Chinese Herbal Medicine: Uses and Benefits
Traditional Chinese Medicine utilizes thousands of medical substances, which consist largely of plant materials such as leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds. With his extensive training and experience, Dr. Bret Mosher can advise patients on a number of Chinese herbal medicine uses and applications at his Poway, CA, practice, to complement other treatments and relieve a variety of health conditions, symptoms, and types of physical discomfort.
A trained practitioner can select from the hundreds of Chinese herbs available in order to naturally and effectively treat your symptoms.
Common Applications of Chinese Herbs
An herb is defined as any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers that is used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume. Examples include roots, tree bark, pollen collected by bees, berries and fruit, plant oil or resin, seeds and nuts, and certain types of food like garlic. Today’s Chinese medicine practitioners can select from more than three hundred different herbs to treat a variety of diseases, symptoms, and conditions. Herbs may be used individually or in combination for maximum therapeutic benefit.
Some of the most common herbs, along with their clinical applications, include:
Atractylode (baizhu): Promotes digestion to alleviate digestive disorders, eliminates excessive moisture
Bupleurum (chaihu): Treats liver diseases, skin problems, arthritis, menopausal syndrome, and psychiatric disorders
Cinnamon (guizhi and rougi): Warms the body, improves circulation, harmonizes the upper and lower body
Coptis (huanglian): Inhibits infection, calms nerves
Ginger (jiang): Promotes healthy digestion and circulation, alleviates nausea
Ginseng (renshen): Normalizes blood pressure, regulates blood sugar, enhances immune function
Hoelen (fuling): Alleviates gastrointestinal irritation, diffuses moisture throughout the body
Licorice (gancao): Neutralizes toxins, relieves inflammation, enhances digestion
Ma-huang (mahuang): Stimulates perspiration, opens airways to ease breathing, invigorates the central nervous system
Peony (baishao and chihshao): Detoxification of the blood, alleviates muscle spasms and menstrual cramps
Rehmannia (dihuang): Promotes tissue growth, resolves swelling, improves hormonal function
Rhubarb (dahuang): Promotes digestive elimination, enhances appetite, promotes circulation, relieves pain
Salvia (danshen): Treats post-stroke syndrome, traumatic injury, inflammation, infection, and degenerative disease
Tang-kuei (danggui): Nourishes the blood, promotes hydration, improves circulation, calms tension, relieves pain
Benefits of Medicinal Herbs
In the 2,000 year-period that Chinese medicine has been practiced, doctors have honed their understanding of the most effective clinical application of herbs. In addition to therapies such as acupuncture, herbs can significantly increase the effectiveness of drugs utilized in Western medicine. Complementary medicinal herbs can reduce the side effects of pharmaceuticals, and in some cases effectively entirely replace them.
Chinese herbal medicine complements other treatments to relieve a variety of health conditions, symptoms, and physical discomfort.
It is very important to consult with a doctor before taking herbal medicines. While many herbs are not as potent or concentrated as pills or other drugs, they may still have unexpected or strong side effects if taken incorrectly or combined with other medications. This is why it is best to use Chinese herbs under the care of a qualified practitioner like Dr. Mosher.
In addition, Chinese herbs made in the U.S. are classified as food supplements, not as drugs. This means that they are not strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), besides ensuring the cleanliness of the facilities in which they are manufactured. For imported herbs, the FDA monitors only the ingredients to certify that no toxic herbs are used.
This is why Dr. Mosher prescribes Evergreen supplements, which are herbs of the highest safety, quality, and purity.
Find Out More
Dr. Mosher is highly qualified to prescribe and prepare clinical herbs through his training as a board-certified Doctor of Oriental Medicine. If you are interested in learning more about the myriad ways in which herbal medicine can benefit you, please contact us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Mosher, and begin your journey towards natural healing.
