CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
Herbal medicine has been shown to be effective in decreasing pain, stress, symptom manifestations in our body's 12 systems along with decreasing side effects of Western medication.
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Chinese Herbal Medicine, along with the other components of Chinese medicine, is based on the concepts of Yin and Yang. It aims to understand and treat the many ways in which the fundamental balance and harmony between the two may be undermined and the ways in which a person's Qi or vitality may be depleted or blocked. Clinical strategies are based upon diagnosis of patterns of signs and symptoms that reflect an imbalance.
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However, the tradition as a whole places great emphasis on lifestyle management in order to prevent disease before it occurs. Chinese medicine recognizes that health is more than just the absence of disease and it has a unique capacity to maintain and enhance our capacity for well being and happiness.
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The Register of Chinese Medicine (RCHM) believes that Chinese herbal medicine has a role to play in the treatment of the following conditions:
• Skin disease, including eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, urticaria
• Gastro-intestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation,
ulcerative colitis
• Gynecological conditions, including pre-menstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhoea,
endometriosis, infertility
• Hepatitis and HIV: some promising results have been obtained for treatment of
Hepatitis C, and supportive treatment may be beneficial in the case of HIV
• Chronic fatigue syndromes, whether with a background of viral infection or in other
situations
• Respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic coughs, allergic and
perennial rhinitis and sinusitis
• Rheumatological conditions (e.g. osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis)
• Urinary conditions including chronic cystitis
• Psychological problems (e.g. depression, anxiety)
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Many of these conditions, especially in their chronic forms, create great difficulty for conventional medicine, whilst Chinese Herbal Medicine has a great deal to offer. The results that can be expected and how long a patient will have to take the herbs for will depend on the severity of the condition, its duration, and the general health of the patient.