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Chinese herbal medicine:
 Chinese herbal medicine is one of the oldest and greatest herbal systems of the world, with an unbroken tradition and knowledge bank going back to the 3rd century BC. Yet throughout its history it has continually evolved and has been sustained by research throughout its development. This process continues today.
Because of its systematic approach and effectiveness it has for centuries had a very great influence on the theory and practice of medicine in the East, and more recently has grown rapidly in popularity in the West. It still forms a major part of healthcare provision in China, and is provided in state hospitals alongside western medicine. It is a complete medical system that is capable of treating a very wide range of conditions.
Herbal Medicine and Modern Pharmacology
There is a growing body of research which shows that traditional uses of plant remedies and the known pharmacological activity of plant constituents often coincide. However, herbal medicine is distinct from medicine based on pharmaceutical drugs. Firstly, because of the complexity of plant materials it is far more balanced than medicine based on isolated active ingredients and is far less likely to cause side-effects. Secondly, because herbs are typically prescribed in combination, the different components of a formula balance each other, and increase efficacy and enhance safety.
Thirdly, herbal medicine seeks primarily to correct internal imbalances rather than to treat symptoms alone, and therapeutic intervention is designed to encourage this self-healing process. In other words symptoms are not just suppressed or temporarily dealt with, the process of taking herbs encourages self-healing and has lasting benefits even in some chronic conditions that modern medicine can’t help with much, this is especially the case with some skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
What can Chinese Medicine treat?
Chinese medicine is successfully used for a very wide range of conditions. Among the more commonly treated disorders are:
Skin disease, including eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, urticaria
- Gastro-intestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation, ulcerative colitis
- Gynaecological conditions, including pre-menstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhoea, endometriosis, infertility, PCOS
- Chronic fatigue syndromes
- Respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic coughs, allergic and perennial rhinitis (hayfever) and sinusitis
- Rheumatological conditions (e.g. osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis), SLE
- Urinary conditions including chronic cystitis
- Psychological problems (e.g. depression, anxiety), insomnia
- Many common children's diseases
What are the herbs like and how much will they cost?
I prescribe herbs as either powders that you add to water to make a tea or pills. The herbs will at first taste unusual and not very nice, but the vast majority of people get used to the taste very quickly.
The cost is approximately £12 - £15 per week for the herbs.
Are herbs safe?
Chinese herbs are very safe when prescribed correctly by a properly trained practitioner. Over the centuries doctors have compiled detailed information about the pharmacopoiea and placed great emphasis on the protection of the patient. Adverse reactions can occur with any form of medicine. In the case of Chinese herbal medicine these are rare.
Endangered species
The herb suppliers that I use are members of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM) Approved Suppliers Scheme, which has a strict policy of prohibiting the use of any type of animal or endangered species. It is a topic that I feel so strongly about I did my MSc dissertation on it and examined the use, prohibition and effective substitution of these products in gynaecology.
Who can have treatment?
Chinese medicine can be used by people of any age or constitution. I always take any previous or current illness or medication into account before providing treatment. With suitable adjustments for dosage and care, children and pregnant women can very well be treated by Chinese medicine.
Pregancy & Fertility Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine in Surrey
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