Q: How did you first become interested in using herbs in conjunction with your acupuncture work?
A: I was introduced to the efficacy of Chinese herbs and acupuncture through my personal experience receiving both Chinese herbs and acupuncture treatment to cure my painfully debilitating and heavy menstrual periods. Chinese medicine took only three months cure health problem which I’d suffered with for many years. So, it was this amazing healing experience with the combination of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture that lead me to study Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Q: What are the common uses of Chinese herbs?
A: Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complete system of medicine, which has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of diseases. For example, Chinese herbs are used for colds and flus, fertility, headaches, pain, menstrual disorders, digestive disorders, depression and anxiety, auto-immune disorders, and much more. There are several herbs that we use for specific ailments. For example, the herb Ban Lang Gen is excellent for sore, dry throat. Simmered fresh ginger tea soothes nausea and cinnamon bark is wonderful for relaxing cold or flu induced muscle aches. I love to add a cinnamon stick in my chicken soup when I have a cold or when I want to prevent a cold. However, it is rare that Chinese herbalists use single herbs to treat patterns of energetic disharmony. More commonly we use several herbs together in a formula.
Q: Why use Chinese herbs instead of Western herbs?
A: Each herbal medicine tradition has its strengths. I value the herbal traditions of all cultures, many of which use herbs to achieve physical and spiritual balance, and I even incorporate some Western herbs into my apothecary. Chinese medicine’s strong point is that practitioners are trained and intern in a four-year medical program which grants graduates a Master’s degree and we become Nationally Board Certified by the NCCAOM. I don’t know of many other herbal traditions which require such rigorous training. TCM practitioners are trained to employ a specific methodology of treatment which we use to ascertain the patient’s pattern of energetic disharmony. Once the practitioner has diagnosed the pattern, they will tailor the treatment plan according to the patient’s pattern. We treat the root cause of disharmony, as well as treating the symptoms. As the patient’s energy changes so does the treatment strategy. This treatment methodology sets TCM apart from some herbal traditions (and most industrial medicine practices) upon which treatment is based simply on symptoms.
Q: What makes herbs effective? Why do they work for some and not others?
A: Great question! As I stated above, Chinese medicine works to treat the pattern of energetic disharmony and we often change the herbs as needed. If herbs are taken based simply on symptoms, the herbs may not work because there are many different herbs that treat the same disease. In Chinese medicine we say, “Same disease, different treatment. Different disease, same treatment”. This means that although there are several herbs that could work say for example, for migraine headaches, each patient’s specific pattern dictates which herbs best suits her. If a practitioner mistakes the pattern, then the herbs for the pattern they are treating will not work. Or if a patient self-medicates, she could easily use the wrong herb or the incorrect dosage because they just don’t have the years of study and research information that a trained professional herbalist can provide to treat the case. There are rare cases, and I have seen them in my practice, of people who simply do not respond to Chinese herbal medicine. They may, however, respond to another traditional medicine. So I always encourage people to continue to seek other qualified practitioners of natural medicine if I am unable to help.
Q: After a client has found relief from an ailment, should they continue taking herbs for maintenance purposes?
A: If a patient has found relief, they no longer need to take the same herbs. However, many herbs can be used preventively. So they could use herbs, which are usually different then the herbs used to treat the illness, to prevent the same disease from coming back. Chinese medicine is a wonderfully effective preventative medicine. For example, to prevent or reduce seasonal allergies it is recommended that the patient begins a course of herbs about 6 weeks prior to allergy season.
Q: Should herbs replace prescription medicines?
Herbs are medicines within the practice of the system of Chinese medicine. In many cases I’ve assisted patients in weaning off industrial pharmaceuticals with Chinese herbs. For example Chinese herbs can effectively replace the pill for the treatment of menstrual disorders, for which the pill only covers up symptoms, but for which Chinese medicine has the ability to cure. But herbs are not effective birth control. I have used Chinese herbs to replace migraine medication, allergy medication and in many cases daily use asthma medications, but it is wise to always carry an asthma inhaler in case of an emergency. These are just a few examples.
I would not advise anyone to replace their pharmaceutical medicine with herbs unless they are under the direct and constant supervision of a qualified herbalist during the transition and I urge patients to discuss the transition with the prescribing doctor. There are some life-saving pharmaceuticals for which I never recommend patients switch to herbs such as blood thinners or blood pressure medication in patients with serious heart conditions. Nor should insulin dependant individuals use only herbs. Again these are just a few examples of cases in which herbs can’t replace the pharmaceutical medicine. However, in some cases, patients can take herbs along with the pharmaceutical in order to reduce the dosage of that medication.
Q: Why not take herbs on your own?
A: Keep in mind that herbs are medicines and that all that is natural is not necessarily safe. Look at mushrooms for example. There are several mushrooms which are amazing for health such as Reishi, Shiitake, and Maiitake. However, there are also species of mushrooms which contain toxic poisons. Just because something is natural does not mean it is safe or effective. Most lay people (and many industrial medical researchers) are not trained in the traditions of herbalism and often use the incorrect plant, the incorrect part of the plant, the incorrect dosage, the incorrect duration of dosage, the incorrect combination of herbs, or the incorrect therapeutic application of the herb (such as not treating according to the pattern). These problems occur because they are not trained.
Q: What should the individual look for in a practitioner?
Compassion, confidence, and qualifications. TCM practitioners should be board certified by the National Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Patients can start to search for a practitioner at their website www.NCCAOM.org. They can also check TCMDirectory.com or acufinder.com.
Juliette Aiyana founded her NYC private practice, Aiyana Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs, in 2001. She is the author of Chinese Medicine & Healthy Weight Management, she writes for a variety print and online publications and she teaches seminars to the public and other natural health professionals. Juliette lives, laughs, and loves in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and their son. Her websites are www.amazinghealing.com & www.optionsforweightloss.com.
