Chinese Herbal Medicines: Herbal Care for Life

Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicines, acupuncture, dietary therapy etc. These practices are considered to be the alternative medicines in the world. Chinese classic herbal formulas are a form of Chinese herbology, where herbs are combined for greater efficiency, compared to individual herbs. Many of these formulas are still made in the form of Chinese patent medicine. These formulas are also used in places like Melbourne etc. Today herbalists do not create medicine for each patient. Instead the herbalist chooses a herbal formula that has been standardized by the government. These formulas are based on the Chinese classic herbal formulas. They often vary slightly, however. In traditional Chinese medicine, herbal therapies are generally formula based and single herbs are rarely used. It holds that every medicinal substance has its strengths and its shortcomings, and each ingredient in the formula should be carefully balanced in quality and quantity, in order to accentuate its efficacy while reducing side effects. The herbs are not simply added in a cumulative fashion but combined according to particular principles. Firstly, through a unique diagnostic process, physicians discern the subtle patterns according to the symptoms of the individual, which then guides them to determine therapeutic strategies and to design or select proper formulae. As Chinese physicians always focus on disharmony patterns, combination of herbs should address these presentations exactly. Since a Chinese herbal medicine formula contains multiple interactive ingredients, it is customarily to rank the compositions in four groups when analyzing the role they play in the formula. Monarch: The ingredient that exerts the major and leading effects in a formula. Generally, monarch drugs should constitute the largest proportion of a formula; a competent formula usually only contains one to two principal herbs so that the therapeutic effects can be focused. Minister: Also known as the associate ingredient usually refers to two different functions. One is to support the monarch drug to exert major actions on the body, and the second is to improve and treat the accompanying symptoms or coexisting disharmony pattern. In comparison with the monarch drug, the minister drug usually has a weaker action. Assistant: The ingredients can play one of the following three roles in a formula. One is to reinforce the effects of the monarch or minister drug or to treat the less important coexisting patterns. The second role is to eliminate the toxicity of the monarch and minister ingredients, or modulate their harsh properties, and the third is to provide paradoxical assistance. Guide: These have two different functions. One is to force the actions of the formula on the target meridian or area of the body; and the second is to harmonize and integrate the effects on other drugs. After centuries of practice of Chinese medicine, scholars perfected various formulae for some typical disharmony patterns, and today, these classic formulae have become the basis for modern day usage in places like Melbourne. Many of them are so popular that they have been manufactured as patent remedies and are available in health stores across Melbourne. Appropriate formula prescriptions based on accurate differential diagnosis can only be made by qualified physicians. It is important to consult a qualified Chinese Medicine physician to help you select the most appropriate formula. Chinese medicines are standardized herbal formulas. From ancient times, pills were formed by combining several herbs and other ingredients, which were dried and ground into a powder. They were then mixed with a binder and formed into pills by hand. The binder was traditionally honey. Modern tea pills, however, are extracted in stainless steel extractors to create either a water decoction or water-alcohol decoction, depending on the herbs used. Chinese patent medicines are easy and convenient. They are not easy to customize on a patient-by-patient basis, however. They are often used when a patient's condition is not severe and the medicine can be taken as a long-term treatment. Chinese herbal extracts are herbal decoctions that have been condensed into a granular or powdered form. Herbal extracts, similar to patent medicines, are easier and more convenient for patients to take. Acupuncture Melbourne | Acupuncture treatment | Stress disorder treatment