F A Q

"Expect Great Results"

Frequently Asked Questions    References
Click on your question:

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1. How can I experience Qi?
2. How did Qi Gong and Taiji evolve?
3. How does my body work according to Chinese medicine?
4. How do I prevent myself from getting sick?
5. What is qi?
6. What is a meridian?
7. What can I expect when I see a practitioner of Oriental medicine?
8. What is a 'pattern of disharmony'?
9. Find out about the 10 methods to create health and well-being
10. How quickly will I respond to treatment?
11. Does Oriental medicine have specialties like Western medicine?
12. Are there different styles of Oriental medicine?
13. Can I combine my western treatment with Oriental medicine?
14. How can Acupuncture can help my condition?
15. Do the needles hurt?
16. Is acupuncture safe?
17. How long does a visit to an Oriental medical practitioner last?
18. Is there any scientific research on acupuncture?
19. What type of training do Oriental medical practitioners have?
20. Does Acupuncture treat my condition?
21. So, how does sticking needles into my body cause health benefits?
22. When did acupuncture become popular in the west?
23. How many Oriental medical practitioners are practicing in the US?
24. What do all the letters mean behind my acupuncturist's name?
25. Does my medical doctor or chiropractor practice acupuncture?
26. How much does acupuncture cost?
27. Who uses Oriental Medicine and how do they pay for it?
28. Is Chinese Herbal Medicine for me?
29. Is there any research for Chinese herbal therapy?
30. How many herbs will I be getting?
31. How did the Chinese discover the functions of the herbs?
32. How are the herbs dried and processed?
33. How can Chinese herbs help my condition?
34. How do I take Chinese herbs?
35. Are Chinese herbs safe?
36. Will the herbs interact with my medication?
37. What about recent rumors about Chinese herbs being contaminated?
38. How can Chinese Diet Therapy be useful for me?
39. How can I use Chinese diet therapy to further my health?
40. How did Chinese diet therapy come about?
41. How can I use diet therapy in my life practically?

Top 1. How can I experience Qi?
Have you ever thought about how the Chinese came up with acupuncture and the concepts of qi or life force? Go ahead and rub your hands together quickly for 20 seconds. Now, hold the palms of your hands in front of your face. What do you notice? Are you feeling the heat from your palms? Do you notice a vibrating energy in your palms? This is the energy or qi that the Chinese noticed about 5,000 years ago. Chinese farmers, while working on the fields in ancient China and relaxing afterwards, began to notice this vibration flowing through their bodies. Different breathing and movement techniques seemed to affect the flow of this vibration. Have you ever burst out into a run or worked out really hard? Do you notice when you're breathing hard your heart pounds really fast? Are you feeling your body vibrating and tingling? The Chinese would call these sensations qi or life energy.

Top 2. How did Qi Gong and Taiji evolve?
Chinese farmers refined those breathing and movement techniques. They noted an increase in vitality and mental acuity; these practices continued to evolve and the ancient masters began to observe a sense of well-being and relaxation while exercising. These movements were precursors to Taoist meditation practices, Taiji Quan and Qi Gong. Qi Gong means 'qi exercise'; it is also known as 'longevity method'. Those were the very early discoveries of how qi influenced health and well-being. Chinese medicine grew out of these initial discoveries.

Top 3. How does my body work according to Chinese medicine?
By being in touch and connected with nature the Chinese began to observe how nature had an effect on their bodies. Do you ever notice when you're in nature how you can feel the wind gently moving your hair, how you are looking at the trees and noticing their aliveness? How you feel rejuvenated when you've been in nature? Well, the Chinese were observing the cycles of nature - its waxing and waning, lightness and darkness, heat and cold, wetness and dryness, contraction and relaxation, yin and yang, birth and death. They drew conclusions about how the body works. Connecting with nature, they found they were deeply affected by their natural surroundings.

In nature they saw the inherent duality of things. Contemporary psychologists like Carl Gustav Jung and politicians like Mao Tse-Tung and Karl Marx studied Yin/Yang theories before identifying their own theories. Yin and Yang are opposed, interdependent, interconnected and can transform into one another. Daytime is Yang and Nighttime is Yin. Day and Night are opposed yet they are interdependent and together they make up a full day. They are interconnected in that Day cannot exist without Night, and Day transforms into Night and Night transforms into Day.

We are connected to everything. You might notice this when it's cloudy and rainy outside you feel like going to bed and when it's warm and sunny you might want to be active and be outside. Those and many other cosmological observations along with anatomy, physiology, disease mechanisms and treatments are summarized in the Huang Di Nei Jing - The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, which was first known at about 2700 BCE. This text, which appeared in written format at around 200 AD, formed the foundation of Oriental medicine. The Yellow Emperor states regarding Yin/Yang theory: "Everything in creation is covered by Heaven and supported by Earth."

Top 4. How do I prevent myself from getting sick?
The best thing is to live a balanced life in body, mind and spirit. This means getting adequate rest, playtime, meaningful work and social interaction, eating nutritious food and getting regular exercise.

If you've ever entertained the notion that 'thought creates reality,' consider focusing your awareness to your thoughts about what and how you are thinking and how that might create your reality in all areas of your life. A Chinese Zen phrase is: "Everything is made from the mind alone." Have you noticed why some people are always happy? And some are always down? And how often positive things happen to upbeat people? The Yellow Emperor states: "Those who act with bravery and courage will overcome diseases while those who act out of fear will fall ill." There are many books on that subject but I really like this one: Lynn Grabhorn Excuse me, Your Life is Waiting. It's fun and thought provoking.

In Western medicine prevention means getting yearly physicals, vaccinations, mammography and other diagnostic tests. Whereas, prevention in Oriental medicine means looking at energetic imbalances rather than physiological ones. The Yellow Emperor says: "The sages of ancient times emphasized not the treatment of disease, but rather the prevention of its occurrence. To administer medicine to disease, which has already developed and to suppress revolts which have already begun is comparable to the behavior of one who begins to dig a well after he has become thirsty (…). Would these actions not be too late?" Imbalances of your energy give rise to physiological imbalances or illness. When you are balanced energetically you are likely experiencing health.

The role of the physician is discussed in The Yellow Emperor: "A doctor who treats a disease after it has happened is a mediocre doctor, but a doctor who treats a disease before it happens is superior one."

Top 5. What is qi?
Science can trace phases of development of the human embryo, can study the molecular, chemical, biological, and physiological processes in our bodies. Oriental medicine works with the energy or life force behind these processes. Speaking in scientific terms, Einstein's Theory of Relativity and subsequently, quantum physics demonstrate that mass and energy are interchangeable and interconnected. Harvard researcher Ted Kaptchuk states in his book 'The Web That Has No Weaver': "Qi could be viewed as matter just before it turns to energy, or energy where it begins to materialize".

Qi is your vital energy, which makes your body function properly. Various cultures have a context for qi. The Lakota Sioux call it num, in Sanskrit it's called prana and the Japanese call it ki. In the West, however, we may only refer to having low energy but do not perceive the framework of energy being in charge of many bodily functions.

Qi warms us, circulates our blood, brings nutrients to our tissues, activates us and times specific bodily functions such as bowel and urinary function. Disease develops when the flow of qi is disrupted or weakened.

Top 6. What is a meridian?
In ancient China, doctors traced meridian pathways through which the qi passes and located points along them. Those are the areas at which qi surfaces to the skin. Our body has a network of meridians that supply our entire system with energy. Each organ has its own meridian, i.e. there is a Heart meridian, Spleen meridian and Kidney meridian. The points, which are openings of each respective meridian, are the ones accessed with needles during acupuncture or pressed in acupressure.

Top 7. What can I expect when I see a practitioner of Oriental medicine?
Once you go to an Oriental medical practitioner he or she will ask specific questions about your main complaint, its onset, duration, severity and its specific manifestations. He or she will also ask about other problems and your emotional states, feel your pulse on both wrists, look at your tongue and palpate specific areas of your body or other painful regions.

We distinguish between 28 different pulses, all of which give clues about your specific condition. Likewise, looking at your tongue's shape, color, coating and moisture will give your practitioner further ideas about your condition. Via the four methods of diagnosis (history, listening & smelling, palpation, and visual inspection) your practitioner makes conclusions about the patterns of disharmony.

He or she diagnoses your condition by using Oriental medical terminology. Your practitioner may use terms like Kidney qi deficiency, Blood deficiency, Heart Yin deficiency or Blood Heat. These are 'patterns of disharmony' that form the underlying energetic basis for any illness.

The patterns of disharmony direct your practitioner to develop a treatment plan. He or she will choose the appropriate acupuncture points, Chinese herbs, suggest specific lifestyle adjustments or recommend other treatment modalities such as acupressure, dietary changes, or Tui Na, a type of massage. The strength of this approach is that your treatment is custom-tailored to your individual energetic expression of your imbalance. In specific cases your practitioner may suggest you seek western medical care for further evaluation.

Top 8. What is a 'pattern of disharmony'?
For example, if you have a cough the specifics of that cough are questioned. You might have a dry cough, a barking cough, or produce green phlegm, or have a cough with white or clear phlegm. All of these various manifestations are diagnosed and treated differently. If you have a dry cough you may be diagnosed with Lung yin deficiency, if your cough exhibits green phlegm you might have Lung phlegm heat, or, lastly, if you cough up white phlegm your practitioner may diagnose you with Lung phlegm damp. Every one of these manifestations will be treated with different acupuncture points and Chinese herbal formulas.

This differential method of diagnosing and treating is applied to every problem. Your practitioner will assist you and customize your individual treatment.

Top 9. Find out about the 10 methods to create health and well-being
Once you see an Oriental medical practitioner he or she will determine which therapeutic modalities is best for you and your condition. All 10 modalities are aimed to balance your body and create health and well-being. The modalities are:

Acupuncture	Insertion of sterile, stainless-steel needles just beneath the skin
Electro-acupuncture	Attaching a battery-powered device to needles which sends a mild electrical current through the needles; this intensifies an acupuncture treatment
Moxibustion	The burning of artemisia vulgaris on an area or point to warm that area
Chinese herbal medicine	Prescribing Chinese herbal formulas for specific conditions. They are administered internally either as herbal tea, pills, powders, wines or externally as douches or plasters
Acupressure	Pressing certain points for certain complaints; this creates mild stimulation of acupuncture points
Cupping therapy	Application of suction cups usually on the back for pain relief or to extract pathogens such as in common colds
Chinese diet therapy	Recommending specific foods based on specific 'patterns of disharmony'. This enhances the overall benefit of treating your condition
Tui Na massage	Massaging meridians or areas to loosen up an area to improve the flow of qi
Qi Gong and Taiji Quan	Movement and breathing exercises to keep mobile, relaxed and reduce stress
Medical Qi Gong	Qi Gong master emits qi through intention to treat a patient's condition

Top 10. How quickly will I respond to treatment?
Some patients are quick responders while others will respond more gradually. Your practitioner will usually know by the second or third treatment how quickly you respond to treatment. The outcome depends on your constitution, presence of toxins, medications and severity of the energetic and physical imbalance. The Chinese have a saying that for every year a disease has persisted it takes about one month of treatment. Based on my clinical experience I find that most patients respond faster than that. You should expect initial improvement of your symptoms within 4 to 5 visits.

Top 11. Does Oriental medicine have specialties like Western medicine?
Oriental medicine has various specialties just like western medicine. They include gynecology, internal medicine, ear/nose/throat, oncology, urology, dermatology, psychiatry, musculo-skeletal problems, and hematology. Your practitioner may specialize in one or several of these.

Top 12. Are there different styles of Oriental medicine?
Through the millennia the theories of Chinese medicine migrated throughout Asia and evolved into various styles: Classical Five Element Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), various kinds of Japanese Acupuncture, French or "Medical" acupuncture, Korean, Vietnamese and many other variations.

Oriental medicine defines health, describes and explains energetic imbalances, which may result into disease. And, lastly, of course, it treats those imbalances. Your practitioner may practice any one or several of the above styles.

These diverse styles of Oriental medicine are practiced throughout the world and they all have various ways to diagnose and treat imbalances. You might find you resonate more with a certain style or a certain practitioner. Follow your intuition and see that you're getting the results you are seeking.

Top 13. Can I combine my western treatment with Oriental medicine?
They both complement each other well. In China, traditional Chinese medical and western medical hospitals are commonly right next to each other and patients are treated with the method that serves them best. Acupuncture complements other modalities so the question of interaction is rarely an issue.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy may make it possible for you to reduce certain medication, reduce their side-effects and complement your overall treatment. Any alterations to your prescribed medication should only be done under the supervision of your medical doctor. Modern drugs prove well for acute emergency situations whereas Oriental medical treatment may be gentler for the treatment of chronic problems. It is best if your Oriental medical practitioner and your physician have a good working relationship in order to serve your needs in the most proactive way.

Top 14. How can Acupuncture can help my condition?
Acupuncture as practiced within the context of Oriental medicine is one of the most well known health care modalities. Since President Nixon's visit to China acupuncture has enjoyed enormous growth and patient satisfaction in the United States.

Historically, the ancient Taoist masters found pathways or meridians and located points along them at which the qi communicates with the surface of the skin. These are the points that are used in acupuncture therapy. When qi flows smoothly throughout your body you are healthy, vital and balanced.

We each have twelve main meridians which all correlate to specific organs, i.e. Heart meridian, Spleen meridian etc. Qi flows from one meridian to another in a certain order and direction covering the entire network, nourishing every part of our body with vital energy. Practitioners of Oriental medicine stimulate your flow of qi along the meridian network with the insertion of acupuncture needles, which has specific effects on your entire system.

Each acupuncture point has several distinct functions. Stimulating a point at a specific site can stimulate, sedate, cool, warm, harmonize, regulate, and reverse counterflow (qi flowing in the wrong direction) in order to create homeostasis or balance in your body.

Based on your pattern of disharmony your practitioner will choose specific points for you to get you the desired results.

Top 15. Do the needles hurt?
Historically, needles were made of flint, thorns of various plants, bamboo slivers or bone. Luckily, today, Oriental medical practitioners use pre-sterilized, single-use stainless steel needles. Acupuncture needles are very fine, flexible and not hollow. Mostly, the needles are inserted just below the surface of the skin. The majority of patients find the treatments very relaxing, which brings on a feeling of well-being. Some people even fall asleep during treatment or enter a hypnosis-like trance.

Top 16. Is acupuncture safe?
Acupuncture has had a great track record as far as safety is concerned. The risks of acupuncture are bruising and occasional bleeding at the site of insertion. Most practitioners these days use disposable, one-time pre-sterilized needles, which prevents infectious transmissions of any kind. Rare occasions of punctured lungs have been noted in the literature as well as rare incidences of infection. Also, failure to seek or delay standard medical care has been listed as a potential problem along with patients stopping prescribed drug therapy without their doctor's knowledge.

Less severe adverse events include fainting, sweating, mild dizziness and relaxation. Overall, the statistical data rates acupuncture as very safe particularly when compared to adverse events of standard western medical treatment.

Top 17. How long does a visit to an Oriental medical practitioner last?
Initial visits usually last anywhere from 60 - 110 min depending on what style your practitioner practices. Follow-up visits usually range from 30 - 75 minutes. Practitioners see anywhere from 1 - 4 patients per hour; again, this depends on which style your practitioner practices.

Top 18. Is there any scientific research on acupuncture?
The premise of Oriental medicine is to custom-tailor treatment in order to achieve balance and health. From a research point of view, however, this poses certain limitations. Individualizing treatment makes it difficult to apply current research methodology in order to study the efficacy of Oriental medical modalities. However, many favorable studies demonstrating efficacy have already been published in the past couple of decades. See especially reference 37.

Numerous randomized, controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses revealed that acupuncture has clinical value in nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, during pregnancy and after surgery, that it relieves dental pain, and is useful for chronic pain syndromes of various nature. These findings were presented at the NIH consensus conference in 1997. Aside from the benefits mentioned the NIH consensus panel found that acupuncture may be useful as adjunct treatment for addictions, asthma, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, and various other pain patterns. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has already funded new studies on acupuncture.

Since 1997, numerous studies have been published on the efficacy of acupuncture and one on moxibustion. Turning a breech presentation successfully during weeks 33 - 37 of pregnancy with moxibustion has been the subject of a widely publicized study from China, which was published in the Journal of American Medical Association. Acupuncture has been shown to increase the transfer rate leading to pregnancy during in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and several acupuncture studies on depression showed positive effects. See references.

Currently, in Germany a large study (German Acupuncture Trial - GERAC) is underway with over 300 000 participating patients in the cohort study and more than 3 600 patients are randomized into the controlled, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of Chinese acupuncture in comparison to sham-acupuncture and standard therapy for the conditions headache, migraine, low back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee. The study aims to address about 70 % of all German insured patients. This study is funded by German insurance companies. Over 200 physicians are participating to work on an outpatient basis in the GERAC study.

While research has deemed acupuncture useful in a variety of conditions, Oriental medicine is also helpful for other conditions such as internal medical complaints. These include digestive, urinary, gynecological, endocrine, respiratory, and emotional disorders. Please consult the list of references for extensive research citations. Citations 34, 36, and 37 in the reference section are for you if you want to read the current research.

Top 19. What type of training do Oriental medical practitioners have?
Currently, there are about 46 accredited schools (by ACAOM - Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). These schools are entitled by the Department of Education to receive Title IV financial aid. Oriental medical colleges offer curricula anywhere from 2 500 to 3 200 hours of training. The training lasts three to four years. Currently, practitioners graduate with a Master's level degree. Beginning in 2003 a new doctoral program will be instated increasing the number of total hours to 4,000. Current training includes Oriental medical curriculum and an understanding of sciences, western diagnosis and research. For a complete list of all accredited schools please visit www.acaom.org.

Top 20. Does Acupuncture treat my condition?
In May 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a global plan to address issues in what it calls traditional medicine (TM) and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The WHO approved the following conditions to be helpful with acupuncture:

Acute Sinusitis Acute Tonsillitis Bronchial Asthma Trigeminal Neuralgia Peripheral Nerve Pain Scatica Hiccough Diarrhea Gingivitis Intercostal Neuralgia

Rhinitis Pharyngitis Headache Palsy Frozen Shoulder Low Back Pain Gastritis Constipation Conjunctivitis Bladder Dysfunction

Common Cold Acute Bronchitis Migrane Post-Stroke Rehab Tennis Elbow Osteoarthritis Ulcer Toothache Meniere's Disease Nocturnal Enuresis

In Asia, Europe and the USA, conditions such as frequent miscarriages, infertility, painful periods, endomitriosis, irregular periods, menopausal syndrome and many others have been treated successfully. People have noticed relief from chronic cough, allergies, urinary problems such as incontinence, early stage urinary tract infection, urinary retention, and edema. It has been known to treat various digestive disorders ranging from gastro-esophageal reflux to Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Many patients have been able to relieve their fibromyalgia symptoms along with insomnia, nightmares, anxiety and other emotional problems. Oriental medicine can also help patients who are undergoing cancer treatment by offsetting many side-effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

Top 21. So, how does sticking needles into my body cause health benefits?
Yes, indeed! You might wonder how sticking needles stops pain and creates many other health benefits. While there are a number of hypothesis on how acupuncture works we currently do not know what its specific mechanisms of action are. Attempts to explain its function range from the Gate Theory to the release of endorphins in pain related disorders, and to theories on electro-magnetic currents but there appears to be also an autonomic nervous system component in non-pain related diseases.

One of the ways I like to explain it to my patients is that if you view your body as the equivalent of a petri dish filled with saline solution and you attach an electrode on either end we will get a measurable low-level electrical current between the electrodes. If we view the electrodes as needles we can draw conclusions that an electrical current is flowing between them in our body. By adjusting the electrical flow in your body health benefits occur. But just how this exactly works is not yet clear.

Cho, et al published research that when Gallbladder 37 or Bladder 67 is needled, points that benefits the eyes, and the patient is subjected to a functional MRI the visual cortex is highlighted in both cases. Likewise, when Gallbladder 43 is needled, a point that benefits hearing, the auditory cortex lights up in a functional MRI. Other points have shown to increase brain activity when compared to periods of rest, shallow needling, or superficial pricking on the leg.

According to Dr. Kathleen Hui, author of a peer-reviewed paper named Human Brain Mapping, acupuncture has effects on the limbic system, the emotional core of the human nervous system. Her work with functional MRI and acupuncture has shed new light on how acupuncture may affect the body. She states: "one acupuncture point treats different disorders… different acupuncture points treat one disorder."

Top 22. When did acupuncture become popular in the west?
Over 300,000 practitioners offer Oriental medicine in 140 countries. Since the early 70's Oriental medicine has grown rapidly in the United States, initiated by President Nixon's visit to China. James Reston, one of Nixon's travel companions, used acupuncture successfully for relieving pain after his appendix was removed and described his experience vividly in the New York Times. In 1997 the NIH Consensus conference on acupuncture concluded: "The data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies."

Top 23. How many Oriental medical practitioners are practicing in the US?
As of January 2003, there are about 18,000 non-physicians practicing acupuncture in about 45 states. It is estimated that by the end of 2003 an additional 10,000 practitioners will have graduated. These states license or register the profession of acupuncture and Oriental medicine; all states require passage of the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, www.nccaom.org) acupuncture and/or Chinese herbology exam. A couple of states require oral exams in addition to the written NCCAOM exam before granting a license.

Top 24. What do all the letters mean behind my acupuncturist's name?
Yes, it does get confusing… LAc stands for state Licensed Acupuncturist, OMD means Oriental Medical Doctor, a degree granted to graduates before 1989. After 1989, MAc (Master's in Acupuncture) or MSOM (Master of Science in Oriental Medicine) degrees were granted.

Dipl Ac and Dipl CH are the designations given by the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine) for passing their national acupuncture or Chinese herbology certification exam. DOM (Doctor of Oriental Medicine) is the New Mexico licensure title, Florida designates their licensees as AP (Acupuncture Physicians) and in Rhode Island they are called DAc (Doctor of Acupuncture). In New Mexico DOM's with prescriptive authority have undergone specialized training and may call themselves DOM Rx. DABMA stands for Diplomat American Board of Medical Acupuncture, a designation physicians use, and QME stands for Qualified Medical Examiner.

Top 25. Does my medical doctor or chiropractor practice acupuncture?
About 5,000 MD's practice acupuncture in this country. Most have taken a 300 hour course in Medical Acupuncture at University of California Los Angeles. This course focuses on the French style of acupuncture and is beneficial in treating musculo-skeletal problems. Many chiropractors also practice acupuncture. Their training varies as there are no specific state guidelines. Some practice with about 100 hours of training; others have considerably more training.

Top 26. How much does acupuncture cost?
CA, NM, MD, OR, WA, FL have fee-for-service or HMO coverage for acupuncture; some cover auxiliary modalities such as cupping, moxibustion, and electrical stimulation. There is no coverage for Chinese herbs.

In most other states Oriental medical services are an out-of-pocket expense. The usual and customary rates vary from state to state but generally range from $ 65 - $ 170 for new patients and from $ 50 to $ 110 per office visit for established patients. Chinese herbs are usually extra and can cost from $ 15 - 40 per week depending on the specific herbs prescribed.

Top 27. Who uses Oriental Medicine and how do they pay for it?
Cooper and McKee found in a 1999 survey that 70 % of patients utilizing Oriental medicine are female, and 30 % male. The average age was between 15 - 65 years old. Caucasian patients were most strongly represented (75 %) followed by the Hispanic population (7 %). 73 % of all patients paid out-of-pocket, 18 % paid out of a personal injury settlement, and 5 % were covered by Worker's comp.

Top 28. Is Chinese Herbal Medicine for me?
Chinese herbal medicine is even older than acupuncture therapy. If you've ever had the opportunity to visit Chinatown of any major city you might have seen and smelled rows and rows of different herbs. What went through your head when you visited these herb stores? Were you fascinated? Did you think it was strange? Most herbs are plant-based but many come from the mineral or animal kingdom. Though Chinese herbal medicine is less known in the West it is rapidly gaining popularity.

How can herbs help me, you might ask? Chinese herbs treat a number of chronic health problems. Like any other modality of Oriental medicine herbal treatment is aimed at restoring your health and balance. They work best for functional or hormonal disorders as well as benefiting your organs and tissues.

You can use herbs for chronic deficiency disorders such as poor digestion but you can also benefit from them if you have cysts (which the Chinese call phlegm nodulation) or small tumors. If you're already using acupuncture herbs will support the overall treatment; herbs can also be used alone if you don't like getting acupuncture. In fact, they will treat your condition on a daily basis.

In China, patients are commonly treated with acupuncture on a daily basis, which in the West is often not feasible due to cost and time constraints. Therefore, herbs can serve you in such a way that your body is supported daily and that you get the most benefit out of your overall treatment in the shortest amount of time.

Top 29. Is there any research for Chinese herbal therapy?
One research study involving Chinese herbs, which was done in Australia, looked at herbs and their effect on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The study, which was published in Journal of American Medical Association, found that Chinese herbs, when individualized and custom-tailored to the patients' pattern of disharmony, worked best and had the longest lasting subjective and objective results as opposed to a standard formula or placebo.

Currently, many scientists and pharmaceutical companies are looking at Chinese herbs for chemical compounds and their potential use in treating specific disorders. This type of research, however, is still in its infancy. www.daylight.com/products has software for sale on the molecular structures of Chinese herbs. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine, however, uses the symphony of compounds rather than a silver bullet approach that is currently used in drug therapy.

Top 30. How many herbs will I be getting?
Chinese herbs are prescribed as formulas consisting between 8 - 22 different herbs. Unlike western botanicals they are never prescribed alone. Even though you might find single herb remedies like Astragalus (Huang Qi - Radix Astragali M.) or Dong Quai (Dang Gui - Radix Angelicae Sinensis.) in health food stores that is not how the Chinese prescribe herbs. Prescriptions for your specific condition are based on traditional herbal formulas that have been refined for millennia. Your practitioner then modifies these traditional formulas to fit your specific picture or pattern of disharmony. He/she will either recommend herbs as a decoction (herbs boiled into a tea), or in powder form, as tincture, pill, wine or syrup. This will depend on your condition and what works best for you. Herbs can also be given orally or topically as poultices, plasters or douches for skin disorders.

Top 31. How did the Chinese discover the functions of the herbs?
About 5,000 years ago the legendary emperor, Shen Nong (3737 - 3697 BC) is said to have become enthralled with the use of various plants and their medicinal properties, many of which he tried on himself. His Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing - Classic Materia Medica included a discussion of about 360 medicinals.

Over the next couple of centuries through observation and trial and error newly discovered functions of various medicinals were passed on from generation to generation. Around 1590 the Ben Cao Gang Mu - General Outlines and Divisions of Herbal Medicine compiled by Li Shi Zhen denoted a cornerstone of Chinese herbal medicine. This book consists of 52 volumes, and includes about 1,800 medicinals with over 10,000 formulas. Today, about 8,000 different medicinals are recorded with their respective recommended dosages, functions, indications, cautions and contraindications, and growing and harvesting requirements.

Just as certain acupuncture points have different functions, so do the herbs within the Chinese pharmacopoeia. You'll find medicinals classified into different categories regarding taste and temperature. What is your experience when you drink peppermint tea? Perhaps you have noticed how it cools you from the inside out when you drink it as a tea. What do you notice when you drink fresh ginger tea? It will most likely produce a warm sensation in your chest and stomach region and make you tingle inside.

Herbs have a specific temperature but they also have certain tastes like any food. They can be bitter, salty, sour, sweet or pungent. Fresh ginger for example is not only hot in temperature but also has a pungent taste. If you drink it really hot or take a hot ginger bath it will cause you to perspire. This is because the pungent taste has a perspiration producing (diaphoretic) quality.

Herbs can calm the spirit, dissolve nodules, regulate digestion, promote bowel movements, promote urination, astringe perspiration, astringe urination in cases of incontinence, stop cough, resolve phlegm, cool heat, warm the body, quicken blood circulation, clear toxins, stop bleeding, stop pain, supplement qi, Blood, yin or yang and many other functions.

A careful diagnosis of your pattern of disharmony and your practitioner's herbal knowledge will create a tailored formula for you that treats your specific expression of an illness or imbalance.

Top 32. How are the herbs dried and processed?
Chinese herbs are usually dried but many are processed in a way that enhances their medicinal capabilities. Some herbs are fried in honey to magnify their qi supplementing quality and others are fried in ginger, processed with pig's bile, or rice wine, charred or cut in a certain way to bring forth specific qualities. Preparation of herbs also diminishes toxicity, moderates drastic functions, reduces side effects and lessens disagreeable flavors. In China, a Traditional Chinese herbal pharmacist studies this complex body of knowledge. Pharmacists can either be trained in Chinese herbology or western drug therapy in which case their education is distinctly different from a TCM doctor.

Top 33. How can Chinese herbs help my condition?
Herbs are best utilized for chronic diseases but are also effective in acute conditions where results can be dramatic. Most people seeking herbs have tried a number of different therapies until they finally come to a Chinese herbalist for the treatment of their condition.

Herbs are generally slower and more gradual in their effect when compared to pharmaceuticals. Chronic problems have taken usually years to establish themselves; therefore, it might take a while to correct the problem. Also, while today's drug therapy focuses on the chemical, molecular level, herbs work on the underlying energetic disharmony or pattern of disharmony. This thinking is derived from modern physics where matter turns into energy and energy turns into matter. If we have disease in the molecular or chemical layer we can achieve beneficial effects by treating the energetic layer, which shifts the molecular/chemical layer.

In Chinese medicine we ask what are the underlying energetic patterns that initiate a certain problem to begin with? What are the underlying body, mind, spirit imbalances that cause you to have specific manifestations of illness? A careful history will reveal your 'pattern of disharmony' or energetic imbalance, which then gets treated.

The long-term goal is to build your body to such a degree that you will no longer have to be treated or only get seasonal tune-ups if necessary. The goal is for you to be resilient and balanced; therefore, you are not dependent on Oriental medical therapy or any other therapy for that matter.

Top 34. How do I take Chinese herbs?
Traditionally, medicinals have been decocted or cooked into an herbal tea. Most practitioners find that this is still the most preferred and strongest method of administration. When you leave an herbalist's office with a bag or two of strange roots and twigs you might have mixed feelings. Then you get home and cook these herbs according to the cooking instructions that were given to you. When drinking the first cup you might think: 'gosh, this tastes really bad'.

The majority of my patients go through this process but 85 % of them find that after a while they actually like the tea, especially, after they note beneficial effects in their health. I heard many of my patients say over the years, that even though the tea tastes rather strong they like how it makes them feel and they actually crave it. Decoctions are also usually cheaper.

For other patients, herb powders work better regarding taste and convenience. Many companies sell single-herb granules that can be mixed by your practitioner into a custom formula for you.

Many American herb companies create their own brand of patent medicines or herbs in pill form. Disadvantages with prepared formulas are that your practitioner cannot delete an herb and add another in order to tailor the formula exactly to your need. This means you may have to combine several products, which will increase your overall cost.

It is best you discuss these issues with your practitioner and agree mutually on what will serve you best.

Top 35. Are Chinese herbs safe?
On occasion, Chinese herbs cause minor digestive problems such as gas, nausea or diarrhea. In isolated cases they may cause an allergic skin rash. In China, where herbs are often injected and taken at much higher dosages, there have been a few cases of anaphylactic shock (a severe allergic reaction).

Ideally, you don't want side effects from herbs. If you do notice them make sure you report those to your practitioner so that he/she can change the formula accordingly. Generally, if you take herbs under the supervision of a skilled practitioner he/she will change your formula as your condition changes. Chinese herbs are great for conditions for which there is no effective Western medical treatment or you wish to avoid taking drugs.

Top 36. Will the herbs interact with my medication?
There has been much discussion on this subject in the past few years since western botanicals have become popular. Issues with Kava and St. John's Wort have been widely publicized.

Chinese herbs, however, have been studied much less and it is more difficult to assess single component interactions since Chinese medicinals are always given in complex formulas.

John Chen, PhD, DPharm, OMD of Lotus Herbs, Inc. in California has published initial research into Chinese herb-drug interactions. Your herbal practitioner will be up-to-date with this information and know when to dispense certain herbs and when not.

Top 37. What about recent rumors about Chinese herbs being contaminated?
According to Subhuti Dharmananda, PhD most herbs are grown without the use of pesticides. However, very few are grown with pesticides but residues could not be confirmed. Generally, Chinese herbs are not fumigated upon arrival to the US. Some herbs are steamed in sulfur to preserve their freshness but so far, no adverse effects have been reported. Several US distributors sell sulfur-free herbs.

In the past few years there have been rumors about heavy-metal contamination in various pill products or patent medicines. Usually, they are found in Asian-prepared pill products where heavy metals serve a specific therapeutic action such as cinnabar. Other products have occasionally been contaminated with anti-histamines, acetaminophen and other contaminants. The pragmatic thinking was that the drugs made the herb formulas act quicker whereas the herbs slowed the action of the drug with longer-lasting beneficial results. However, this thinking was not exactly appreciated in the west where 'herbs' and 'drugs' are clearly distinct from one another.

Chinese pharmaceutical houses are aware of these problems and are reforming their cleanliness and formulation standards in order to meet international trade guidelines. Many American companies make their own patent medicines all of which do not pose the above-mentioned problems. Jake Paul Fratkin, OMD summarized many of these issues in his book Chinese Herbal Patent Medicines: The Clinical Desk Reference.

Top 38. How can Chinese Diet Therapy be useful for me?
Mentioning of food therapy occurred as early as 200 BC although the Huang Di Nei Jing - The Yellow Emperor's Classic on Internal Medicine (Ling Shu, chapter 63) from 2700 BC states: "a diet which is balanced in all five tastes keeps the bones straight and stable, the sinews flexible, circulates qi and Blood, regulates the opening and closing of the pores (hence, supports immune function), and facilitates the harmonious functioning of all organs".

The five tastes of foods are sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty which relate to the five-element theory of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.



In this diagram we can see how all the five elements are related to one another and support and control each other. Balance between all elements and their respective organs is crucial

	Wood	Fire	Earth	Metal	Water
Yin	Liver	Heart, Pericardium	Spleen	Lungs	Kidneys
Yang	Gallbladder	Small Intestine, Triple Warmer	Stomach	Large Intest	Bladder
Tissue	Ligaments, sinews	Blood, vessels	Muscles	Skin	Bone, teeth, marrow
Odor	Rancid	Scorched/burnt	Fragrant	Rotten	Putrid
Orifice	Eyes	Tongue	Mouth	Nose	Ears
Sense	Vision	Speech	Taste	Smell	Hearing
Secretion	Tears	Sweat	Saliva	Mucous	Urine
Season	Spring	Summer	Late Summer	Autumn	Winter
Emotion	Anger	Joy	Worry, Overthinking	Grief, Sadness	Fear, Fright

When you eat a diet balanced in all five tastes it will create balance in all five elements and their respective organs - always a desirable. Through food we regenerate our body; food nourishes our body, which provides the fuel to cause our body to function properly. Hence, the quality of our food is essential. Health is defined as balance between Yin and Yang and the harmonious workings of all the organs within the five-elements.

Top 39. How can I use Chinese diet therapy to further my health?
The term diet comes from the Greek word "diaita" and means 'the art to live'. Just like Chinese herbs all foods are either classified as hot, warm, neutral, cool, or cold. If you're someone who feels subjectively hot you might benefit from consuming cool or cold foods (i.e. peppermint) whereas if you're always feeling cold you might benefit from a hotter, spicier diet (i.e. peppers, fresh ginger) plan.

Each food also enters specific organs, i.e. fresh ginger benefits the lungs and stomach. It warms the lungs, causes perspiration in case of a common cold, and settles nausea and vomiting. In diet therapy all foods are categorized into taste, temperature and element/organ groups. This has the advantage that once a Chinese diagnosis or 'pattern of disharmony' is established your practitioner can select foods and devise meal plans, which support your health and well-being in a very specific way. This eliminates shotgun approach meal plans that do not take your individual nature or energetic make-up into account.

Top 40. How did Chinese diet therapy come about?
Central to Chinese diet therapy is again 'qi', the life force or vital energy; when your qi is abundant and flows smoothly throughout your body you are likely healthy. While pre-natal qi or essence is inherited from your parents post-natal qi or essence is generated from a balanced lifestyle and the consumption of high quality food and drink.

Hippocrates, while from a western perspective, stated at around 400 BC: "let food be your medicine and medicine your food" which synergistically mirrors Chinese dietary theory. Aside from fuel food is also a mild medicinal tonic to keep your body healthy while it carefully maintains balance within your system.

Top 41. How can I use diet therapy in my life practically?
In China, this system is incorporated into day-to-day life; people eat warm foods during cold weather and cool foods during the warmer seasons. Some examples are below.

Cold or Cool Foods	Hot or Warm Foods
Strawberry, mung bean, orange, beer, lemon, chicory, dandelion, algae, soy sauce, mussels, green tea, black tea, peppermint, spearmint, raw foods, tomatoes, banana, cucumber	Fennel, apricot, cherry, pistachio, oats, eel, lamb, pig liver, capers, scallions, onions, mussels, shrimp, vinegar, thyme, garlic, cinnamon, star anise, fresh ginger tea

While this list is by no means complete, it illustrates how you might select foods based on your body type. If you're feeling always cold or hot you may want to choose your foods based on their temperatures.

If, however, a patient is diagnosed with a pattern of disharmony of Liver Blood deficiency who has symptoms of dizziness, blurry vision, dry dyes, poor night vision, pale face, numbness in the extremities, pale menstruation, amenorrhea and insomnia she will benefit from foods that nourish Liver Blood. Foods that will nourish Liver Blood are sweet, sour, neutral, warm or cool in nature. Examples are: chicken, duck, liver, oyster, crab, apples, litchi, plum, grapes, green beans, spinach, sprouts, carrot juice, wheat, sesame seeds, parsnips and many others. By incorporating those foods into your diet with the above 'pattern of disharmony' you will supplement Blood, which will have a positive effect on the above symptoms.

You can incorporate Oriental diet therapy into your life by following some simple methods. The classic texts state: "Food should always be eaten at the right time of day so it can be easily digested. Yang qi increases until noon and is weak at sunset. Therefore, it is wise to eat a hardy breakfast, a moderate meal at lunch and a light dinner." It might be helpful for you to eat a light snack mid-morning and again around 4 PM. A meal is just right for you if it doesn't drain your energy. In the evening, it is best to eat light since there is nothing worse than to go to bed with a full stomach, which according to the Chinese, may lead to food stagnation. Food stagnation is a pattern of disharmony that may cause you to experience chronic fullness, nausea, constipation and be overweight. Heavy meals late at night also cause insomnia and palpitations in some people.

Certain seasons also affect your meal intake and digestion. It is natural to eat foods that are in season. In the springtime (wood element) when yang is increasing (symbolized by the days getting longer) and when nature's growth and development are at their peak it is best to eat foods that nourish the liver. Those foods are slightly warm and sour. Examples are spinach, celery root, salad, sprouts, and green tea. In the summer (fire element) when yang is at its peak foods that are bitter and slightly cool or cold will nourish the fire element or its respective organs, the heart and small intestine. Fruits or juices from apples, pears, pineapple, oranges, melons, lemon, kiwi are recommended. Tomatoes, cucumbers, chicory, spinach, salads, wheat and green tea are also useful during this time of the year. Fall foods (metal element) include pungent and slightly warm foods as yang is decreasing and yin is increasing. Metal organs are the lungs and large intestine. Couscous, corn, carrots, leeks, radishes, garlic, cinnamon, onions and fresh ginger are helpful during this time. And, lastly, in the winter when yin peaks foods should warming and slightly salty. The organs associated with this season are the kidneys and bladder. Lamb, venison, beef, chicken, duck, stews with hardy vegetables and red wine are helpful during this time of year. Other warming and kidney nourishing foods are shrimps, oysters, spicy foods, star anise, black sesame seeds, fennel, leeks and walnuts.

According to the Five-Element theory, the earth element is associated with the season of late summer. It can, however, also be correlated with the 'center' or your digestive tract which is conveniently located in the center of your body. The predominant organs of digestion in Oriental medicine are the Spleen/pancreas and stomach. The organs of the middle metabolize food and drink and create post-natal qi or energy that your body uses for fuel.

Many ancient physicians believed that by "treating the middle all other elements (organs) will harmonize". You can build your digestion by consuming foods that are warming or neutral and slightly sweet. Those foods include rice, corn, carrots, fennel, potatoes, cabbage, peas, soybeans, squash, beef, veal, chicken, duck, goose, deer, sheep, goat, herring, carp, sardine, sweet apples, dates, figs, papaya, grapes, fennel tea and grape juice.

These are some general guidelines you can follow but your practitioner will help you work out an individual meal plan that is particularly tailored to your patterns of disharmony with the goal of achieving health and balance in body, mind and spirit.