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Copyright © 1997 by Alice McCormick
All rights reserved. Inquiries should be addressed to
Twelve Star Publishing, P.O. Box 123, Jefferson, MD 21755
Chinese Medicine (which includes acupuncture and Herbology)
is the oldest, continually practiced system of medicine in the
world.Currently, approximately one quarter of the Earth's population
uses Chinese Medicine to maintain health. While sometimes difficult
for Westerners to understand, Chinese Medicine has something unique
and powerful to offer as a system of health maintenance.
Chinese Medicine is a system and as such it can offer the
lay person a time- tested process for selecting herbs appropriate
for a particular individual. It is not a folk medicine or a simple
series of home remedies that are applied at random. It is an ancient
and well-developed medicine with a well-developed body of literature.
The classic texts of Chinese Medicine, the same ones still studied
by beginning Acupuncture students, are 2,500 years old. The Chinese
Medical library consists of approximately 40,000 books and many
more articles and abstracts.
The key to understanding Chinese Medicine is understanding
that the body must be in a state of balance to be healthy. A practitioner
of Chinese Medicine always seeks to bring his or her patients
back into a state of balance. Balance means balance between yin
(the cooling, calming, moistening energy of the body) and yang
(the warming, activating, drying energy of the body), between
the Qi (the vital energy) and the blood. The five elemental energies
of metal, water, wood, earth and fire and of the internal organs
must also be in proper relationship. This balance includes what
we think of as physical, mental and emotional aspects since Chinese
Medicine makes no distinction between the body, mind and spirit
of a person. It sees the mental and emotional state of a person
as a manifestation of that person's relative state of balance
or imbalance.
If imbalance occurs, various modalities, such as acupuncture
and herbal remedies, are applied to correct it. For example, if
the Qi or vital energy of the body is insufficient, it is supplemented.
If the Qi is stagnant, the practitioner moves it. If the body
is too cold, we will warm it; if too warm, we will cool it; if
too damp we will dry it, if dry, we will moisten it, and so on.
The most important thing in choosing an herbal remedy is
to make sure that one is choosing something that contributes to
(rather than detracts from) one's overall health and balance.
This is true whether one is choosing a traditional Chinese herb
like Ginseng or Dang Gui or an herb like Echinacea or Goldenseal
that is more common to Western Herbalism.
To choose something that will help you rather than produce
more symptoms later on, you must understand a bit about your own
body. Do you have a tendency to be too hot or too cold, have too
little Qi or blood, tend more to Yin or Yang excess or deficiency?
Sometimes knowing this is not as difficult as it sounds. Do you
always need a sweater when everyone else is comfortable in shirt
sleeves? If so, you are probably a little cold natured and could
benefit from some warming herbs. If you hate summer and feel great
in the winter you probably could benefit from some heat clearing
therapy. Are you always tired even though you get adequate sleep
and exercise? Some Qi building therapy might be helpful.
Next, you must understand a bit about the nature of the
herb you are thinking of taking. In Herbalism lingo you must know
its energetic classification. This tells you if the herb has a
hot or cold nature and some other properties. For example, Ginseng
is hot natured and builds Qi while Goldenseal is cold and bitter
and clears Heat from the body. Excellent sources of this kind
of basic information are Michael Tierra's Planetary Herbology
or The Yoga of Herbs by Vasant Lad and David Frawley. Both of
these books provide information on the nature of herbs as well
as their traditional properties and usages in the healing systems
of China and India - the two traditional systems that have retained
a knowledge of herbal energetics. They also have chapters on understanding
your own constitution and the herbal strategies for balancing
your body.
When you select an herb you should be mindful of your overall
constitution. For most problems, different remedies are appropriate
to different constitutions. For example with a problem such as
getting frequent colds and sore throats, there are many herbs
thought to be useful in improving immune function but not all
of them will be helpful for every individual. For the person who
is low on Qi and therefore slightly immune deficient, Ginseng
might be appropriate provided that the person has no signs of
excessive heat. A safer choice for a lay person would be an herb
like Astragulus that is only slightly warm. It tones the immune
and digestive systems and builds Qi but will not build excessive
heat in the system the way Ginseng can. For the person with excessive
heat in his or her system who gets sick often, an appropriate
choice would be Echinacea. It would clear the excess heat from
the system, cleanse the blood, and improve immune function.
The point is that if the person with excessive Heat takes
Ginseng or the person who is Cold takes Echinacea they won't be
helped in the long run. When imbalance is created, symptoms are
eventually produced as a result of that imbalance.
I would suggest that the lay person begin with taking no
more than one or two herbs at a time. This makes is easier to
judge the effect an herb is having and its appropriateness for
you. There are many plant medicines that can be of great benefit
in bringing our bodies, minds and spirits into balance and wholeness.
As with all things, the key is to choose wisely.
Copyright (c) 1997 by Alice McCormick. All rights reserved.
Alice McCormick is a Nationally Board Certified, State
licensed Acupuncturist as well as an Herbalist. She holds a Masters
of Oriental Medicine degree and is in private practice in Frederick,
Maryland.