Gentle Acupuncture
Acupressure/Bodywork
Chinese Herbal Medicine
About Chinese Herbal Medicine
Extracted from
The Register of
Chinese Herbal Medicine,
May 2, 2005
Read about Quality Assurances here.
One of the great herbal systems of the world, Chinese herbal medicine has an unbroken tradition going back to the 3rd century BC. Yet since then it has continually been refined in response to changing clinical conditions, and has been subject to strenuous research into every aspect of its use. This process continues in modern times with the development of modern medical diagnostic techniques and knowledge.
Because of its clinical effectiveness and systematic approach, it has for centuries had a tremendous influence on the theory and practice of medicine in the East, and more recently has grown rapidly in popularity in the West.
Chinese herbal medicine, along with the other components of Chinese medicine, is based on the concepts of yin and yang. It aims to understand and treat the many ways in which the fundamental balance and harmony between the two may be undermined and the ways in which a person's qi ("chee") or vitality may be depleted or blocked. Clinical strategies are based on diagnosis of patterns of signs and symptoms that reflect an imbalance.
However, the tradition as a whole places great emphasis on lifestyle management in order to prevent disease before it occurs. Chinese medicine recognizes that health is more than just the absence of disease. It has a unique capacity to maintain and enhance our capacity for well being and happiness.
There is a growing body of research that indicates that traditional uses of plant remedies and the known pharmacological activity of plant constituents often coincide. However, herbal medicine is distinct from medicine based on pharmaceutical drugs. Because of the complexity of plant materials, it is far more balanced than medicine based on isolated active ingredients and is far less likely to cause side-effects. In addition, because herbs are typically prescribed in combination, the different components of a formula balance each other, and they undergo a mutual synergy that increases efficacy and enhances safety. Herbal medicine also seeks primarily to correct internal imbalances rather than to treat symptoms alone, and therapeutic intervention is designed to encourage this self-healing process.
Chinese herbs are very safe when prescribed correctly by a properly trained practitioner. Over the centuries doctors have compiled detailed information about the pharmacopoiea and placed great emphasis on the protection of the patient. Allergic-type reactions are rare, and will cause no lasting damage if treatment is stopped as soon as symptoms appear.
Quality Assurances
Acusage uses only the highest-quality pharmaceutical-grade herbs. Please read the individual assurances from the companies whose herbs we use exclusively--Evergreen and Health Concerns.
From Evergreen:
"Evergreen firmly believes that herbal products must be made with pharmaceutical precision to achieve their optimum potency, purity, and safety. Our herbs are manufactured in Taiwan under pharmaceutical GMP guidelines, which meet or exceed the standards of Western GMP guidelines for botanicals."
From Health Concerns:
"Our quality-control program begins with the herbs themselves. We hand select the finest wild-picked or organically grown herbs whenever possible.
Health Concerns uses only the most potent part of the plant. Careful attention is paid to the correct timing and method of harvesting. We do not use herbs that are endangered, sprayed or fumigated. Trained herbalists evaluate our herbs for quality on the basis of smell, taste and appearance. Samples are sent to independent labs to screen for pesticides, sulfites and bacterial contamination.
Our labs use the latest technology, including Capillary Electrophoresis, High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, Gas Chromatography, and Thin Layer Chromatography, which provide detailed compositional analysis of the molecular level. Once the herbs have passed inspection, they are processed according to tradition to maximize potency and eliminate undesired effects. Raw herbs may be steamed, baked, alcohol-soaked or ginger processed.
The selection of each herb is double checked and quantities are weighed twice so that formulas are uniform from batch to batch. Herbs are granulated and cooked as a decoction to improve bioavailability. We devote meticulous attention to each individual component of a formula. Roots are cooked over low temperature overnight. Flowers are prepared by infusion. Alkaloid-containing herbs are soaked in alcohol and aromatic extracts are added last to preserve their volatile components. A small amount of acacia gum and cellulose are used to bind the ingredients together, while magnesium aids the tableting process. Once the herbs are compressed into tablets, they are coated to ease swallowing and preserve freshness. To make sure they can be absorbed, they are tested for dissolving times.
During the final stage they are packaged into bottles, inner and outer safety seals are applied, and each bottle is stamped with a lot number and expiration date. A sample of each batch is sent to an outside lab to ensure the accuracy, purity and potency of the finished formula. Health Concerns products are fully tested to assure the practitioner of safe and effective herbal products. Quality controls start with the raw herbs. Herbs are decocted for bioavailability. Lot numbers guarantee each batch has been monitored from start to finish."