Chinese herbs are another Pillar to use alongside Acupuncture in the process of discovering and creating your health and well-being.
The use of Chinese herbs has been around for about 3,000 years. Many times the use of specific herbs originated out of the kitchen and then expanded as Chinese medicine became more systematic and grounded in theory and evidence based medicine. Practitioners throughout history studied herbs by touch, taste, smell, their growing conditions, and how they felt in the body. Eventually individual herbs were categorized according to their action in the body.
For example:
- Herbs that clear heat,
- Herbs that drain damp,
- Herbs that relieve food stagnation,
- Herbs that regulate blood,
- Herbs that calm the nervous system, etc.
After individual herbs were categorized, formulas were made and herbs blended together. These created a balanced formula where the individual herbs worked synergistically together to bring about shifts in the body that encouraged healing and balance.
Your acupuncturist has been trained to diagnose in terms of Chinese medical theory which is then transferred over to understanding what type of formula you need. For example, if the condition you have is hot in nature, you may be prescribed a cooling formula. Herbs can be added to your treatment plan as needed to speed up healing and help with long term stability and health.
Is it Safe?
Many might wonder…are herbs safe? So many of the herbs in Chinese herbal formulas are actually used in everyday cooking; cinnamon, ginger, rice, goji berries, a variety of edible and medicinal mushrooms, mint, turmeric… the list goes on. The difference is often in how they are prepared as well as what other herbs they are combined with. Sometimes your acupuncturist will have you make teas at home, sometimes they will be in pill form, and often they will be in granules where you simply add hot water. If you are on medications your acupuncturist will check for herb/drug interactions, however, very little herb/drug interactions occur with the use of these herbs.
The herbs we use are third party tested for safety and efficacy so you can feel comfortable taking them without worry about contaminants.
Why is it important to take the herbs as recommended?
The herbal formula you are given is meant to work! The frequency, dosage and method of preparation all affect the desired outcome. If you have been taking the herbs as recommended and after a certain amount of time you are not feeling better…this is an indicator to your practitioner that something in the formula needs to be tweaked…added or subtracted. You need to take the formula as recommended for it to work as intended …if it doesn’t, this guides your acupuncturist to make the appropriate adjustments that will help you.
If you’re taking the formula and it’s working, this is also feedback for your practitioner so they know how long to recommend it to you. If you are not taking the herbs as recommended you are missing out on a wonderful opportunity to engage with your own health and healing process.
Interested in learning how acupuncture and herbs can help you? Call JJ to schedule a consultation! 910-262-1122 Ext 2
Stay Tuned for Pillar#3!