What is Chinese Herbal Medicine?

Chinese Herbal Medicine is part of a wider overall health care system known as Traditional Chinese Medicine. This healthcare system dates back thousands of years in China, making it one of the oldest health care practices in the world today. From its roots in China over 5000 years ago, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Herbal Medicine have developed into a more modern approach which is being practiced today.

Traditional Chinese Medicine takes a holistic approach toward treating and preventing disease. Practitioners often spend years studying how to recognize different conditions, the disease process, and how the treatment to each affliction should be approached. Further, Traditional Chinese Medicine places a great deal of emphasis on working toward preventing disease, as Chinese Herbal Medicines are often used to strengthen the body’s overall health and immune system.

As most diseases have similar systems, they are often treated with a one size fits all approach in western medicine. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine know that while individuals may be suffering from the same disease, most people will react to differently to the same medication. Using this approach, two individuals afflicted with the same condition may be prescribed very different forms of Chinese Herbal Medicine. A qualified practitioner will seek to alleviate your systems and adjust the herbs prescribed until the desired outcome has been reached.

Today, there are more than 500 different substances which are commonly prescribed for use in Chinese Herbal Medicine. A lot of these will be available at a local health store, while others need to be purchased directly from the practitioner. Substances like cinnamon and dandelion you will have likely heard of, while others have names you will probably not be able to pronounce. Most of these herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years primarily because they have consistently offered positive results throughout these millennia. As so many people have gained a great deal of relief over the course of history by using Traditional Chinese Medicine, this makes it one of the most consistent forms of healthcare available today. Further, since these Chinese Herbal Medicines have been in use for thousands of years, it also makes it one of the safest.

Chinese Herbal Medicine can treat and prevent disease and afflictions ranging from the common cold to extreme anxiety. Individuals suffering from insomnia often find relief with herbal medicine when western medicines have failed to treat their condition. Chinese Herbal Medicine is best used in conjunction with other forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as they have a synergistic effect which strengthens the immune system and promotes overall good health.

A form Traditional Chinese Medicine which is practiced the world over is acupuncture. Acupuncture involves the placing of very thin needles into various meridian points in the body to relax certain muscles, or to provide another desired effect. These needles are painless due to their size, and most people will not be able to feel them once they have been inserted. Each individual has thousands of these meridian points throughout their body, which a qualified practitioner will be able to locate and manipulate in order to provide relaxation and a sense of well being. As these meridian points treat different areas of the body than they are located, an individual complaining of a sore leg might find relief from an acupuncture needle placed near their shoulder blade.

As stated above, Chinese Herbal Medicine and all other forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine go hand in hand when working to achieve a desired outcome. Acupuncture is definitely not an exception to this rule. As acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine have been used together for over thousands of years, in order to realize the greatest benefits of acupuncture, herbal medicines are commonly prescribed. These Chinese herbs will help the acupuncture therapy and aid in the body’s healing process between treatments. These herbs can be easily taken at home, and are often helpful even without acupuncture therapy. As there are hundreds of different herbs in use today, many of these will often be combined into one easy to administer serving.

Whether you are currently receiving acupuncture treatments, or are considering it in the future, you should ask a practitioner about involving the use of Chinese Herbal Medicines in your therapy. These two forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine should be used together to achieve the greatest results. If nothing else, with over 5000 years of successful results to back it up, what do you have to lose?