Chinese medicine (CG) has been used for thousands of years. That alone shows how much value and wisdom lies in these therapies. An important advantage of CG is that they are mild, have hardly any side effects and are very cost-effective. This is partly because they work preventively and always look at the relationship between people and the environment.
By paying early attention to minor complaints, it can often be prevented from developing into more serious problems later. The most well-known forms of Chinese healing are acupuncture and herbal therapy. I use both in my Nurture Your Nature practice. You have already read about acupuncture; in this blog, I would like to tell you more about the benefits and effects of Chinese herbal therapy.
What are Chinese herbs
To explain what Chinese herbs are, it's important to take a step back first. Chinese natural philosophy is based on two basic ideas:
- Nature consists of a number of fundamental elements and principles
- Man is part of nature and functions according to the same principles
The most important principles here are the five elements and the principle of yin and yang. If you want to know more about this, you can read my blog about how acupuncture works.
In short: health occurs when there is a balance between yin and yang and between the five elements. The five elements are, as it were, a filter that looks at the world. Everything can be classified here, including herbs.
Chinese herbs are classified, among others, on the basis of:
- taste: bitter, sweet, sour, salty or sharp
- energetic effect: cold, neutral or warm (yin and yang)
Many Chinese herbs are similar to herbs that are also used in Western herbal medicine. What makes them special is this systematic division according to the five elements and yin and yang. It is precisely this approach that makes them so effective in treating a variety of complaints.
How do Chinese herbs work
So far, I've mostly explained what Chinese herbs are. In order to properly understand their effects, it is also important to know how Chinese medicine looks at complaints.
Take chronic low back pain as an example. In CG, pain is seen as a disturbance in the flow of energy and blood. When pain is chronic, this often indicates the presence of waste products. The lower back is part of the water element, one of the five elements.
Chronic pain often consists of a combination of:
- an excess (yang, for example waste or stagnation)
- a deficiency (yin, for example insufficient flow or nutrition of the tissue)
The treatment then focuses on several aspects at the same time:
- improving blood and energy flow
- waste disposal
- strengthening the water element and lower back
Here, the bridge is built between theory and practice. The solution lies not in a single herb, but in a carefully formulated formula.
What is important to understand here is that low back pain is not one uniform complaint in Chinese medicine. Several factors play a role at the same time. A formula makes it possible to deal with all these aspects at the same time.
In addition, formulas can be tailored very specifically to:
- a specific part of the body
- a specific structure, such as muscles, tendons, or bones
A good herbal formula also takes into account absorption, digestibility and the prevention of side effects so that it is not hard on the stomach.
The treatment usually consists of about 6 grams of herbs per day, divided into three intake times, taken with some warm water. The herbs are used in powder form or as tablets.
Combination with acupuncture
Chinese herbs can be perfectly combined with acupuncture. Both therapies can be used for the same complaints and often reinforce each other.
In my practice, I mainly use herbs for more chronic and internal complaints, while acupuncture alone is often sufficient for acute or more local pain symptoms. This combination allows the treatment to be precisely tailored to the nature and duration of the complaint.
Do you have questions or want to know if herbal therapy is appropriate for your situation? Please don't hesitate to contact me, we'll be happy to help you.
