Understanding Chinese Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbal medicine in EdinburghChinese herbal medicine has been in existence for a very long time, the first detailed books were written from the 2nd century AD and already detail comprehensive theory regarding health.

Chinese herbal medicine is practiced extensively throughout China and the far east, with Japan and Korea developing alongside it in a similar fashion. Many millions of people access Chinese medicine as an important part of their healthcare. In China alone last year there were 920 million outpatient appointments for Chinese medicine. In many countries it is often used in combination with western medical drugs.

Our understanding of how an extensive range of herbs can be utilized together to combat disease and restore health continues to this day. Like science and medicine, traditional Chinese medicine is a living tradition that constantly develops and evolves.

The practice of Chinese herbal medicine involves an understanding of not only what an individual is suffering, but also how they got ill.

This questioning generates a differential diagnosis (bian zheng). After diagnosis each person is prescribed an individual formula tailor-made to their specific requirements. This allows for a subtle form of treatment with minimal side-effects.

Chinese medicinal remedies in EdinburghResearch on the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine is being conducted in China, Japan and the West. This is a very exciting arena, and provides us with extensive evidence of its valuable place in the practice of medicine. In the UK Chinese herbal medicine is regulated and we only use plants that are non-toxic and not endangered.

People of any age and constitution can benefit from Chinese medicine.

If you think you might be interested in having some Chinese herbal medicine, do contact me directly via phone or email.