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what is it?
Like acupuncture, Chinese herbalism is part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In fact, Chinese practitioners regard it as more important than acupuncture, which has cornered popularity in the West. Herbal remedies are used to influence the flow of chi ('vital energy') throughout the body.
Herbs are rarely prescribed on their own, but as formulas that may contain 10 or 15 herbs each, designed to treat particular 'patterns of disharmony'. Every herb has a different role and is classified according to its qualities (in terms of being hot, cold, damp or dry), and its taste (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, pungent). The practitioner may also tailor a formula to suit an individual patient, choosing from nearly 6,000 herbs and sometimes animal and mineral ingredients. Many such formula preparations are also available over the counter in health food shops and some chemists.
Chinese medicine is most commonly used in the West to treat skin disease, gynaecological complaints, allergies, digestive complaints, respiratory conditions, disorders of the immune system, pain, psychological problems, children's diseases and addiction.
what it's supposed to do
Traditional Chinese medicine has a holistic approach that considers equilibrium, or harmony, in all areas of body, mind and spirit vital for health and well-being. Channels known as meridians carry nourishing chi throughout the body, and blockages or depletions in the flow can result in illness.
Yin and yang are complementary but opposing qualities in nature (ie contraction and expansion; darkness and lightness) whose dynamic interaction gives rise to chi. When this interaction is disturbed or one or other becomes excessive, the flow of chi is disrupted. This can be triggered by emotional states such as grief or anger, poor diet, infection, accidents, pollution, even the season or weather.
An important concept, especially for herbal medicine, is that of the Five Elements — fire, earth, metal, water and wood. Everything in the universe — including the organs of the body — is associated with one of these elements, whose properties are interactive. Earth, for example, is sweet and dries up water, which is salty. Water nourishes wood (sour), which breaks through earth.
Where Western doctors look for symptoms, practitioners of Chinese medicine look for 'patterns of disharmony'. These result from imbalances of yin and yang, the Five Elements and reduced or excessive flow of chi. The herbalist's skill lies in choosing a formula whose combination of herbs have the right properties to restore harmony. Skullcap, for example, is a 'cold' herb found in remedies to lower fever, a symptom of excess yang.
what happens
The initial consultation may take an hour, during which the doctor assesses your constitution and determines your 'pattern of disharmony' according to TCM's methods of diagnosis: looking (observing your appearance and examining your tongue); listening and smelling; asking (questions about your personal and family medical history, habits, diet and body functions); and pulse-taking and touch. The three meridian pulse points on each wrist indicate varying strengths and qualities of chi.
Herbal formulas are usually taken as teas. You may be given a week's supply of dried herbs to boil up daily at home. Sometimes the formulas come as pills, capsules or powders which are easier and more palatable, or as ointments, creams and lotions for external use. Some complaints require months of treatments, while others respond after one or two sessions.
what's the evidence?
Many clinical trials have been carried out on herbal formulas in China, and Western researchers are now taking an interest in the results. Studies led by dermatologists at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children and later the Royal Free Hospital, London, published in The Lancet and the British Journal of Dermatology in 1992, showed a Chinese formula was successful in relieving eczema.
Researchers have found that artemisinin, an extract from wormwood, a herb used in a number of Chinese formulas, is not only effective in treating malaria, but seems to kill breast cancer cells in laboratory tests. Other studies show herbal formulas may help a number of conditions, including bronchial infections and irritable bowel syndrome (published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 1998).
precautions
Go to the safety first section of 'before you start' for some general precautions to take into account when considering a complementary therapy.
- Always consult a practitioner who is qualified to prescribe herbal remedies. If unsure, check with the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine or the European Herbal Practitioners Association (see help and info).
- Consult your doctor before taking herbal remedies if you are pregnant, or have had hepatitis or other liver diseases.
how to find a practitioner
Most Chinese herbalists in the UK have trained first as acupuncturists. Members of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM) tend to be also members of the British acupuncture Council (although not all acupuncturists are herbalists) and have graduated from an RCHM accredited school. They are bound by a code of practice and have professional insurance.
A number of people in the UK claim to practise Chinese medicine, but not all have adequate training and it can be difficult, if not impossible, for a member of the public to check a practitioner is authentic.
It is important that you consult a properly qualified herbalist as some traditional Chinese medicines sold in the UK contain toxic ingredients. Remedies containing Aristolochia were linked to two cases of kidney failure in the UK in 1999 and it is a suspected carcinogen. Many more people were fatally poisoned after being given the wrong 'Chinese' herb in Belgian slimming clinics. Poisonous heavy metals such as mercury and arsenic and prescription-only steroids have been found in some formulas. The Medicines Control Agency has recently expressed serious concern about the problems and is therefore proposing to increase the list of substances already banned in traditional Chinese medicines.
» help and info
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(July 2002)
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