Chinese Herbal Medicine
Ancient Healing, Modern Wellness
Pulse Diagnosis
I have come to deeply respect the scope of ancient Chinese medicine methods through my training in pulse diagnosis. The pulse reflects our Being, recording ancestral energy, our entry into this life, all that has occurred, and potential future health pathways. It bypasses consciousness and established narratives, revealing our true homeostatic needs.
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Three Depths of the pulse are considered to carry significant information.
Qi Depth: The most superficial, indicating the state of systemic qi and how we engage with the world. A buoyant pulse signals vitality and adaptability, while hard sensations suggest rigidity, soft qualities suggest too much compliance, and vibrations reflect worry or past trauma.
Blood Depth: Represents the state of blood and circulation, providing insight into endurance, resources, and how blood flows through the body.
Organ Depth: The deepest portion reveals the health of vital organs, constitution, resilience, and whether there is sufficient metabolism to support normal physiological function.
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Each depth provides vital information about a person's physiology and their emotional state, and guides selection of acupuncture points and ingredients for herbal formulas.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Chinese herbal medicine is one of the oldest and most enduring healing traditions, still practiced today as part of modern healthcare. Alongside acupuncture, it forms the cornerstone of Chinese medicine, offering a holistic approach to health and well-being.
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Chinese herbal prescriptions are carefully crafted formulas, typically made up of 2 to 15 ingredients, designed to address both the symptoms and underlying causes of various conditions. These individualised remedies are tailored to each person's unique needs, ensuring that every formula works in harmony with your body’s particular physiology.
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The majority of these formulas incorporate ingredients from plants—such as leaves, stems, flowers, and roots—but can also include components from animals and minerals. When necessary, substitutions are made to accommodate specific dietary restrictions, ensuring that each prescription is both effective and compatible with individual health requirements.
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The information gathered from your described symptoms, along with pulse, tongue, and palpation diagnostic methods, help create a precise and personalised herbal prescription.
Links
For enquiring minds here are some helpful links.
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An article I wrote discussing the Influence of AI on Chinese medicine and keeping ancient diagnostic skills alive. Read it online.
Several articles have shown promising results for the use of Chinese herbal medicine as a management strategy, to help people maintain wellbeing, and manage a range of symptoms across different organ systems.
Recent studies have shown promising results for the management of symptoms relating to dysmenorrhea and IBS related diarrhea.
Results of a 2017 study suggested improved lung function tests in chronic asthma with the addition of Chinese herbal medicine as an adjunctive therapy to maintenance medications.
