What are Chinese herbs?

The word “herb” in English tends to be used to refer only to plants and plant parts. In Chinese medicine, however, the word “herb” may refer to a plant, mineral or even animal part that is used as a medicinal. That said, 90+% of all Chinese herbs commonly used are plant parts of one type or another. Only a small minority are of animal origin – and none used by reputable licensed practitioners in the US are endangered or threatened, ecologically.

All parts of the plant (or animal) may be used as the medicinal substance. Sometimes a plant that has a very medicinally important root may have no medicinal impact at all in the rest of the plant. Roots are the most common plant part used, but stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, whole fruit are all used. Sometimes specialized techniques are applied to change the natural plant substance in some way – this is called Paozhi. Ginger, for instance, can be used as a cooking additive to another herb in order to detoxify it. These techniques allow us to use a single plant substance in multiple ways.

Chinese herbalism developed in much the same way that most global herbal traditions developed – through the accumulated experience and thinking of generation upon generation of ancient people.

However, Chinese herbalism experienced the same quick early development that many aspects of Chinese culture did, and so became very highly professionalized and sophisticated far earlier than most herbal traditions. Combined with the remarkable preservation of Chinese culture in even modern China, what you have is a very advanced herbal tradition that has been continually utilized, challenged, revised and developed for 20+ centuries.

Most herbs used by Chinese medicine practitioners in the US are grown and processed in China and Taiwan – and are absolutely safe

Other Southeast Asian countries contribute particular herbs that are best grown in their climates and soils, and a few are even grown here in the US – such as American ginseng. The herbs are imported through highly regulated and skilled distributors such as our favorites, Spring Wind and Legendary Herbs.

During the customs process, plenty of testing and verification is done to ensure purity and fidelity. While you should be careful about buying random herbs from your local markets, at Watershed we make herbal safety one of our highest priorities.

Herbs are carefully tracked and kept in mold and pest free environments once they arrive at the clinic.

Herbs come in a variety of forms with different costs, convenience factors and rates of efficacy

Raw or bulk herbs are dried and, sometimes, processed with various substances to detoxify or otherwise modify – this work is done at the producer or distributor. These bulk herbs are then put in bags for you and you take them home to boil. The boiling process takes from 30-60 minutes and, depending on the situation, may need to be done 1-2x per week. The liquid from the boiling process can be kept in the refrigerator between doses. Bulk herbs are essential in very severe acute illnesses, in the common cold and flu and secondary infections related to them.

Bulk herbs are also often preferred by people who have difficulties with strange textures, for reasons that become clear when you read about granulated herbs. Finally, bulk herbs can often give a more interesting or holistic experience to treatment by forcing you to see the medicine you are taking directly, and smelling it as it boils.

The most commonly taken herbal form in most American acupuncture offices is granules. Granulated herbs are boiled for you in large industrial facilities and then are centrifuged on to a carrier starch. This starch is chosen specifically to dissolve as quickly as possible – the granule company we use – Legendary Herbs – uses hypoallergenic dextrin as its starch. You'll receive your formula as a group of single herb granules dry mixed together. These granules work somewhat like instant coffee. You add the granules to hot water, let soak and then stir to dissolve.

This approximates the final product of a bulk herb boiling. Because the herbs are not boiled together, it is possible that some synergistic effects that are produced in the more lengthy boiling process are not available in the single herb granule situation. That said, I have found granules to be effective in my practice and they are certainly more convenient since they are pre-cooked.

There are a few formulas I utilized in an encapsulated form – all from my teacher's company Classical Pearls. This is obviously a very convenient form of administration for most people – except those who cannot or will not swallow pills. That said, with pills you have the least amount of interaction (smell/taste) with the herbs themselves. I believe that there is psychological benefit to interacting with the herbal substances that enhances treatment, so I try to minimize this form of administration when I can.

What does Eric treat with Chinese Herbs?

written by Eric Grey

Classical Chinese herbalism was, for a very long time, a primary way that the Chinese treated disease and maintained wellness.

Because of this, the discipline has treatments for the entire range of health problems. It is a complete medical system. There are, of course, situations in which herbal medicine excels, and places where Western biomedicine or another discipline has faster or more effective answers.

What I write below is mostly true of my own herbal practice– other practitioners will have different levels of experience treating these things with Chinese herbs. If you want to know whether your provider feels comfortable with these disorders, just ask them.

My personal background, interests and skills influence what types of patients are going to benefit most from their treatment with me.

The school and teachers I worked with had their own specialties and tendencies, which I absorbed. The mix of patients I've seen over my career has given me reason to study their specific problems more deeply and paid me off with experience in treating those problems. And, of course, my personal history predisposes me to be interested in certain problems, mostly those that I have experienced in my body or through the experience of family and close friends.

Below find a list of disorders and symptoms I've worked with successfully in the past, but first…

AN IMPORTANT NOTE! I name some biomedical disorders below. Chinese herbs are not approved by any government authority as a “cure” for any of the diseases listed. Chinese herbalism, when practiced classically, does not treat biomedical diseases. It treats patterns of disharmony and symptomology that are often associated with the disorders below.

So, no, I cannot “cure” or “prevent” COVID-19, for example, and would never claim to do so.

It is also important to note that I cannot claim 100% efficacy in all cases of those disorders any more than any medical practitioner could. Further, the lists are not exhaustive. If you're ever curious about whether I believe I can help you with your specific problem using Chinese herbs, just reach out to me and we can discuss.

Chronic pain

Acute pain is ALWAYS better and more quickly treated by acupuncture. This includes pain from motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries and similar.

• Migraines
• Hormonal, digestive and stress related headaches. Note, headaches that come primarily from spinal or muscle tension may respond better to acupuncture or massage.
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Abdominal pain, gynecological pain
• Nerve pain, particularly secondary to shingles and other viral causes

Digestion and elimination

If the symptoms are too severe for the patient to be able to ingest anything, herbal treatment will be very difficult if not impossible.

• Chronic diarrhea and constipation, or both, from any cause
• Appetite problems
• Nausea, with or without vomiting
• Heartburn and GERD
• Ulcers
• Hemmorhoids, fissures
• Chronic bloating, gas or burping

Gynecology & obstetrics

Chinese herbs, when prescribed appropriately, are safe during pregnancy and breast feeding.

• All menstrual problems including painful, heavy, scanty, irregular or otherwise problematic periods
• PMS and any problematic mood disturbance that seems related to hormone cycling
• Fibroids, cysts and endometriosis
• Gynecological cancers, especially prevention and early stages
• Fertility including complementing IVF and similar
• Most problems of pregnancy including in patients who are threatening miscarriage or have history of miscarriage
• Post-birth recovery, including help with milk production issues
• All problems of menopause including hot flashes, overall dryness, insomnia and mood regulation challenges

Heart and circulation

If you are taking blood thinners, we will need to take special care with your herbal formula!

• Early stages of heart failure and heart disease
• Unexplained chest pain, where serious cardiac disease has been ruled out
• Poor circulation including Reynaud's syndrome
• Chronic dizziness from any cause

Lungs, ear, nose, throat and infectious diseases

• Symptoms of all viral and bacterial infections
• Chronic ear, sinus, throat and lung infections
• Immune insufficiency NOT caused by a pharmaceutical you are currently taking
• Asthma
• Seasonal allergies, environmental allergies (dust, mold)
• Tinnitus (this is very challenging to treat, I have had limited success)
• Bruxism, sleep apnea

Skin conditions

• All kinds of rashes, hives, seriously dry skin
• Symptoms of psoriasis, eczema. Psoriasis is quite difficult to treat, and usually requires a combination of diet changes, supplements and herbs.
• Hormonal and digestive related acne
• Unusual hair loss or nail quality problems, especially related to hormones

Strange, undiagnosed, misdiagnosed and “psychosomatic” disorders

• Chronic Lyme
• COVID-19 long-haul symptoms
• Mystery syndromes, especially those that have a hormonal or metabolic component
• Bizarre reactions to conventional treatments for any disorder
• Very bothersome symptoms that you have never had diagnosed or treated adequately
• Many auto-immune disorders fit into this category

Situations that would be better to pursue with another practitioner at Watershed Wellness

I want to be explicit about some things that I've had very little or no success treating – people who are chiefly experiencing something like this would do well to work with one of our other practitioners. If you're not sure who would be best, just get in touch.

• Acute musculoskeletal pain. This is best treated with acupuncture and/or massage.
• Severe/acute anxiety, depression and other mental-emotional distress. While herbs can be of some help, acupuncture and gentle Naturopathic medicine can often be a much better fit.
• Turning a breech pregnancy or facilitating labor. As already mentioned, Chinese herbalism works well for a variety of pregnancy and birth situations, but acupuncture is required if you are wanting to urgently promote birth or turn a breech baby.
• Treatment of infants. I will not treat a child under 1 year with herbs due to the potential for honey contamination in most Chinese herbal products. Older kids, particularly those who enjoy strong flavors, can benefit from herbal treatment.
• Treatment for people with extremely acute, especially potentially fatal, food allergies. I cannot perfectly guarantee safety due to supply chain and in-clinic issues. I have successfully treated folks who have milder allergies, even a less severe case of celiac disease. Those with food sensitivities are usually fine.
• And, importantly, no practitioner at Watershed Wellness works with a primary focus on weight loss. While body weight and composition can change with treatment, this is never our central intent in any treatment plan.

Custom herbal formulas

Chinese herbalism is special because of its long continuous history of active research and use. But, it also stands apart from other herbal traditions in its extremely elaborate and precise rules forformulation. Formulation is when multiple single herbs are put together before being given to a patient. The origin of formulation as it is practiced today is in the seminal text the Shanghan lun written by scholar-physician Zhang zhongjing. Eric's particular herbal lineage centers its systematic approach to Chinese herbalism on this text, and another text written by Zhang zhongjing, the Jin gui yao lue.

These texts, now available widely in numerous languages, despite being written in the Han dynasty are still entirely relevant for the treatment of disease in modern human beings. This is because the formulas and science behind them are focused on treating the reaction of the body to negative stimulus. Despite the fact that modern humans face external circumstances that are VERY different than that available in the Han dynasty, it is also the case that our human bodies haven't evolved much in terms of their functioning and essential reactions. Therefore, even ancient ideas about how to moderate the body's response can remain quite relevant.

The herbalism advanced in this lineage is systematic, rational and simple while being elegant. Some of the most powerful formulas contain only 3 or 4 ingredients, but formulas can also reach 12-15 ingredients and occasionally more. The full formulas can be combined together or modified in specific ways in order to adapt them to the condition and situation of the patient, but otherwise are used exactly as they have been used for thousands of years. Why change something that's working?

The rules of combining herbs to create a formula are complex, but not difficult to understand. Herbs are put together for several reasons including to limit side effects of one of the herbs, to enhance certain effects of one or more herbs, to add a secondary or tertiary area of action for the formula, to guide the formula to a certain part of the body or sometimes even to improve the overall flavor of the herbs.

Classical herbalists like Eric Grey creation a specialized mix of herbs to suit the diagnostic information from pulse and tongue, the intake interview, consideration of any medications or supplements you're taking, and your goals for treatment. These mixes are based on formulas that have been utilized safely for thousands of years, modified when needed to suit the particular situation.