East Asian Medicine - Herbal Medicine

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"To relieve the suffering of one's time, there is no greater path than medicine. Within it, nothing is more effective than the prescription of herbs."

Formulary of the Imperial Pharmacy Service in an Era of Great Peace 太平惠民和劑局方 The picture shows a handwritten Chinese prescription from the mid-20th century

Herbal medicine is one of the most important aspects of East Asian medicine. It's practice combines a detailed analysis of signs and symptoms with a unique system of pulse, abdominal and tongue diagnosis to develop a detailed picture of the course and process of disease. After diagnosis each person is prescribed an individual formula, tailor made to their specific requirements. This allows for a subtle form of treatment with minimal side-effects. Herbal medicine may offer help with a wide range of acute and chronic disease including:

• Allergic and Auto-immune disease: Hayfever, asthma, thyroid disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Gastro-intestinal disorders: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic constipation, diarrhoea, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease
• Gynaecological conditions: Pre-menstrual syndrome, painful periods, endometriosis, infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome
• Male disorders: Infertility, low sperm count & motility, impotence, chronic prostate problems
• Neurological conditions: Headache, migraine, dizziness, peripheral neuropathy, Meniere’s disease
• Cardio-vascular disease: Angina, high blood pressure, high cholesterol
• Respiratory conditions: Asthma, bronchitis, chronic coughs, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis
• Rheumatologic conditions: Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia etc.
• Urinary conditions: Chronic cystitis, interstitial cystitis, painful bladder syndrome
• Psychological disorders: Insomnia, depression, anxiety
• Skin disease: Eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, urticaria, lichen simplex, lupus erythematosus, vitiligo, fungal & yeast infections, herpes simplex, impetigo etc.
• Supportive therapy in the treatment of can cer: Side effect of chemo and radiotherapy, fatigue, nausea, low blood count etc.
• Other: Hepatitis A, B, C, chronic fatigue syndrome ME, symptoms associated with HIV infection etc.