| Choices in Wellness | |
Chinese Herbal Medicine
by Dr. Angila Jaeggli, Newsletter Volunteer; from the August 2007 newsletter
Many practitioners of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) address disharmony and disease through the integration of acupuncture with Chinese herbal medicine to clear stagnation and create balance.
Chinese herbal medicine has a very long history in the Orient, and has been passed down through the centuries to modern practitioners. The earliest and most extensive Chinese pharmacopoeia, the Shen Nung Herbal Classic, is said to have been completed in the 5th century B.C. This document contains hundreds of medicinal herbs and ranks them for their quality, potency and availability in the wild. This classic herbal manual groups herbs into two categories: “food” herbs and “medicinal” herbs. Charlotte Sun, RN, PhD of the Genesee Valley Daoist Hermitage fervently believes in food as medicine, and has structured her practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine around this belief. “Food is medicine. Teaching a person how to integrate ‘herbal’ food into their routine allows for daily, natural prevention and treatment as opposed to relying on pills or supplements.” Says Sun. And while medicinal food is crucial for long-term health, Sun admits the need for more specific herbal treatments in cases of acute illness or chronic disease, when the body may have more specific needs and demands.
“Medicinal” herbs are prescribed based upon the person’s specific condition and constitution. Founded upon thousands of years of documentation and study, there are hundreds of classic, patent formulas available for each specific condition. And although these documented formulas are readily available, many practitioners of TCM choose to combine herbs based upon the very specific needs of the individual. Both plants and fungi are commonly used and may originate from all parts of the plant: the root, stem, leaves, and bark. Herbal prescriptions are created by choosing primary herbs to address the main complaint, and secondary herbs to stimulate the action of the primary herbs, or which address lesser, secondary complaints.
Because we are complex beings with multiple systems typically affected during illness, herb combinations are blended by TCM practitioners to match each system that is out of balance. For example, in the TCM treatment of diabetes, primary herbs are used to lower blood sugar, slow the liver's release of sugar and reduce insulin resistance, while secondary herbs are added to improve circulation, heal tissue and regulate appetite. Depression is another example where herbs are used beneficially in combination to address cause. In TCM, primary herbs are used to calm and lift the spirit, while others are added to address common co-complaints that tend to be present with depression, such as insomnia, fatigue and irritability.
In addition, some very promising and powerful research has surfaced regarding the use of plants and mushrooms in the support of the immune system, specifically in diseases which deplete the immune system, like cancer, HIV, autoimmune disease and other forms of chronic illness.
Local practitioners of acupuncture and TCM who integrate the use of Chinese herbs within their practice are: Dr. Paris Kharbat from the Art of Medicine (509-432-5053), Meggan Baumgartner, L.Ac. and Laura McKean, L.Ac. from the Healing Point Chinese Medicine Clinic (208-669-2287), and Karen Young, L.Ac. (208-883-8894). Practitioners of TCM, Charlotte Sun and her husband Master Da Jing, can be found at the Genesee Valley Daoist Hermitage (208-285-0123).
|
Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes, and
images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op
and the respective authors, except were otherwise noted. |
For additions or corrections to this page, please contact the Webmaster.
