“The healing power of plants”
In addition to Acupuncture, I operate a full Chinese herbal pharmacy. I make costum raw herbal formulas for patients for whom herbs are appropriate. A well crafted herbal formula is like having a medicine that addresses all of your individual needs in one dose. Chinese herbs are all natural and have a three thousand year history of safe use.
All of the herbs I stock come from Spring Wind Herbs. I choose them because they have been working to develop reliable relations with certified suppliers for many decades. They test and inspect their herbs for the presence of chemicals and pesticides. Many of their herbs are now certified organic — more are added each year. I feel very confident that the herbs I receive from them are clean, high quality and authentic.
I also fill prescriptions for other practitioners who do not have the space or desire to operate there own pharmacy. Interested practitioners can contact me regarding rates and policies.
Because these herbs are “whole” and not just some chemical derivative of a plant, they have the same “holistic” quality as is found with Acupuncture. This means that herbs will effect you physically as well as mentally and also on the spirit level. For instance the herb Dang Gui (Angelica) will help promote the production of blood for those who are blood deficient and it also has the energetic nature much like seaweed in the ocean — meaning that it helps you find the ability to stay rooted in your authentic nature while moving with the ebb and flowing demands of the world around you. To me, that is just plan cool! All herbs have these sort of subtle qualities that we can draw from. The challenge is to match the unique energetic nature of the patient with the appropriate combination of herbs.
This means that just because one herbal formula worked wonders for your headache, does not mean it will work for your neighbor’s headache. Different people may have the same apparent illness yet require different herbs. The quality of your headache including the etiology behind what has given rise to your headache may be very different than the quality and etiology of your neighbor’s headache. Also, when creating an herbal formula we need to take the whole person into consideration. This requires a thorough understand of how illness is manifesting in you physically, mentally and emotionally.
It is also important that I be aware of any changes to your medications to ensure that there will be no adverse interactions with herbs I want to give you. There are well documented cases of certain herb/drug interactions that I, as the practitioner, need to be aware of. It is my job to ensure that any herbs I prescribe have no history of interactions with any medications you are currently taking. It is your job to keep me well informed of all the medications your doctor has prescribed.
It is generally understood among practitioners that as long as you are clear in your diagnosis and administer the correct herbs there is very little chance for drug interactions or side effects. For example, if your doctor has you on medication for high blood pressure it is most likely that my independent Chinese medical diagnosis would lead me to prescribe you herbs that would actually help your high blood pressure, even if I was unaware of your western diagnosis of high blood pressure. The bottom line is that both your doctor and I are committed to helping you with your issues. We may be applying different modalities but as long as both your doctor and I are applying our medicine properly there is little risk of interactions or complications.
The length of time that you may need to be on herbs depends on the condition being treated. Some herbs are only meant to be taken for a few days. Others may require months before your body is ready to take over handling things on it’s own. It is never expected that you will need to take the same herbs for life. The purpose of herbal medicine is the same as with Acupuncture, healing through transformation. For some people this is a fast moving process, for others the journey is longer and slower.
Herbalism is a high art form. It takes a lot of training, a lot of experience and a clear understanding of the person being treated. When done well it can offer the same potential of transformational healing as Acupuncture. The goal of herbalism is to provide a personal and unique formulation specifically for your needs without side effects. It may take several attempts to get just the right formula at just the right dosages for your unique needs. As you begin to heal your needs will shift and your herbs will need to be monitored and adjusted accordingly.