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Diagnosis in TCM
The first step in assessing your overall condition involves taking your "case". This is generally done by means of an extensive interview, and for this reason the first consultation may take longer than subsequent sessions. The Chinese herbal medicine practitioner will ask you questions relating not only to your present symptoms and any previous or current treatment, but also about your medical history, your diet, appetite, sleep patterns, stress and emotional state. Both what is said and how it is said are important in developing a proper understanding of the whole person.
The herbalist will then examine your tongue and take your pulse. Pulse taking is very different from the taking of the arterial pulse by a Western doctor. Pulses are felt in both wrists, and their quality, rhythm and strength are all significant as they help assess the flow of energy within your body. Tongue examination is visual and is also an important diagnostic tool. The structure, colour and coating of different areas of your tongue provide an in-depth insight into your physical health.
Different types of prescriptions
In contrast with other forms of herbal medicine that use either individual herbs, or combinations of very small numbers of herbs performing similar functions, Chinese herbal medicine makes extensive use of complex formulas. These may contain between four and twenty different herbs, selected so their individual properties balance each other to maximise the overall efficacy of the prescription.
A number of pre-prepared formulae are available in pill form. These products are very convenient, as they are ready to use, but limit the practitioner's ability to adjust the formulae to the needs of individual patients.
Individually prescribed formulae may come in one of three forms. The traditional method of preparing herbal formulae is by decoction. The prescription is provided to you as a mixture of the required herbs in dried form, which are then boiled in water at home to prepare the decoction.
Another way of providing tailored prescriptions is as highly concentrated powdered extracts prepared to the herbalist's specifications. You place the powder in hot water to recreate the decoction.
The third alternative is to package the powdered extracts in capsule form.
Comment made on this article doesn't stand for the position of TCMADVISORY.
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