Therapies

Herbal Medicine (草藥, Cao Yao)


Substances found in the environment have been used medicinally ever since we learned that what we ate, drank or applied to our skin affected our bodies. The majority of these have been derived from plants.

In today's largely unregulated market, it is important that the herbalist you consult is competent to prescribe herbal medicines, having the relevant education, professional membership, insurance and other standards of professional practice necessary. The Herbmark is a kite mark of quality that enables members of the public to choose a herbalist who meets ther strict criteria of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association.

Herbal formulas can be made into a variety of preparations:



Dried Herb Decoctions


Bags of raw dried herbs are given to the patient to prepare at home. They need to be boiled in water like a soup and drunk on a daily basis, or occasionally used as a wash, soak or steam bath. A modern alternative to cooking them at home is to place the herbs in an insulated flask, filling it with boiling water and leaving the herbs to steep overnight. A few companies can offer to cook them in pressure cookers and reduce them into bags of concentrated fluid.

Pros: Widely believed to give the best result as the herbs cook together.
Cons: The most expensive and usually requires the patient's time and effort to prepare at home.



Powders and Granules


A popular, convenient way to take herbs in a busy modern world: the herbs are ground into powder or decocted individually and dehydrated to form granules similar to instant coffee in a factory. These can then be mixed and either measured out in spoonfuls or divided into sachets to mix with water and taken daily. They can also be pressed into capsules or pills.

Pros: Convenient. Extracts can be standardised and controlled at industry level.
Cons: The herbs do not cook together which may mean some reactions between them do not happen.



Pills and Capsules


Many herb suppliers now offer standard lines of pills and capsules made from the herbal powders and sold as supplements. They are often common formulas and combinations with some individual mixes developed by the companies. This makes them much cheaper than customised formulas but the combinations are limited to what the company sells. It is also very important that they come from an approved supplier because not all companies are honest about their ingredients. Professional herbalists will have a list of approved suppliers known to meet UK standards.

Pros: Cheaper than customised herbal formulas.
Cons: They are limited to the combinations that the companies sell. Unknown suppliers may provide poor quality and even dangerous products.



Medicinal Wines and Tinctures


The herbs are placed into strong alcohol. These can be purchased individually and mixed into a blend which is then decanted into a bottle, or made the traditional way: by placing all the herbs into a jar, filling with alcohol and leaving for weeks or even months to extract. A small measure is then taken daily, usually mixed with water.

Pros: Alcohol extracts different components to water and can target specific compounds by adjusting the % of alcohol used.
Cons: Alcohol may not be suitable for some patients in which case it may need to be cooked off or substituted with glycerine.



Creams, Ointments, Balms, Soaps and Plasters


Applied to the skin, the most common method is to use extracted powders, tinctures or essential oils and mix them with a base cream. The more traditional method is to soak or gently cook whole raw herbs in oil or water, then filter and use as a wash or oil, or they can be mixed with a hardening agent like beeswax or plant butters to make an ointment, or with an emulsifying agent to make a cream. Other times whole herbs may be crushed, macerated or ground and applied directly to the skin as a poultice, held on with plasters or bandages.

Pros: Useful for superficial issues or symptom management.
Cons: Does not usually treat internal causes. Can be messy and stain.



Essential Oils


A mixture of essential oils is combined with a carrier oil which can then be evaporated to produce an aroma or applied to points on the skin. Smell has a strong effect on the mind and mood while some oils stimulate the nerves on the skin to produce hot, cold, tingling or numbing feelings which can be used to alleviate pain and itching. Others have skin soothing compounds that can be used to calm irritation. A customised blend, coordinated with a diagnosis, can even be applied to acupuncture points to provide a means of continuing the treatments between sessions, or for distance treatments when it is not possible to meet face-to-face.

Pros: Enables the patient to treat themselves.
Cons: Good quality essential oils can be expensive. They can cause skin irritation if not diluted sufficiently.



Herbal formulas have to prepared after an individual consultation which may have to look at the patient in more depth than for other treatment methods. Follow ups are then required to monitor the progress and alter the formula as necessary.