Herbs

Brief introduction of Chinese herbal medicine

Chinese herbal medicine has been successfully used for thousands of years to cure diseases and alleviate discomfort caused by many different disorders. The first written herbal classic dated back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). Now thousands of natural plants are catalogued in Chinese herbal pharmacopia. The vast majority of these are plant parts such as barks, roots, leaves, twigs, flowers or fruits.

Entirely sourced from nature, herbal medicine is the closest thing the complementary world has to conventional medicine. In fact, many herbs provide the blueprint for today’s drugs, including aspirin, strychnine, vincristine, taxol, curare, and ergot etc. Each herb has its unique properties, ie. its energy, flavour, movement and the meridian to which it is associated. A herbal formula (combination of different herbs) rather than single herb is often prescribed by a Chinese doctor so that the optimal effect of the herbal medicine can be achieved.

Different preparations of herbal formulas

Herbal decoction (herbal tea)

A mixture of dried herbs is prescribed, prepared and given to a patient according to her/his condition and Chinese medicine diagnosis. The patient will need to boil/simmer the herbal mixture for about half an hour or more.

Honey-bound herbal pills (balls)

The herbal extracts are made by producing a large batch of herbal tea according to the standard formula and then removing the water and resulting in dried powder. Honey pills are made by combining herbal powder with honey and rolling into a pill. These rather large pills are taken by adding them to water and boiling briefly, or are chewed up, or sliced into smaller pieces and swallowed whole.

Small herbal pills/tablets/capsules

The herbal extracts are made by producing a large batch of herbal tea according to the standard formula and then removing the water and resulting in dried powder. Herbal pills, tablets or capsules contain powdered herbs. The small pills/tablets/capsules are conveniently taken with water.

The herbs used in all these preparations are gathered from wild supplies or cultivated, usually in China. The herbs are processed in various ways, such as cleaning, soaking, slicing, and drying, according to the methods that have been reported to be most useful. These herbs are then combined in a formulation (commonly made up of 8-16 ingredients). The herbal ingredients, amounts of each herb and dosage depend on the nature of the condition to be treated.

Safety of Chinese herbal medicine

Appropriately used by a qualified experienced practitioner, herbs can provide a safe complementary/alternative treatment to conventional drugs. Random testing of crude herb materials and herb products made in the U.S. and UK indicate that they are free of harmful bacteria, metal and chemical contaminants. Negative interactions with Western drugs have not been noted for any of the common herb materials when used in the normal dosage range. Occasionally, a few people experience allergic reaction to individual herbs, a problem that often cannot be predicted in advance since these are rare individual responses. A more common reaction is a gastro-intestinal response, which might include constipation, diarrhea, nausea or bloating. Such reactions may occur if the individual has poor digestive functions, or if the herbal formula is not quite right for the needs of the individual. Taking the herbs at a different time in relation to meals may be helpful in resolving some of the gastro-intestinal responses. If such responses persist after several days of using the herbs, it may be necessary to change formulas.

We do not use any animal products. The herbs we use in your treatment are all officially approved and quality controlled in the UK, mostly imported from specialist growers in China.

If you would like to know more about the treatment, please feel free to contact us.

Acupuncture | Moxibustion | Herbs | Cupping | Tuina

Natural Health Care

Tel: 020-8647 5688