and branches. It is well
known that Traditional Chinese Medicine has over
3000 years history and Chinese herb medicine is
one of most important part of Traditional Chinese
Medicine which also includes acupuncture. In China,
there are over 3000 different herbs that can be
used for medical purposes. However, about 300
to 500 of these herbs are commonly used. It is
important to use herbs grown in China rather than
outside of their native environment. One must
use the right herb from the right source to get
the full benefit.
Q: What can
Chinese herbs do for me?
A: Chinese Herbal
therapy or herb medicine has three main functions:
treat the acute diseases and
conditions such as killing bacteria or a virus;
heal chronic illness such as gastrointestinal
disorder, respiratory disorder, allergies, immune
system deficiency, etc. by strengthening the body,
helping it to recover;
maintain daily life health by keeping the balance
of human body.
In general, herbs can treat a wide variety of
diseases and conditions. Comparing with chemical
medicine, Chinese herbal medicine is much more
gentler and safer because it is made of natural
herbs. Most of Chinese herbs do not cause side
effects. Even some side effects that do occur
among a few herbs, those side effects can be easily
counteracted with other herbs. For these reasons,
people turn to herbal therapy for a number of
indications. More and more people rely on Chinese
herb medicine as alternative after chemical medicine
failed.
Chronic illness treatment - As
we know, many people with chronic illness may
take a number of different conventional drugs
daily. Chinese herb medicine is a very good alternative
for those who are looking for a natural alternative
for the conventional western medicine. There are
many very efficient Chinese herbal patent medicines
and prescribed herb formulas for the medications
taken for pain syndromes, gastrointestinal disorders,
neurological disorders, stress related syndromes,
respiratory disorders, heart problems, sexual
dysfunction, allergies and immune system deficiencies,
as well as replacements for antibiotics and anti-inflammatory
drugs.
Side effect reduction - As mentioned
early, Chinese herbs are safer and have less side-effects.
Actually they can be taken to reduce the side
effects of other medication such as antibiotics,
chemotherapy, etc. It is well known that antibiotics
weaken the immune system. Herbal therapy can strengthen
the system. Also, during chemotherapy, the white
blood cell count drops, which causes fatigue,
lack of energy and appetite. Herbal therapy has
proven quite successful in relieving the side
effects of chemotherapy.
For prevention - People may take
Chinese herb medicine for disease prevention.
For instance, for a person suffering from frequent
headaches, taking herbs to prevent the headache
from ever starting is a much better option than
taking a pain reliever after the fact. Herbs are
also used to prevent the flu, menstrual cramps
and premenstrual syndrome, among other things.
For health maintenance- Herbal therapy can also
be used for general health maintenance. Tonic
herbs are used to increase energy and to slow
the aging process. They are also used for enhancing
sexual energy and for cosmetic purposes. Herbs
arc also used to treat minor symptoms that are
not severe enough for heavy chemical drugs, symptoms
that cannot be diagnosed by Western medicine,
and symptoms and illness that are not easy to
treat, such as mononucleosis and immune system
deficiencies.
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