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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.
What can Chinese Medicine help?
Chinese medicine has been used for centuries to help with a very wide range of conditions. Among the more commonly seen problems in modern clinics are:
- 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
- Skin diseaseas
- Respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic coughs, allergic and perennial rhinitis (hayfever) and sinusitis
- Urinary conditions including chronic cystitis
- Psychological problems (e.g. depression, anxiety), insomnia
- Many common children's diseases
In my clinic, I see many patients benefit from taking herbs for a whole host of gynaecologically related issues. My final MSc thesis looked at how classic, centuries-old gynaecological herbal formulas are best adapted for today's women in UK clinics.
What are the herbs like and how much will they cost?
From 30th Arpil 2011 the UK law changed as a result of a European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products, the aim of which is to ensure all EU countries follow the same rules with respect to the quality and safety of remedies.
The UK government announed in April that it plans to bring in statutory regulation of herbal practitioners within the next year or so, which means they can be members of the Health Professions Council (HPC). This will ensure protection of title for herbalists, meaning only suitably trained and qualified people will be able to prescribe herbs. Until this is introduced however, we have to work under a number of restrictions in terms of which herbal products we can issue to our patients. Until April 2011, we could supply prepared herbal tablets and capsules as well as powdered & fresh herbs,loose herbs.
What this means for my patients is that I now can only prescribe herbs as powders that you add to water to make a tea. I will only supply these individually prepared prescriptions to each patient directly from my practice premises (rather than them being sent directly from a 3rd party herbal suppliers as in the past).
When regulation comes in during 2012, I hope that I will once again have access to the wider range of tablets, pills and capsules that for some patients make herbal medicine more palatable as the taste of the powders can be unpleasant when first being introduced to herbs. 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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