WHAT IS TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE?
Traditional Chinese medicine has a history of over 3000 years, and is one of the most popular evidence-based natural therapies. Today, traditional Chinese medicine helps a quarter of the world’s population to treat disease and maintain health. Chinese medicine offers a natural alternative to treat many common and difficult health conditions. It can be used together with western medicine, or at times when a drug-free approach is preferred. Chinese medicine encompasses herbal medicine, acupuncture, cupping and scrubbing, meridian massage, lifestyle advice and diet therapy, tai chi and qi gong exercise.
Gui He Tang offers a range of professional consultation services to assess the systemic health of clients and to provide treatment of ailments using Traditional Chinese Medicines. Assessing the nature of the client’s ailment and the client’s systemic health condition (so it might be strengthened in areas of vulnerability or dysfunction) is central to effective TCM.
As the nature of an ailment can vary, for example, a flu can be yin or yang in nature, and the systemic strength of a client’s chi can vary, the prescription of a herbal preparation for effective treatment will vary with each client and possibly with a single client over time (as they recover their strength). This individual variability is constantly monitored by the Chinese Herbal Medicine practitioner, a process that is often overlooked in the use of patent western medicines, which treat the “average” situation.
Gui He Tang practitioners are highly skilled in the diagnosis of client ailments. They use the traditional methods of sight (observation), smell, client symptom report, and taking the Qi pulse of the client to review their current systemic health. A medical history is also collected, including recent or current western medical treatments and any pharmaceutical medicines being used. Finally, a client’s lifestyle is generally reviewed to assess any environmental factors, such as personal or work stress, social drug use (e.g., caffeine, alcohol), diet, sleep patterns, that might be adversely affecting the clients health.
Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine can treat many common ailments including:
• migraine 偏頭痛
• arthritis 關節炎
• gout 痛風
• sore and swollen knees and feet 關節腫脹
• numbness 麻痺症
• skin disorders 皮膚病
• body pain, back pain etc. 痛症
• heart issues 心臟保健
• cold 傷風 感冒
• allergies 敏感症
• sinusitis 鼻敏感
• hay fever 花粉症
• asthma 哮喘
• women’s health 婦科病
• sleep disorders 睡眠障礙
• chronic fatigue 慢性疲勞症
• digestive problems 消化系統問題
• immune syst. imbalances 調節免疫系統治療
• chronic ulcers 慢性潰瘍傷口康復治療
• period disorders 調經治療
Herbs can be used in external creams and provided as syrups or powders.
Practitioners can also use a technique called moxibustion, the burning of herbs, to treat deficient conditions (weakness), and add new energy to the body. With this technique, the smoke is not used, and the beneficial effect is gained from the direct warmth of the moxibustion on the affected area of the patients body.
From ancient times, herbs have been cooked in pots of water on open fires or on stoves. The herbal soup is then strained and allowed to cool to a warm liquid. It is then drunk by patients. The herbs are used once and then discarded. Cooking might occur once a day, to produce two cups of medicine (used twice that day).
The intensity of the preparation process for cooking herbs has led to the use of herbal balls that have been used in Chinese medicine for millennia. These balls appear very different to western medicine “tablets” in that they are usually round and small in comparison. A patient is prescribed a certain number/volume/weight of herb balls each day to gain the same effect as cooking herbs.
Originally herb balls were formed by combining several herbs and other ingredients, dried and ground into a powder and then mixed with a binder and formed by hand. The binder was traditionally honey. Now modern herb ball making machines are used to create standard ball sizes ensuring consistency of strength and quality.
The first experience of Chinese herb balls is always challenging as the volume of the naturally derived herbs needed for effective treatment is usually much more than the concentrated dose of western tablets. For example, a patient could be prescribed to take approximately one tablespoon of small pills. These balls are prepared by Chinese herbalists to assist patients to access needed medicine when the time to cook herbs is unavailable.
Chinese patent medicines exist in a similar way to patent western medicines. Standardized herbal formulas have evolved, usually composed of several herbs and other ingredients, to respond to common complaints. These medicines have the same limitations as “over the counter” western pharmaceuticals; in that they can have minor different effects on different people. These “side effects” can be managed by a TCM Practitioner conducting individual consultations by noting the patient’s individual condition and varying the formula accordingly. Personal consultations are vital in the correct application of Chinese herbal medicine.
The first traditionally recognized herbalist was Shénnóng (神农, lit. “Divine Farmer”), who is noted in in early Chinese history to have lived around 2800 BC (about 5000 years ago).
Shénnóng is said to have tasted hundreds of herbs and passed his knowledge of medicinal and poisonous plants to farmers.
In China, the use of herbology within the community has been an accepted practice for thousands of years.
The Chinese medicine profession joined the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme for Health Professions on 1 July 2012. This is the same scheme that regulates medical practitioners, physiotherapists, chiropractors, dentists, nurses and midwives etc.
Chinese medicine practitioners must now be registered with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (CMBA) in order to offer acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine services to the public.
When choosing a TCM practitioner, look for one who has current registration with CMBA.
Professional associations exist to provide ongoing education and support to TCM practitioners. Membership of a professional association such as the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Society of Australia (CMASA) or Australian Acupuncture