Traditional Chinese herbology grew up parallel to acupuncture in ancient China. There’s a lot of overlap. A lot of conditions can be treated well by both herbs and acupuncture. Some things are treated much better with herbs.
- Tonics for when
the patient is generally exhausted or run down.
- Skin conditions
such as eczema and acne.
- Hot Flashes and
the other signs of hormonal changes at menopause, such as
anxiety and sleep issues.
- Complex
conditions that don’t respond to acupuncture
(or respond slowly), will often respond to herbs. Herbs
are often used to support the acupuncture treatment and
increase its effectiveness.
What herbs do you use?
Some are commonly found in health stores, like ginseng and ginger. Others are only grown in China and are completely unfamiliar to the layman. There are about 300 herbs commonly used. The total pharmacopeia is about 3000 herbs strong.
How are they used?
The difference between chinese herbs and western herbs is that chinese herbs are almost never used alone. They are used in precise formulas containing 4 to 15 herbs. These combinations enhance and balance each other, minimizing side effects. Each formula is customized to a patient’s exact condition. Herbal formulas come in both pill and tea form. Generally, the teas are stronger and fresher and are used to actually treat a condition, while the pills are frequently used for maintenance.
Do you do anything else with them?
Actually, yes. I'm glad you asked. :) I frequently use herbs externally (as liniments, plasters and poultices) for pain and especially for injuries. The fresher the injury is, the faster the combination of acupuncture and herbs can help it to heal. This is actually one of the areas where chinese medicine absolutely shines; if you come into my office within 24-48 hours of injuring yourself (sprain/strain type injury) and avoid the use of ice, you may be shocked at how quickly you recuperate. (But please, have some common sense -- if you hit your head, break a bone, or suspect you've done major damage to yourself, PLEASE, for the love of god, go to a doctor or emergency room ASAP to get evaluated!)
Additionally, I sometimes make use of essential oils in my practice. Essential Oils are highly concentrated herbal essences, and a great many of the commonly used essential oils are part of the chinese herbal materia medica. I use them sometimes topically in my clinic, but mostly I blend them into formulas to make therapeutic bath beads. The web store for them can now be found at http://healingmaven.etsy.com.