Herbal Medicine

(Traditional Chinese Medicine, that is)

Why Herbal Medicine?

I’m starting off with this question because foundationally, it is the most important. This medicine works. It is incredibly powerful medicine that is natural, has very few side effects and can work to heal you from the inside out.

This medicine has been around for thousands of years; long before Western Medicine was even a concept. It is an organic, healing medicine that has helped people get through their medical troubles for lifetimes.

What Is Herbal Medicine?

Herbal medicine is the use of natural plants, trees and sometimes animal parts (not necessary!) to treat a physical or mental ailment.

There are many different forms of herbal medicine; however, the type that I practice is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The herbs that I am referring to were founded thousands of years ago (in China) and studied to notice effects on the body. These herbs are now grown all over the world and continue to be used for medicinal purposes.

How Is This Type Of Medicine Different Than Going To Get Supplements From The Store?

It’s actually completely different. When you go to the store or on Amazon to look for a supplement(s), you are buying a single supplement that you heard or read is good for some specific issue.

In TCM, you go to an herbalist who evaluates you, as a whole, and creates a formula (comprised of many different herbs) to treat your specific issue and ensures it won’t create other problems for your body.

Let me give you an explanation.

Lots of people take turmeric for inflammation thinking it will help with pain – maybe for knee pain. Now you go to an herbalist for, let’s say, hot flashes. And because they ask a bazillion questions, they will ask about your supplement intake. When they find out you take turmeric they will advise against this. Because what most people don’t know is that turmeric is a very HOT herb. So though it has anti-inflammatory properties, it also increases heat in the body. Which, as you can imagine, will also cause problems for those with hot flashes. Another issue for those taking turmeric for pain in the lower body is that turmeric is actually an herb that "guides" to the shoulders. So, it doesn’t necessarily work as well for those with knee pain.

This is why going to an herbalist is a much better and more effective way of treating issues vs. a DIY approach.

What Types Of Problems Are Herbs Helpful For?

Herbal medicine is helpful for so many things. The overall premise of Traditional Chinese Medicine is to find balance in the body. And when we’re having any type of issues, whether it be pain or illness or hormonal imbalance, the thought is that we are out of balance.

So we can use herbal medicine to rebalance our bodies and help with:

Illness (think flu, cold, sinus infection etc.)

Chronic sinus problems

Any type of pain

Hormonal imbalances like irregular menstrual cycles

Infertility

Problems that only seem to happen around the menstrual cycle

Menopausal issues like hot flashes, irritability, etc.

Sexual dysfunction (ED, pain)

Urinary issues, like leaking, chronic UTI’s

Bowel & gut health, like constipation or diarrhea

Abdominal pain or discomfort

Chronic gas, bloating or discomfort

Mental health problems like depression or anxiety

Just to name a few…

Which leads me to my next question:

Why Not Just Acupuncture? Isn't That Supposed To Fix Everything?

Of course, acupuncture alone can also assist and sometimes even completely heal these problems.

However, there are times when acupuncture alone either cannot fix the problem; or if it can, it might take a much longer time to accomplish.

The beauty of herbal medicine is that it allows you to take the benefits of your acupuncture treatment and prolong them. It also speeds up your healing timeframe.

If I’m Going To Take A Sort Of Medicine, Then Why Not Just Take A Regular, "Western Medicine"?

Western medicine is obviously well-researched and proven. There’s no denying. And sometimes, it is absolutely what we need. However, along with the good comes the bad. Think about ibuprofen. It can do wonders for pain; but those with a sensitive gut may not be able to tolerate it.

In Chinese medicine, formulas come without the side effects. They are specific to your issue.

So if I use the story from above for pain. Someone who comes in with knee pain and hot flashes will not get the same herbal formula as someone who comes in with knee pain but without any notable heat signs. Or if you get migraines from getting irritated vs. migraines from eating a specific food, your formulas would be different. They are personalized to you and your issues.

How Do You Take Herbs?

There are many ways to take herbal medicine, the most typical nowadays is in granule form. This is a powder-like substance that you dissolve in hot water and drink ‘like a tea’.

There are many other forms, from raw to pills to tincture. Raw is the most time consuming as you must ‘decoct’ it (boil the raw form of the herbs for a certain amount of time) before drinking and pills and tincture are the least time consuming.

I’ve Heard Herbs Taste Like Dirt…Do They?

Well, that might be the one ‘side-effect’, if you will. They don’t usually taste amazing. But it does honestly depend on the issue and what you find tasty. But no, they will not taste like your favorite soda.

If you are super sensitive to taste, then pills will be a better option. The downside of pills is that they are not as customizable.

How Long Will I Need To Take These Herbs?

Let’s just say…it depends. I know that everyone loves that answer. It depends on how chronic the problem is. If it’s something that’s very chronic, you can imagine that you may be on a formula for quite some time. If it’s something that has recently started (a recent illness, pain, etc.), your foray into herbal medicine could be quite brief.

Can Herbal Medicine Be Harmful?

Make no mistake: Herbal medicine is still medicine. So yes, the wrong formula can give potentially harmful side effects. This is why it is so important to have a licensed herbalist do a thorough evaluation. This is also why, as a patient, it is important to be fully present and forthcoming with all of the necessary information so that your herbalist can be as informed as possible when prescribing.