Traditional Asian Herbal Medicine

 

Herbal medicine — also called botanical medicine or phytomedicine — refers to using a plant's seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes. Herbal medicine has a long tradition of use outside of conventional medicine. It is becoming more accepted in mainstream health treatments as improvements in analysis and quality control, along with advances in clinical research, show the value of herbal medicine in the treating and preventing of disease.
Many factors determine how effective an herb will be. For example, the type of environment (climate, bugs, soil quality) in which a plant grows will affect it, as will how and when it is harvested and processed.

Herbal medicine is used to treat many conditions, such as asthma, eczema, premenstrual syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, menopausal symptoms, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, and cancer, among others. Herbal supplements are best taken under the guidance of a trained health care provider. For example, one study found that 90% of arthritic patients use alternative therapies, such as herbal medicine. Be sure to consult with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any herbs.

Traditional Asian Herbal Medicine is a science. Herbal formulae can be used alone to treat your symptoms or they can be combined with acupuncture, physical medicine, diet and nutrition, therapeutic exercises, and other forms of Alternative Medicine.
Traditional Asian Herbal Medicine has made use of herbs and plants since the dawn of time. With the passing of each generation, a large body of knowledge about the medicinal properties of these individual herbs was formed. Taste, temperature, and target meridians were also properties that were ascribed to each herb. In time, Traditional Asian Herbal Physicians would develop a complex system of herbal prescriptions that addressed the full gamut of human illnesses, from a runny nose to internal bleeding to a broken bone. Traditional Asian Herbal Medicine can be safely used to treat a wide variety of western diagnosed ailments without the serious side effects that are associated with western drugs because of the all-natural nature of herbal medicine.
Asian herbal formula writing has been perfected for superior healing effects with minimal side effects, and can be taken in three basic forms:

   • Tea Form
   • Granules Form
   • Pill Form

The most effective form is to boil raw herbs, which can then be taken orally as a tea. The second most effective form is to have the tea made into a granules form. The most convenient form is prepared as an herbal formula in pill form. It seems that the most effective forms are the least convenient. However, the most important aspect of any medicine is that it can be taken as needed. In this respect, most patients prefer powders or pills. Traditional Asian Herbal Medicines are natural and can be effective alternatives to refined pharmaceuticals.