Why I Enjoy Practicing Chinese Herbal Medicine More Than Anything Else
**Nerd Alert!!** I am a total nerd when it comes to Chinese herbal medicine. So here’s me sharing some nerdiness with you…
This March, I am happy to celebrate 17 years that I’ve been licensed to practice Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in California. I founded POPULUSS Classical Eastern Healing to support the health and wellbeing of our community and promote the benefits of Classical Chinese Medicine within the context of our modern health care system. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to share the benefits of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture with all of Greater Los Angeles as we begin the Year of the Dragon together.
While the subject matter of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is vast and areas of specialization within this field of medicine are numerous, for the last 10 years I have chosen to focus my studies specifically on embodying the clinical skill of the great sage Zhang Zhongjing. Considered by many to be the best Chinese medicine physician in history, Dr Zhang lived during the Han Dynasty of ancient China (circa 150-220 CE).
Zhang Zhongjing’s seminal work, the Shanghan Zabing Lun or "Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases", is considered the foremost predecessor of all Chinese herbal formula books. The herbal formulas of the Shanghan Lun and Jinggue Laoyue form the foundational basis for all subsequent styles of Chinese herbal medicine in practice over the past 2000 years. In Japan, Kampo medicine has been in use for 1500 years. Kampo literally means “Han Method” and incorporates 148 formulas that almost exclusively originate from the Shanghan Zabing Lun. Today Kampo medicine is fully integrated into the modern Japanese “Western-style” health care system and the herbal formulas that comprise it are officially approved as prescription “drugs” and covered by the national healthcare system.
How does Chinese Herbal medicine Work?
The key to effective, efficient, and safe outcomes when using herbal medicine is using the herbs correctly! In other words, proper diagnosis is essential to writing an effective herbal prescription. Classically trained herbalists form a Chinese medicine herbal formula diagnosis by utilizing thorough medical history and review of symptoms, forming a differential diagnosis, and performing physical examinations including pulse diagnosis, abdominal palpation (hara diagnosis), and inspecting the tongue.
Applying an in-depth understanding of the architecture of the various herbal formulas is also key to ensuring their effective and safe use. Unlike Western-style allopathic herbalism which combines herbs in an “a la carte” fashion by recommending individual herbs according to symptoms (often without diagnosis, differential diagnosis, etc.), Chinese herbal medicine & Kampo medicine utilize methodically designed and clinically tested herbal formulas. Prescribing herbal medicine using a highly refined formula architecture system such as that described in Shanghan Zabing Lun enhances safety by decreasing potential of harsh effects of some herbs, and increases effectiveness by combining mutually compatible herbs that work synergistically to bolster the desired therapeutic effects.
What Can Chinese Herbal Medicine Treat?
The Shanghan Zabing Lun is a complete clinical guidebook. My teacher often says, “Zhang Zhongjing didn’t refer out”. In other words, during the time that it was written most people lived in rural areas with limited access to medical care. Doctors in those days had to be prepared to identify and treat a wide variety of maladies ranging from the uncomfortable, to the debilitating or even potentially life-threatening types of illnesses. In his preface to the Shanghan Lun, Dr Zhang states: “Although this book cannot completely cure all diseases, it provides the means to understand the origin of illnesses encountered. If the reader follows the materials herein collected, they should be able to think out over half of all medical problems.”
In this way Chinese Herbal Medicine is extremely versatile and effective at treating a wide variety of illnesses including those affecting the:
· immune system
· nervous system
· cardiovascular system
· respiratory system
· digestive system
· endocrine system
Additionally, here is a short list of some of the most common conditions that I have seen over the years and have had good success in treating:
· Stress, anxiety, depression
· PMS
How long do Chinese Herbs take to work?
The short answer is “It depends”. An herbal course of treatment can be a few days, a few weeks, or several months depending on what is being addressed.
In most cases the ultimate goal is to achieve a healing result or restore the normal functions of the body. In other words, it is not considered ideal for a patient to be taking herbs indefinitely. However, in severe or chronic cases, some patients will take herbs for months or years as an alternative to pharmaceutical medicine, or to manage side effects of pharmaceutical medications one may not be able to discontinue.
If you would like to know more about what Chinese herbal medicine can do for you, you can schedule a FREE 15 minute phone consultation or 30 minute herbal medicine consultation with me to discuss your particular health situation and find out more about what you should expect.
Thank you for allowing me to be a trusted member of your healthcare provider team. I look forward to continuing to share the health and wellness benefits of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture with you!
Sincerely,
Joe Recsnik L.Ac, DCCM
Licensed Chinese herbalist, acupuncturist, lead herbal pharmacist,
& Founder of POPULUSS Classical Eastern Healing