If you visit a Traditional Chinese Medicine herbalist or medical practitioner, you will notice a heavy emphasis on the use of natural herbs. These herbs are all commonly found in the Eastern world and have been used for centuries to heal the body, control disease, and prevent illness. All aspects of health and well being can be protected and healed through the consistent use of these herbs.
This is an accepted part of the TCM tradition, but many people never fully understand why herbs are so important to this medical practice. It is partly just because those herbs were readily available long ago when more advanced forms of medicine were not yet developed, but this doesn't explain why so many people continue use these herbal supplements now that Western medicine has developed in so many different ways.
Herbs are still used by TCM practitioners and followers because they work. Many people feel more comfortable with herbs because they come straight from nature. When you go to a doctor and get a prescription for medication you have a big fancy name for the drug, but you really don't know what you are putting into your body. These medications may be based on herbs, but they have a lot of chemical components as well. For many people, that is scary.
The herbal supplements used by TCM practitioners come straight from natural and are not laced with chemicals used in advanced Western medicine. Different herbs may be mixed to create unique supplements for specific people, but the different herbs are easily identifiable and are put together for very clear reasons. Every herb in a mixture will be aimed at healing the body from the inside out so relief is found from outward pain and discomfort.
When Traditional Chinese Medicine was originally developed, these herbs were found naturally in the environment. They were analyzed based on their appearances, scents, tastes and other special characteristics. Those characteristics were then matched to different organs inside the body. Over time, these theories were developed further and perfected until the system that is in use today emerged.
So, herbs were originally used by Traditional Chinese herbalists and medicine practitioners because they were readily available in the environment and seemed to work. They continue to be embraced around the world today because they are still working. When you start learning about the basic principles behind Traditional Chinese Medicine you see that they are very different from the medical research principles embraced in the Western world today. Yet, there is no denying that TCM continues to work for many people.
Tips for Using TCM Herbal Supplements
If you are interested in using TCM to improve your overall health or treat a medical problem that hasn't been completely relieved by modern Western medicine, the following tips will help you get started:
1. Make sure you purchase your supplements from a well respected, honest source. Some of the herbs used in TCM are not commonly found in the Western world, so they have to come from a source able to access them from other areas of the world. Make sure you are ordering from a company that has this access and which has a reputation for providing high quality supplements
.
2. Give your herbal supplements time to work. You might not see overnight relief, but that doesn't mean the herbs are not working.
3. Combine your herbal supplements with recommendations from your Western medicine doctor. You don't have to choose one or the other.