Chinese Herbal Medicine

The needles used are very thin, and most people only feel a slight sensation when the needle is inserted. Chinese herbs are typically taken orally and can come in different forms such as tinctures, teas, pills, or powders. These formulations are carefully prescribed based on a person’s unique constitution and the nature of their illness.
The acupuncturist puts needles into your skin or muscle at the specific acupuncture points. The needles used in acupuncture Herbal Medicine for Frozen Shoulder are much finer than the needles used to take blood. A Chinese medical practitioner will look at your tongue and check your radial pulse (pulse in your wrist). The acupuncturist will decide which acupuncture points to choose for your treatment.

Future clinical trials of CHM therapies should prioritize the incorporation and detailed reporting of pattern differentiation protocols to ensure treatment fidelity and maximize therapeutic outcomes. Whether it is internal treatment of Chinese medicine or external treatment of acupuncture, precise treatment strategies should be formulated according to individual differences of patients (such as syndrome type, etiology, and pathogenesis) (40). TCM practices’ security is a critical issue to consider in the Western healthcare integration process. Although most TCM therapeutics, such as acupuncture, “Tuina”, and “Qigong”, are commonly accepted as safe, herb use remains a significant concern, mainly due to its origin, quality and dose-related toxicity. The existence of scientific evidence on efficacy and security, and quality control standards supported by in vivo or in vitro clinical trials, are essential to ensure the quality, toxicity and safety of Chinese herbal medicine. In this process, Chinese herbal medicine’s efficacy must be evaluated via the same standards used in Western medicine.
Excitation and luxury (“voluptas”), which belong to the Fire Phase, induce irregular breathing with fast-shifting patterns. Worry (“solicitude”) and reflection (“cogitation”), which belong to the Earth Phase, block the “qi” and make the inhalation short and weak, which is sometimes sustained during a period, followed by fast inhalation and exhalation [6,173]. Moxibustion (“jiu” or “ai”) is based on burning tinder made of Chinese mugwort (Artemisia argyi or Artemisia vulgaris) next to a locus or on it [59]. Artemisia tinder has come to be known in the West as moxa, a Japanese derivation word (“mogusa”, herb for burning).
When I see patients for acupuncture alone, they will usually need 2-3 treatments a week for something acute. Mostly I would see patients 2x in the first week if the pain was debilitating (like a back pain where you can hardly walk), but most of the time with herbs you can be seen once a week or fortnight. Certainly for chronic conditions like arthritis, chronic back pain fortnightly is often frequent enough.

The practice also encourages proper alignment and increased coordination throughout the body. Jenny Jia holds a Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture fromBeijing TCM University, awarded in 1988. She has practised Acupuncture andChinese Herbal Medicine for over 35 years, including working in Beijing TCMHospital and clinical practice in Sydney. Over the 35 years of practice, Jenny has treated many thousands of patients andhelped people with many different problems.
The “Yijing” (“I Ching” or The Book of Changes) and the “Huangdi Neijing” (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine) are the oldest known written sources of information in TCM philosophy and clinical application. The “Yijing”, dating back 3000 to 5000 years, describes the course of life systematically based on a mathematical model of regulation. It describes its changes and modalities, offering advice on personal emotional lifestyle and guidance [3,4], while the “Huangdi Neijing” is comparable in importance to the Hippocratic Corpus in Greek medicine [5].

Under Australian law, acupuncturists must use pre-sterilised, single-use needles. These needles are crafted of solid, flexible stainless steel and are extremely fine, as thin as a strand of hair (around 0.2 mm wide), and not designed to penetrate arteries or veins. Once inserted into skin, fascia and muscle tissue, they may be stimulated through gentle or specific movements by the acupuncturist, sometimes with the help of an electronic pulse device (electroacupuncture). Weight loss – While there is no magic acupuncture point or treatment to help weight loss, acupuncture can help support the journey toward weight loss through relief from stress or depression, by curbing appetite, improving digestion and boosting metabolism. Allergic rhinitis, acute sinusitis and the common cold – Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for patients with allergic rhinitis, acute sinusitis and common cold, reducing nasal and eye symptoms such as itching, sneezing and blocked or runny nose.
Graduates of this program are not considered to have graduated from an ACAHM-accredited or pre-accredited program and may not rely on ACAHM accreditation or pre-accreditation for professional licensure or other purposes. The advanced practice doctoral program is eligible for ACAHM accreditation, and Midwest College of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine is currently in the process of seeking ACAHM pre-accreditation/accreditation for the program. However, Midwest College of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine can provide no assurance that pre-accreditation or accreditation will be granted by ACAHM. MCAHM’s faculty and student interns have contributed to community service at Cook County Hospital, the Pontifical Order of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in Milwaukee, and at the Chicago AIDS Alternative Health Project.
For many, combining both therapies creates a powerful synergy that can promote both immediate and long-term health benefits. Chinese herbal medicine is another cornerstone of TCM, involving the use of natural substances—primarily plants, but also minerals and animal products—to treat various health conditions. These herbs are carefully selected and combined into formulas based on the individual’s unique constitution and the specific patterns of imbalance identified by the practitioner. Acupuncture is an ancient therapeutic technique that involves the precise insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body.

This approach not only provides relief from immediate symptoms but also helps to prevent future recurrences. One of the key principles of TCM is the concept of Qi, or vital energy, which flows through the body’s meridians. Herbal remedies are used to help restore the flow of Qi and bring the body back into balance. They can be used to tonify deficiencies, clear excesses, and regulate the body’s systems. The insertion of acupuncture needles stimulates the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which are involved in regulating mood.
In general, the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway is driven by brainstem and hypothalamic activity, which may downregulate macrophage activation and suppress the synthesis of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and other peripheral pro-inflammatory cytokines. Although more research remains to be done, this pathway may play a role in acupuncture efficacy [19]. Herbal treatment is among the most commonly used of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, and many of the used herbs originate from TCM.
Understanding these fundamental principles provides the essential foundation for developing effective integration strategies. This knowledge  naturally leads to exploring specific patient assessment and treatment planning considerations that optimize therapeutic outcomes while ensuring safety and efficacy in herbal medicine applications. Complementary physical and/or psychological approaches include tai chi, yoga, acupuncture, massage therapy, spinal manipulation, art therapy, music therapy, dance, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and many others.