Herbal
Medicine is the main treatment method of CCM, and CCM is the world's
oldest, continually practiced professional medicine. Its written history
stretches back over 5,000 years and its practice is undoubtedly much
older than that. Although acupuncture was the first Chinese modality to
gain wide acceptance in the West, Chinese herbal medicine is quickly
establishing itself as one of the most popular and effective alternative
therapies.
North American and European folk herbalism treat disease by singular
symptoms such as headache, runny nose, menstrual pain, etc. Chinese
herbal medicine is based on an individualized pattern diagnosis as well
as a symptomatic diagnosis. This means that the CCM patient receives a
custom herbal formula for each condition. In this way, two patients
presenting with seemingly identical symptoms of a common cold would
receive two different herbal formulas based upon their individual
constitution as well as their cold symptoms. The CCM pattern diagnosis
is made up of a person's signs, symptoms, body constitution and
emotional temperament.
Another distinction between Western herbalism and Chinese herbalism is
that Western herbology uses single herbs for single symptoms or a group
of related herbs all treating the same symptom. Chinese herbalism
utilizes many herbs in each formula designed to address not only the
superficial symptom, but the underlying condition and the patient's
entire pattern as well.
Although called herbal medicine, CCM practitioners us ingredients from
all three kingdoms: animal, plant and mineral. The Ben Cao or Materia
Medica lists over 3,000 entries of medicinal substances. However, the
majority of these are from plant sources. Leaves, flowers, twigs, stems,
roots, tubers, and barks are some of the plant parts used.
More than 90% of the pharmaceuticals prescribed by M.D.'s have plant,
animal and mineral origins. The closer we are to the source of our
medicine, the more harmonious it will be in our mind/body system. The
cheif cause of the negative side effects of pharmaceuticals is that they
work too quickly and/or too powerfully. Your system does not have time
to metabolize and harmonize them and is thrown into a state of
unbalance. Chinese herbal medicine allows your body time to metabolize
nourishing or dispersing substances and there are no negative side
effects when professionally prescribed.
The traditional doctor sees the struggle between the body's defense
mechanisms and the pathogens that try to invade it as a war between two
opposing armies. If the pathogenic force is strong, the patient will
succumb to illness. If the patient's defensive mechanisims are strong,
good health will be victorious. The strategies a doctor uses for
fighting disease are as clearly defined as the strategies military
leaders use to defeat the opposition.
The herbal formulas used in this fight were developed with clearly
military-like strategies and the herbs that make up the formulas have
military designations such as the General, Lieutenant, Soldier, and
Envoy. A typical herbal formula may have many ingredients but all the
herbs in the formula will fall into these four categories.
The General's job is to lead the formula and this herb sets the tone for
the entire formula, its energy is the one that has the most impact on
the patient's condition and it is usually the most powerful herb in a
formula.
Our next herb in a formula is the Lieutenant, which supports the action
of the General and addresses secondary conditions that occur in an
illness. For instance, in a common cold there may be fever as the main
concern and body ache as the secondary concern. The Lieutenant in this
case would support the function of the General to reduce the fever and
also work to relieve the body ache. The Soldier herb supports the main
function of the formula, but also is used to offset possible harsh
effects on the other herbs. The herbs used to reduce fever are often so
cooling that they can cause nausea. The Soldier can be used to calm the
stomach so that the optimum effect of the formula is achieved without
adding an upset stomach to the patient's list of complaints.
An Envoy herb plays a dual role in an herbal formula. The first role is
that of guiding the medicine to the area where it is most needed. This
is called tropism and ensures that a formula that is intended to clear
heat from the lungs gets where it needs to be. The second role of an
Envoy herb is to harmonize the actions of the other herbs in the formula
and keep the group cohesive and working to a common treatment principle.
In Chinese medical philosophy, the traditional doctor is viewed as a
great military strategist whose talent lies in the analysis of his
patient's condition so that the appropriate herbal medicine can be
given. Just as an army without a skilled leader is a dangerous mob, so
herbal medicine works without a skilled doctor is dangerous at worst and
useless at best.
Although there are a few tonic herbal formulas (go to Earth-Wind),that
can be safely taken by anyone, the key to the professional prescription
of Chinese herbs is the individual pattern diagnosis. That is the method
by which the practitioner determines the pathological mechanism that is
the cause of the symptoms of disease. Pattern diagnosis is achieved by
the study of the patient's pulse, tongue and eyes, through the patient's
health history and analysis of specific signs and symptoms. Chinese
herbal medicine treats the full range of human disease. It treats acute
gynecological disorders, autoimmune diseases, chronic viral diseases and
degenerative diseases due to aging. In particular, Chinese herbal
medicine is especially good for promoting the body's ability to fight
off disease through an improved immune function and in CCM, the emphasis
is on disease prevention. There is no sense in waiting to dig the well
until one is already thirsty. |
