Does Herbal Therapy Really Work?Herbal therapy has been used for many thousands of years. In fact, many of today's modern drugs, come from herbs. The difference being, that herbs are found in their natural state. Drug research companies may take an herb that had been used for a particular ailment, and try to isolate the specific property of that herb, that yielded the desired outcome. Once this property is isolated, it is concentrated and, often, synthetically reproduced. This, of course, can often lead to side effects. The Chinese tried this hundreds of years ago, and found the same problem, so they went back to using whole herbs in their natural form. The herbal therapy I will discuss will be more from a Chinese medicine point of view. This is much different than a western herbalist's approach. Not that one is better than the other, just different.
When your body is strong, and in balance, you can fight off the invading pathogens. What to do when you are sick and out of balance. First you must find out what is out of balance. TCM uses a unique set of diagnostic tools to determine what systems are out of function. This is briefly discussed on the acupuncture page. Once it is discovered what systems are out of balance, and herbal formula is written. These are not the same herbs you find in the health food store. In fact, many of these herbs are prescription only. TCM rarely uses single herb formulas. The herbal formula can range from a simple two herb formula such as Er Zhi Wan, used for liver and kidney yin deficiency leading to low back pain, to more complicated formulas like Shu Jing Huo Xue Tang with 17 herbs, used for relieving stabbing pain, especially in the legs. TCM herbal therapies are individualized. What one person may take to relieve, what may seem like similar health concerns, may be a completely wrong formula for you. Giving your friend an aspirin for his head ache, because you used it and it worked for you, may work (never do this with prescription drugs, it can be dangerous) because of the way it works. Doing the same things with TCM herbal decoctions may not work, or worse, make the symptoms worse. In TCM, herbal therapy is not just herbs the way you may think of herbs. Herbal therapy includes the foods you eat. For instance, if you had low back ache, low sex drive, and night sweats, you may be given foods to eat to increase your kidney function. This all starts with the diagnosis. To make sure you are getting the right herbal formula, you have to first get a good diagnosis.
Herbal therapy is not just for internal use. TCM can be effectively for trauma as well. There are a variety of herbal patch, ointments, and rubs that I have used with great success for all types of pain. This is a much safer alternative to drugs, which can cause Leaky Gut Syndrome and may actually stop your body's ability to repair it's joints. Although TCM herbal therapy has been use for broken bones, and severe trauma, I normally recommend seeing your doctor to emergency care, and then using herbal therapy to assist your body in healing. Herbs can be placed directly on the affected area, or a decoction (strong tea) can be used as a soak. The way the herbs are used, and the types will depend on what the injury is. Again, the diagnosis is specific to TCM and is an important step. The principles in treating heat bi (pronounced "bee" ) syndrome will be very different than treating wind cold damp bi. In fact, the treatment for wc damp bi would most likely cause an increase in pain if used on heat bi. The proper herbal prescription can be used to increase circulation, bring down swelling, reduce heat, and start the healing process. TCM traumatology rarely, if ever, uses ice. Ice slows down circulation, and yes, it brings down the swelling, but the swelling is the body trying to clean up the injured area to start the healing process. Icing the affected area often leads to an incomplete healing. This is why you may injure yourself at 20, and when the pain goes away you feel you are "healed" but at 60, "that old trick knee is acting up." Think about it... if you saw a man sleeping in the snow, you would say something like "wow! He is going to feel that in his joints when he gets older!" right? You would be right, he will, but then, why do you ice your joints when your body is trying to heal? Herbal formulas such as san huang san is a great formula to keep on hand. It has been called "herbal ice" and is used to bring down swelling. There are some basic herbal therapies you can get over the counter that can be used for pain relief, such as 701 Patches and Zheng Gu Shui. Yu Nan Bai Yao should also be something found in your medicine cabinet. It is excellent to stop bleeding. The basic formulas can be found at your local acupuncturist's office, or Chinese grocer. It is best to understand which formula is best for your type of pain. Ask your TCM doctor for advice, or book a consult in our E-clinic. Even though this is not an herbal therapy, I wanted to include this here. A metabolic test may also be beneficial. If your body is not excreting waste products, this can lead to an increase in swelling, and inflammation. If you can not excrete it, your body will inflame, if that doesn't work, then bacteria may be used to break down tissue. Of course, the best solution is to excrete the biological waste products and maintain balance. This is true of both post trauma care and internal imbalances. Herbal therapy can be quite a bit more complex than simply taking an herb you picked up at the local health food store. Not that that can't be effective, but most imbalances are more complex and require a multifaceted approach. Working with your healthcare provider, or wellness coach, can yield better results for you, more relief from your symptoms and quicker recovery from what ever is causing the imbalance.
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