What is Chinese herbal medicine?

Chinese Herbal Medicine, along with the other components of Chinese medicine, is based on the concepts of Yin and Yang. It aims to understand and treat the many ways in which the fundamental balance and harmony between the two may be undermined and the ways in which a person's Qi or vitality may be depleted or blocked. Clinical strategies are based upon diagnosis of patterns of signs and symptoms that reflect an imbalance.

What does Chinese herbal medicine involve?

Treatment with CHM involves the use of combinations of herbs which are designed to correct the particular disharmony of the individual. CHM may be administered in a variety of ways. Most commonly it is prescribed either as a tea, to be made up from raw herbs or from concentrated powder, or as a ready-made formula (patent) in tablet, pill or capsule form. External preparations are also used, including creams, ointments and washes for skin conditions, and compresses for traumatised tissue.

Are Chinese herbal medicine safe?

Chinese herbs are very safe when prescribed correctly by a properly trained practitioner. In order to ensure that your case is properly diagnosed and monitored, it is recommended that you see a registered practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine who is trained to high standard, who complies with the UK laws which have banned the use of certain toxic herbal ingredients, who monitors each case carefully to ensure that the patient has no unusual reactions to treatment, and uses herbal suppliers with a proven record of reliability and high rigorous standards. 

David Soeharto is a member of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM) and only uses their approved list of herbal suppliers with a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). 

What can Chinese Medicine treat?

Chinese medicine is successfully used for a very wide range of conditions. Among the more commonly treated disorders are: 

Skin disease, including eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, urticaria

Gastro-intestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation, ulcerative colitis

Gynaecological conditions, including pre-menstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhoea, endometriosis, infertility

Hepatitis and HIV: some promising results have been obtained for treatment of Hepatitis C, and supportive treatment may be beneficial in the case of HIV

Chronic fatigue syndromes, whether with a background of viral infection or in other situations

Respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic coughs, allergic and perennial rhinitis and sinusitis

Rheumatological conditions (e.g. osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis)

Urinary conditions including chronic cystitis

Psychological problems (e.g. depression, anxiety)

Children's diseases