Chinese Herbal Therapy

The use of Chinese Herbal Therapy as treatment for a wide range of diseases and disorders dates back thousands of years. It is one of the oldest healing arts and is actually the forerunner to Western pharmacology. The Chinese Materia Medical includes herbs, minerals and animal substances. In the US, Chinese Herbal Therapy mainly refers to the use of herbal products alone. Chinese Herbal Therapy combines a deep knowledge of human physiology with the most extensive pharmacopoeia of organic herbs and natural substances in the world. Herbal formulas are carefully prepared from plants, tree branches, leaves, flowers, seeds or vegetables. These herbal preparations come in various forms such as herbal teas, granules, pills, capsules, powders, tea bags and seasonal tonics. 

Raw Herbal Therapies include barks, roots, flowers, seeds and plants that the body assimilates through its digestive, respiratory and cutaneous tissues. Herbs are used for both prevention and cure 

 Decoction Method:

• Place the herbs in water. The water should cover the herbs by about an inch and a half. A good rule of thumb is to have about twice as much water in the pot as herbs. Allow the herbs to soak for 10 minutes. This will facilitate the extraction of the active ingredients during the process of decoction. 
• Bring the water to a rolling boil. Then, turn down the heat to a low simmer and cover. Do not lift the lid to look at the herbs too often as this will diminish the "flavor" and allow the volatile oils to evaporate out of the tea very easily. Cook herbs until two cups (about 400ml) of liquid remains. This usually takes 20-30 minutes.
• The most common and cost effective method of brewing a decoction is to decoct the ingredients twice. Both times the herbs are boiled down until two cups (about 400ml) of liquid remains. After the second cooking, discard the herbs. The four cups of liquid are combined and will give you a two-day supply of tea. 
• One cup of tea is to be taken twice a day (usually morning and evening), or two-thirds of a cup is taken three times a day (in the morning, afternoon, and evening). Try to drink the tea before eating; this permits maximum absorption to occur quickly. If you are taking medication, drink the tea at least 1 hour before or after ingesting your medication to reduce the risk of interactions.
• It is common to find the taste of the tea disagreeable. Your body will get used to the taste and in some cases begin to crave a certain formula. However, if you find the taste so unpalatable that you don't drink the tea, there are measures you can take to make it more drinkable. Experiment with drinking the tea at different temperatures. Drink the tea at room temperature or warm the tea up in the microwave after taking it out of the refrigerator. We also suggest watering down the tea or adding a natural sweetener such as honey. None of these suggestions will lessen the potency of the herbs and they will help a great deal. 

Chinese Herbal Granules is a relatively recent Innovation of Chinese Herbal Therapy. Granules are extracted and processed from single Chinese herbs by means of modern technology. The herbal extracts come in granule form known as Concentrated Single Chinese Herbal Granules. Herbal Granules are a great innovation. They have excellent therapeutic effect meet or exceed international standards, and offer stable, reliable medical efficacy. They are also easy to prepare and take.

Preparation:

Daily granule formula is consisting of varies single herbal packets. Open and mix all bags of granules together in a mug or bowl. Add 16 oz. of hot (boiling) water, then stir well and filter. Split the herbal tea into two equal doses (8oz. of each). Take one dose in the morning and one in the evening in warm temperature a half hour after meals. Patients are advised to take their herbal products at least a half an hour apart from other medications. Patient should avoid taking spicy food and shellfish, don't drinking ice water while taking herbal tea.

Chinese Herbal Pills / Capsules often referred to as Tea Pills, Honey Pills or Patents, Herbal Pills generally consist of extracted condensed pills which are usually small, spherical, and black, appearing like black pearls. They are called tea pills because the herbs are cooked into an herbal tea to make the pills. Honey or water pills made from ground raw herbs are also a popular format in China and tend to be bigger and slightly to significantly softer than tea pills. Capsules can be made up of pulverized raw herbs or encapsulated granules. Herbal Pills and Capsules are convenient, portable and a viable option for those who can’t tolerate the bitter taste of raw herbal tea decoctions. The standard dosages of herbal pills and capsules are normally around 5-10 pills, 2-3 times daily. Herbal pills are easy to swallow and slow in absorption and are therefore good for chronic or deficient health conditions. Patients should swallow the pills/capsules with warm water at least a half an hour after meals. Patients are advised to take their herbal products at least a half an hour apart from other medications. Patient should avoid taking spicy food and shellfish, don't drinking ice water while taking herbal tea. 

Chinese Herbal Tea Bags are a combination of raw herbs making up formulas that are steeped in hot water and drunk as a tea. The concentration of the tea can vary depending upon the length of time steeped. The strength can be adjusted as symptoms change while following the Doctor’s instruction. Tea bag, used to control blood sugar, is often taken before meals; laxative intestine, usually taken after meals; soothing throat and help voice, particular tea bag can be taken all day long. Ginseng tea enhances physical strength and can be used when it is tired in the afternoon. Lingzi tea helps sleep and can be taken two hours before bedtime. There are many types of herbal teas, such as ginseng tea, chrysanthemum tea, rose tea, glutinous rice tea, summer grass tea, mint tea, etc., which can be taken as a hot drink or as an herbal tea.

Preparation: 

Place one tea bag in a cup of hot water and steep for 5-10 minutes as recommended by your Herbalist. You can adjust the tea concentration by the length of the time the tea bag in water.

External Chinese Herbal Therapy can be used in the treatment of various conditions in the areas of Internal Medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, and dermatology. Examples of External Therapies include:

• Wash/Soak: Dissolve herbal powder in hot water. Add cold water to room temperature, then soak the affected area (skin, scalp, hemorrhoids, etc.) in the water for 15-20 minutes. Or apply paper tower with herbal liquid on the affected area then rinse it with clean water after repeated use for 15-20 minutes.
• Herbal Steam-Washing Therapy: the steam that is produced by heating herbal decoctions can be used to treat various types of pain syndromes and skin conditions. Employing varying herbs, such therapy can be an effective anti-inflammatory, thereby easing pain, clearing toxins, improving circulation and alleviating stress.
• Paste: Herbal liniments, salves and poultices are applied directly to the joints, umbilicus, wounds, ulcers, and skin as well as directly to acupuncture points in the treatment of bone and joint disorders, skin diseases, hemorrhoids, abdominal and intestinal discomfort and chronic fatigue.

For four centuries, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners have believed that healthy diets can reduce the probability of illness. Treating illness and maintaining health through dietary therapy is central to the philosophy and practice of Chinese medicine. Healthy diets could be used for adjusting physical imbalance, and is one of the most important therapeutic agents that can be used to build, maintain and restore health. 

The food we consume inherently determines who we are, and the overall quality of our health. According to Eastern nutritional guidelines, foods and herbs should be selected according to an individual's body constitution, whether they be excess or deficient, warm or cold in nature.  

To Chinese people, food is more than just a simple necessity of life. It embodies pleasure, solidifies social and familial ties, tells stories and passes on traditions. And above all else—food is medicine. In Chinese medical terminology, it is called "Medicine and food homology".

"Medicine and food homology" means that Chinese medicine (Chinese herb) and food are of the same origin. The theory of "medicine and food homology" based on practice has existed in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) since ancient times. In ancient primitive society, people discovered the taste and efficacy of various foods and Chinese medicines (Chinese herbs) in the process of searching for food, realizing that many foods can be used medicinally and many medicinal materials can be used as dietary supplement. The theory holds that many foods are both food and medicine, and that they are just as effective in preventing disease as drugs. Therefore, this theory of "medicine and food homology" is also the basis of Chinese dietary therapy. 

Our daily diet, in addition to the supply of essential nutrients, will also be more or less due to the performance of the food on the balance and physiological function of the adverse or favorable impact, accumulation, from quantitative change to qualitative change, the impact becomes very obvious. In this sense, they are no less effective than TCM. Accordingly, adjusting food correctly and reasonably, with long-term adherence, can have the effect that medicaments cannot achieve.