Chinese herbal formulas are recommended to be used alone or with acupuncture as a means of giving relief care from obvious symptoms and signs while working on the underlying cause of the illness or discomfort. Western medicines quickly eliminate symptoms without healing the underlying cause of the illness or discomfort. Once the medication is stopped, the illness or discomfort reappears. Infections, for example, may eliminated after a course of antibiotics but may reappear at a later date when the person becomes worn down or vulnerable.

Chinese herbal medicine works at a deeper level strengthening the body so it will no longer be vulnerable to reoccurring illness or discomfort. Chinese herbalism is primarily formula based. Chinese herbal formulas are balanced and contain complex biochemical constituents that work together to give relief care while giving no side effects. Herbal formulas are not addictive and are not to be taken indefinitely. As the symptoms subside, the formula will change to focus on corrective care.

Herbal formulas can come in several forms:

 

"Loose" or "raw" herbs: you get a bag of various dried pieces of roots, bark, leaves, seeds, powders, and other items. These are usually boiled and you drink the "tea." This is considered the most potent form for herbs and can be custom made for the patient.

Powdered herbs: Dried herbs are ground into a powder. The powder might be mixed into water to drink, or taken in a capsule.

Tinctures: Dried herbs are prepared in a mixture of water and alcohol.

Patent medicines: Some of the most common combinations of herbs are available in prepared form as pills, capsules, creams, or other forms.

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS?

Most herbs used in Chinese medicine are safe at a wide range of dosages. The safest way to use Chinese herbs is according to the instructions of a board certified Chinese herbalist. Be sure to tell your herbalist and your doctor if you think the herbs are causing diarrhea, headaches, or any other problems.

HOW DO HERBS INTERACT WITH OTHER THERAPIES?

Due to patient interest in taking Chinese herbal medicine, some scientific studies have been done to demonstrate efficacy of these formulas compared with placebo or Western medications.

It is always a good idea to let every practitioner on your health care team know about all of the pharmaceutical drugs you are taking. In some cases, a pharmaceutical drug and Chinese herbal formula might have a similar effect and combining them would not be appropriate. For example, it might not be a good idea to use Chinese herbal formulas that help calm you down and sleeping pills at the same time. There have been some research studies done that show some effects of the most popular single herbs (like St. John's Wort) used in combination with pharmaceutical drugs. While these studies are important as references, it is important to examine what is being compared and the methods and concentrations being used to obtain statistically significant data.

In Chinese herbal medicine, the formulas given to patients contain many herbs that are balanced in their action so to avoid side-effects and other problems associated with high powered, targeted and concentrated pharmaceutical drugs.