What is Chinese Herbal medicine?
Chinese Herbal Medicine(CHM) is a highly effective, well researched and widely practiced form of medicine. It has 3000 years of unbroken practice to draw upon. During this time CHM has been refined and researched to match Western clinical standards.
CHM is together with acupuncture, massage and dietary advice part of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
What distinguishes CHM from Western Herbal Medicine is that rather than treating Western disease categories, CHM follow the Chinese medical tradition to correct imbalances and disharmonies of the individual.
The Chinese Materia Medica contains several hundred ingredients ranging from roots, stems, flowers, leaves and barks. Each herb has been analysed for its taste (sweet, bitter etc), action, temperature and the organ it affects. In the U.K only tightly controlled plant materials are allowed to be used.
CHM’s safety and efficacy is partly due to the balancing and synergistic effects the herbs combined, have on each other. This further contributes to limiting and reducing the possibility of side-effects. However, even though side-effects are rare, they can occur which highlights the importance of consulting a qualified practitioner. A CHM prescription is usually based on traditional formulae and then further modified to suit the individual. A prescription will most likely come in concentrated powders to be mixed with warm water. They can also come in raw form as leaves, twigs etc that requires decocting. Herbal creams for topical use can also be made.
Mycology
Mushrooms are a versatile and nutritious food and medicine source that have been consumed for centuries. Aside from their culinary appeal, mushrooms offer a wide range of health benefits due to their unique nutritional profile and their high polysaccharide (betaglucan) content. Mushroom powders also form an important part of Chinese herbal medicine.
Belonging to the fungal kingdom, mushrooms are actually more closely related to humans and other animals than to plants. This close evolutionary relationship means that many of the compounds mushrooms produce have powerful physiological effects on both humans and other animals.
Mushrooms are rich in nutrients such as vitamin B and D. They are also high in minerals such as selenium, potassium and copper. These nutrients play vital roles in maintaining overall health, mainly supporting immune function, promoting energy production and protecting cells against oxidative stress. The intake of medicinal mushrooms have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic disease such as autoimmune diseases, heart disease, cancer, chronic fatigue, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Medicinal mushrooms you may be familiar with are Lion's mane, Reishi, Shiitake and cordyceps. However, there are many more with their own specific properties.
The already powerful effects of the mushrooms can be further potentiated when combined with Chinese herbal medicine, in individually tailored prescriptions by a qualified practitioner
What can Chinese Herbal Medicine/Mycology help with?
- Skin disease
- Gastro-intestinal disorders
- Gynaecological conditions/menopause
- Chronic fatigue syndromes
- Respiratory conditions
- Rheumatological conditions
- Urinary conditions such as cystitis
- Immunity
- Longevity/vitality, energy levels
- Migraine
- Mental/emotional issues (depression/anxiety)
- Psychological problems (e.g. depression and anxiety)
......and moreFor more information: www.rchm.co.uk
Safety concerns
There have been some reported cases of Kidney and Liver damage after taking CHM. These case are extremely rare, as a matter of fact much rarer than serious side effects from pharmaceutical drugs. The only way to obtain CHM today is by consultation with a qualified practitioner.
