Announcing #FridayFormula on the blog! Yes, I know that it is only
Wednesday, but I want to give you something to look forward to at the
end of the week. Today I am going to tell you about a wonderful herb
in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), but first I want to explain how
TCM uses herbs. TCM very rarely prescribes a single herb, or even two
herbs together, for a patient's condition. Instead, multiple herbs,
sometimes even as many as twelve or more, are combined into a
formula. Herbs are combined into formulas for several reasons:
synergistic combinations enhance the actions of each herb, mitigating
combinations offset undesired side effects or harshness of other
herbs, and complementary combinations have different actions that work
together for a complex or compound pathology. Formulas are often
customized for a patient's condition and presentation. Combining herbs
into formulas makes TCM a complex and sophisticated art and science
that takes years to learn and a lifetime to master. However,
physicians of all types currently see patients who do not fit into
simple and distinct boxes. Many patients in the modern day have
multiple pathologies, or problems, and are unable or unwilling to have
their doctor treat one at a time. Modern pharmacists are accustomed to
seeing patients on 6, 12, or even more medications at one time. TCM is
one of the oldest herbal traditions still practiced today; its
subtlety and sophistication offer a unique paradigm to address complex
and interwoven conditions seen in modern practice. Each Friday I will
be sharing a #FridayFormula with ingredients, and a discussion of how
it is used in TCM.
At Luna Circle Wellness I provide private acupuncture sessions and consultations, and I provide treatments in our community acupuncture clinic. I also provide community style acupuncture treatments at other locations around town for patient populations that cannot easily make it to the clinic. Because acupuncture has a cumulative effect, that is each treatment builds on the progress made in previous treatments, community acupuncture is often the most convenient way for patients to get the number and frequency of treatments that is ideal for their health. Some patients find that a combination of private treatments and community acupuncture is the best way to nourish their health. Community acupuncture is acupuncture preformed in a group setting, where several patients relax with needles retained at the same time. Typically, acupuncture needles are retained for 30-60min for one treatment. A group setting allows a doctor to treat several patients an hour, and thus lower the cost per...
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