Chinese Herbal Medicine

About Chinese Herbal Medicine:

Chinese herbal medicine goes hand in hand with Acupuncture as another tool of Oriental Medicine.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine consists of over 5000 substances derived from plant, animal and mineral sources. Many of them may be familiar to you such as ginseng, ginger, fennel, cinnamon, goji berry, licorice, turmeric, hawthorn berry, peppermint and many others that gain popularity everyday.

The use of these substances can be traced back to 1,000 BC. Over the past 3000 years, an incredibly rich and powerful system of medicine has been created. During this time, classical herbal formulas have been developed that are effective for many health concerns. These herbs are available in the form of teas, liquid extracts, tablets, capsules, granules, lotions, creams, salves, powders and poultices.

When prescribed according to an accurate Oriental medical diagnosis, herbal medicine takes a leading role in restoring health, and it enhances the healing effects of acupuncture treatments. Herbal formulas naturally support physiological processes, such as digestion, assimilation, elimination, detoxification, respiration, sleep, circulation, reproduction and immunity, with minimal or no side-effects. Chinese herbs can also help decrease pain and optimize the circumstances for healing.

*Dawn Balusik is one of the few acupuncturists in the Tampa Bay area who is Nationally Board-Certified in Chinese Herbology.

What is a Chinese Herbal Formula?

Individual substances are rarely prescribed alone in Oriental Medicine. Unlike Western herbal medicine, which tends to use just one or two herbs to treat a specific symptom, a Chinese Herbal formula may have as many as 20 different herbs. These sophisticated and balanced combinations are carefully selected to work synergistically to enhance the therapeutic effects, and reduce any potential side effects that could happen with single herbs. You can think of Chinese herbal formulas like a symphony, where each herb contributes a specific performance that is essential to the effectiveness of the whole.

While Western herbal medicine treats on the basis of symptoms alone, Chinese herbal formulas are tailored to treat the specific Oriental medical diagnosis of the individual person, not just symptoms. This is why, for example, the Chinese herbs that your friend takes for her headache may not be the same ones that you need for your headache. The causes of your two headaches could be completely different. So, the herbal prescription depends upon your individual diagnosis, not your symptom. This is why it is very important to get your Chinese herbs from a trained Chinese herbalist.

Are Chinese Herbs safe?

One of the most appealing qualities of Chinese herbal medicine is the low risk of adverse reaction or side effects. Most Chinese herbs have a very low toxicity compared to prescription and over-the-counter Western pharmaceuticals. The most commonly reported adverse reaction is temporary minor gastrointestinal upset, which is due to the fibrous nature of the herbs. If you experience any discomfort while taking your herbs, please inform Dawn Balusik so that she can modify your formula or dosage.

Chinese herbs are whole and natural substances. When prescribed according to an accurate Oriental medical diagnosis, they are an incredibly valuable tool to help strengthen and heal the body. Just like any medicine, however, if the herbs are used wrongly, they can make your condition worse. It takes years of training to understand how to use herbs safely and effectively. Dawn Balusik is a Nationally Certified Diplomat of Chinese Herbology, having proven the required training and mastery of the discipline.

It is very important that you inform Dawn of all pharmaceutical medications, supplements and other herbs you are taking, so she can be sure to avoid any potential interactions.

What about the quality of Chinese herbs?

With all the recent media attention about the low quality of many products coming out of China, it is important for you to know that Dawn Balusik only dispenses herbs from the most reputable AMERICAN Chinese herbal companies. They follow strict GMP guidelines, and do not use any endangered species in their products. What makes them "Chinese herbs" is not that they are necessarily imported from China, but that the formulas are designed and used according to Chinese (Oriental) medical diagnostic and treatment principles.