Questions & Answers About Chinese Herbal medicine Information for patients

Herbal medicine is the main treatment method within traditional Chinese Medicine （ TCM） . TCM is the world's oldest, continually practiced professional medicine. Its written history stretches back over 2,500 years and its practice is probably much older than that.

Although acupuncture was the first Chinese method of treatment to gain wide acceptance in the West, Chinese herbal medicine is quickly establishing itself as one of the most popular and effective alternative therapies in the West.

Q: What's the difference between Western folk herbalism and Chinese herbal medicine?
A: Western folk herbalism primarily treats diseases or symptoms, such as headaches, runny nose, menstrual pain, etc. Chinese herbal medicine, when practiced as part of TCM, is based on an individualized pattern diagnosis as well as a disease diagnosis. Your pattern is made up of your signs and symptoms. Your emotional temperament and overall composition of your body.
The TCM patient receives a custom written herbal prescription designed to treat their individual pattern as well as the symptom or disease.

Q: Are there any other differences?
A: Western folk herbalism usually focuses on one symptom or disease at a time and use a single herb or groups of herbs for treatment.
TCM formulas are crafted to treat your entire pattern as well as the symptoms or disease that prompted you to seek treatment. TCM formulas may include six to eighteen herbs to treat the symptoms or disease as well as your entire pattern.

Q: Are all the “ herbs” vegetable in origin?
A: Chinese herbal medicine may include vegetable and mineral ingredients, however, the majority of ingredients are from vegetable sources. Leaves, flowers, twigs, stems, roots, tubers, rhizomes, and bark are among the parts of the vegetables used.

Q: Can pregnant women take Chinese herbs?
A: A professional TCM practitioner can write prescriptions that are appropriate for pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Q: Can children take Chinese herbal medicine?
A: Yes again. Pediatrics is a specialty within TCM and children can be given reduced dosages. There are also specially prepares pediatric medicine can treat colic, the fussiness of teething, earache , diarrhea, cough, and fever in babies and children.

Q: How long does it take to see results with Chinese herbal medicine?
A: In acute conditions, results may occur in a matter of minutes. In chronic conditions, some results should be seen within two weeks. Although chronic conditions may require taking Chinese herbal medicine for a long time, sighs that the medicine is working should be apparent to the patient and practitioner alike almost from the very start.