CHINESE HERBAL TREATMENT
NATURAL BALANCE ACUPUNCTRE CLINIC uses CHINESE PATENT HERBS from certified suppliers, licensed by the Irish Medicine Board. These herbal formulas are produced and tested under strict quality control and monitored by the Irish Medicine Board.
WHAT IS CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE ?
Chinese herbal medicine is one of the great herbal systems of the world, with an unbroken tradition going back to the 3rd century BC. Yet throughout its history, it has continually developed in response to changing clinical conditions, and has been sustained by research into every aspect of its use. This process continues today with the development of modern medical diagnostic techniques and knowledge.
Because of its systematic approach and clinical effectiveness, it has had a great influence on the theory and practice in the East for centuries, and has more recently grown in popularity in the West. It still forms a major part of healthcare provision in China, and is provided in state hospitals alongside western medicine.
Chinese herbal medicine , along with other components of Chinese Medicine, is based on the concepts of Yin and Yang. It aims to 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 is depleted or blocked. Clinical strategies are based upon diagnosis of the patterns of signs and symptoms that reflect imbalance. Chinese herbs on its own or in conjunction with the acupuncture treatment aim to remove blockages and free flow of Qi, thereby restoring , promoting and maintaining optimum health.
HERBAL MEDICINE AND MODERN PHARMACOLOGY
Research indicates that traditional uses of plant medicine and the known pharmacological activity of plant constituents often coincide. However, herbal medicine is distinct from medicine based on pharmaceutical drugs. Firstly, because of the complexity of plant materials it is far more balanced than medicine based on isolated active ingredients and is far less likely to cause side effects. Secondly, because herbs are typically prescribed in combination, the different components of a formula balance each other and undergo a mutual synergy that increases efficacy and enhances safety. Thirdly, herbal medicine seeks primarily to correct internal imbalances rather than to treat symptoms alone, and therapeutic intervention is designed to encourage this self healing process.