Overview of Ancient Chinese Herbal Remedy
Chinese herbal medicine goes way back more than 3000 years. Its unbroken tradition makes it one of the great herbal systems of the world up to the present. It has amazingly retained the interest of both traditional and contemporary medical practitioners for its wide range of treatment capabilities. With more and more people opening up to the benefits of herbs for their ailments, herbal remedies have been sustained by research of its every use. Herbal medicine’s effectiveness for centuries undoubtedly made it influential in the Eastern and Western practice of medicine. Today, Chinese herbal remedies still form a great part of its country’s healthcare programs.
Herbal Remedy and Modern Pharmacology
A lot of researches prove that the known pharmacology of a plant component and its traditional medicinal use often coincide. In fact, there are a large number of modern drugs that have been developed from traditional chinese herbs. Examples of these are - Chinese Ephedra which is being used in drugs to treat asthma and hay fever, Schizandra Fruits and Licorice roots used in hepatitis drugs, and various Chinese trees and shrubs being made into anticancer supplements.
However, the use of plants as herbal remedy is quite different from the modern medicine or pharmaceutical drugs. Aside from the fact that herbal medicines are all natural and does not contain any other artificial compounds, its primary aim is to balance internal body energy to enhance self-healing instead of treating symptoms as what modern pharmacology does. Herbal medicine is also prescribed in combination to balance the different components of the herbs as mutual synergy of herbs is believed to enhance its usefulness. And because herbal remedies do not contain synthetic components, it is a lot safer to use.
Using Herbal Remedies
There are several ways that herbs can be administered for remedies. In the olden days, herbs are directly ingested, especially the fruit, flowers and seeds. Leaves are chewed thoroughly to release its healing power inside a person’s body. Whole, crushed or oil extracts of herbs are applied directly on to external wounds. These days, the most common way is by drinking hot-water extract (tea) of herbs or by making a pill of the herbs and taking it with water. Lately, however, the use of herbs in aromatherapy is slowly making its way back. A lot of people have sworn to the relaxing effects of inhaling vapors of various herb plants such as chamomile.
Posted in Chinese Herbs