being used today. They have been shown empirically and also through modern research to be effective in various conditions such fibromyalgia, endometriosis, and primary dysmenorrhoea.
Chinese herbs are categorised into different tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent and bitter), different natures (warm or hot, cool or cold or neutral) and can enter different meridians. For example, cooked rehmannia (shu di huang), a common herb used in gynaecological conditions has a sweet taste, warm nature that enters the kidney and liver meridians.
Chinese herbal medicine is also viewed as an extension of food in the daily diet and can include every day foods like star anise, cinnamon and ginger in treatment of various conditions.
Chinese herbalists can use dried herbs, patent formulated pills or powdered concentrates to treat patients. Many herbal medicines are currently being researched for pharmacological compounds that will eventually be used in modern drugs. For example, artemisinin derived from artemesia annua (qing hao) is used currently for the treatment of malaria. Traditionally the whole herb has been known to be used to treat malaria in the Chinese pharmacopeia over 1000 years ago.
The practitioners at MHHG are trained to treat patients by addressing the pattern of the condition identified for each individual patient and place great importance on herbal medicine not interfering with primary treatment/western medicines.
The combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine work well in concert to improve the function and the substance of the body.
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