Why I believe in Chinese Herbal Medicine
I love Chinese herbs. I take them every day to help keep me balanced, strengthen my internal organs, and prevent illness from taking hold. But this hasn’t always been the case. Back when I was a freshly-minted practicing pharmacist and leaned heavily into Western modern medicine, brushing off the seemingly outdated concept of taking dried roots and bark.
In pharmacy school, we were told that herbs were ineffective and can interfere with Western pharmaceutical drugs, which can make them dangerous to take. Unfortunately, most Western-trained medical professionals are taught this, and without investigating into the subject matter more deeply, they completely disregard herbal medicine.
Now having studied TCM and herbal medicine for over 16 years, I can tell you with confidence that herbal medicine can be a powerful and effective way to help you heal. Of all the different herbal traditions I have studied and applied in my practice, Chinese herbal medicine is my preferred method. It is a truly comprehensive system of medicine - sophisticated, well-documented, with over 2000 years of clinical experience. Millions upon millions of people have benefited from Chinese herbal medicine dating back two millenia; Chinese emperors and royal family members were known to have used it for improved virility and vitality.
To apply Chinese herbal medicine, a practitioner must acquire a strong grasp of the flavour and function of each herb and herbal formulas. For example, aloe vera plants have properties that are moistening and cooling, so they can be used for disorders that are drying and hot - topically, to soothe sunburns, internally, to soothe the intestine and relieve constipation. Through education and self-study, most practitioners have a fundamental understanding of the properties and function of a few hundred herbs.
To be skillful at Chinese herbal medicine, one must also learn from knowledgable mentors. One of my most influential teachers, Jimmy Chang, has over 40 years of successful clinical experience. I base much of my herbal practice on his herbal combinations along with his pulse and ear diagnosis technique. My practice is also influenced by classical Shang Han Lun tradition introduced to me during my studies at Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine, by my good friend and colleague Leo Lok and Professor Hao Wan Shan.
Chinese herbal medicine can be highly effective as formulas are custom-tailored to you and your specific condition, taking into consideration both your constitution and the nature of your illness. For example, if two people have vertigo, and one person has a constitution that is weak, cold, and easily tired, while the second person is strong, hot, and easily angered, they would be prescribed completely different herbal formulas to treat their respective vertigos. That is why as practitioners, we take your pulse, look at your tongue and ears, palpate your skin, and ask you many questions in order to learn your constitution and the nature of your illness.
Reflecting upon the synergy of Western and Eastern methodologies, what I love about practicing Chinese herbal medicine today is that we can also utilize blood pressure readings, cholesterol levels, x-rays and MRI scans, and lab results - this is all useful information to help diagnose and guide our treatments.
