Herbal Medicine

What are herbs?

There are culinary herbs i.e. spices used to add flavor & aroma to foods

There are medicinal herbs we will discuss today.

Herbs have been defined as an herbaceous plant which is a plant defined as “lacking a woody stem” by a strictly botanical definition.

But in medical uses, particularly in Chinese medicine, herbal formulas may include parts of trees, even minerals and animal parts in the ancient tradition. In current Chinese formulas no animals are used to prevent impact on animal populations.

What is the difference between Chinese herbs and Western herbs?

■ Chinese herbals are rarely used as a single plant source. Generally they are a formulation of a number of herbs.

■ Western herbals are generally one plant or plant part or very few.

Chinese herbal formulas are designed by combining several herbals, often 10-15 different herbs.

The formulas are designed to have the most effective resolution of a particular dis-ease (or imbalance of health) pattern with least or no side effects if prescribed and dosed properly.

Many formulas have been in use for thousands of years!

They must work to have stayed around that long!

In China, Chinese herbal medicine, 80% of TCM patients are treated with herbals or a combination of herbals & acupuncture while only 20% are treated with acupuncture alone.

Earliest use of Chinese herbs was likely an herbal wine.

Jia-gu-wen was inscribed on bones or tortoise shells in the Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th

Century B.C.)

Energy of Chinese Herbs

Knowing an herb’s energy allows a practitioner to predict the action of that herb, thereby allowing him or her to effectively prescribe herbal formulas for clinical conditions.

Chinese herbal medicines have five types of temperature/energies: cold, cold, warm, hot and neutral.

The energy of herbs is used to balance the temperature of diseases.

A disease with a certain temperature tendency should be treated with an herb with the opposite temperature.

Five Tastes of Chinese Herbs

The five tastes are derived from the sensations perceived by ancient Chinese healers’ tongues combined with clinic results. These tastes may reflect the blend of phytochemical present in a given herbal specimen.

For Example…

■ Hawthorne Shan Zhu – taste sour because it contains a high percentage of acids, including flavonoids.

■ Seaweed Hai Zao- tastes salty because it is naturally high in salts such as sodium chloride and potassium or magnesium salts.

■ Licorice Gan Cao and Ginseng Ren Shen – have a sweet taste as they are rich in saponin glycosides.

Many clinical studies prove the great efficiency of treating a variety of medical disorders from gastrointestinal to respiratory, endocrine, dermatologic to cardiovascular & cancers, musculoskeletal and neurologic issues.

TCVM treatment is only as good as the TCVM diagnosis! Each herb has specific energetics and are used to address the energetic nature of the disease.

“The energy of the herbs are use to balance the temperature of the disease”

Dr. Xie

Prescribing Chinese herbal formulas are based on the energetics of the dis-ease or imbalance. It is all about the energy! Our Western diagnosis does not give us the information needed to prescribe accurately & effectively the Chinese herbal formulations.

For instance diarrhea…

From a Western medicine stand point may often get the same treatment.

However from a TCVM (Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine) medical standpoint we need to know the energetics of the diarrhea.

Is the diarrhea really smelly (hot) or very little odor (cold- diet of oatmeal)?

Does it occur in the mornings? (Sp Yang/Qi Def) (Shen Ling Bai Zu due to spleen deficiency)

What color is it? If it mucous covered (phlegm- Si Miao San), if it is bloody it is a really hot diarrhea requiring a really cold herbal initially (Great Saussurea Coptis).

Diarrhea due to stress (Xiao Yao San) due to liver Qi stagnation.

A Chinese Herbal Formula is designed such that there are four parts…Example: Urinary incontinence due to kidney Qi deficiency treating with Jin Sou Gu Jing

Part 1 - Emperor Herb

* This herb addresses the etiology and pathology, the underlying TCVM energetic imbalances and the symptoms.

The first herb in the formula of Jin Sou Gu Jing is Astragalus which tonifies kidney Qi in order to “hold the urine in”

Part 2- Prime Minister herb

* This herb enhances the result of the Emperor herb.

The second herb in the Jin Suo Gu Jing formula is Euryale which tonifies Kidney Qi & Spleen Qi and consolidates jing (genetically given essences)

Part 3- Minister herb

The minister herb of Jin Suo Gu Jing is Lotus which astringes/consolidates the lower jiao.

*Treats secondary symptoms and minimizes any side effects of the Emperor or Prime Minster.

Part 4- Envoy or Harmonizer

* This herb can be used to adjust the taste of the formula and moderate or harmonize the properties of the other herbs.

The envoy/harmonizer herb of Jin Suo Gu Jing is Manthis egg-case which consolidates jing (life essence/genetically given essence) and stops incontinence.

In this formula there are two additional helper herbs…

Dragonis to consolidate jing and stop incontinence

&

Ostrea to consolidate jing and stop incontinence

The formula prescription may change as the patient’s body changes.

Treat what you see at the present time based on the presentation at the time. Treat what even is most life altering or threatening first.

Effects of acupuncture are enhanced and extended with the use of herbals and specific diets. Diet prescription are based on the energetics that need to be balanced.

Climate, season, emotional and physical environment all have impact on the health of the body.

Cold damp weather will exacerbate cold damp conditions such as osteoarthritis. This is where additional therapies such as moxa (Artemesia vulgaris) are helpful.

Used externally can help. Moxa is warming, drying and moving to counteract the stagnation of osteoarthritis and counteract the stagnating affects of cold weather.

It’s all about the energy!

It applies to every thing from microcosm to the macrocosm.

We are all interconnected: plant, animal, mineral, weather, climate and cosmos!

No one, no thing is separate or above or below another. We are all in it together! We must respect and appreciate the critical role each plays from mosquito to sand, to human to water, to land!

Hand to paw we must all remain in awe!

I am a great fan of Gary Larson of Far Side & Dr. Seuss!

What are the healing potentialsof herbal therapy?

1. Cure disease

2. Stabilize & prevent a disease from advancing

3. Modify or ameliorate side effects of Western medicine and/or enhance effectiveness of Western medicine. i.e. Onco Support for chemo or radiation patients

4. Improve quality of life and well-being of patients with debilitating diseases.

5. Prevent diseases. i.e. Jade Screen Eight or Wei Qi Booster.

How soon can you see results?

“Depends” anywhere from a few hours to a month!

How long to stay on them? “Depends”

Acute conditions: 1-4 months

Chronic conditions: 1-10 months or may need adjustments.

Chronic conditions in older patients- maybe lifetime with periodic modifications if needed.

Is an herb an herb an herb?

Names can be confusing. There are names given by the manufactures, there are the classic antecedent names of formulas. There can be variations in amounts and ratios of the constitute of herbals. Individual herb names by common name Chinese pin yin name, Latin name and then part of the plant used.

Herbals, just like our food are impacted by how they are grown. i.e. temperature, climate, geolocation, soil and moisture.

There is variation in herbs based on how they are processed and how they are combined in a formula.

Chinese Herbal Formulations are amazing & eloquent in their design. Many classical formulas have been around for thousands of years.

Our modern science is only now elucidating the phytochemicals and their physiologic aspects now; which corroborate what the ancients have been prescribing for these targeted affects for thousands of years!

Let’s look at Rehmannia 8 -Ba Wei Di Huang Wan (Shen Qi Wan)

• The formula was first published in 500 A.D.

• It is able to halt or even partially reverse renal disease.

• The integrated forces of yin & yang are the source of Qi, the life force.

• Rehmannia 8 formula contains herbs that strengthen/tonify both yin and yang.

• The yang tonics warm the lower jiao (the lower abdomen) whenever bladder & kidney reside.

• The yang tonification helps to concentrate urine and rid edema (excess water retention)

• Other parts of the formula drive water to the kidney and support kidney yin (renal blood supply)

Rehmannia cont…

• Increases renal perfusion (GFR)

• Reduces renal hypertension (it can safely be used with hypotensive dogs drugs like Enalapril, but will likely reduce the needed dose of Enalapril).

• It allows use of higher proteins diets which then help prevent anemia, renal hypoxemia and disease progression because it prevents renal hypertension and promotes normal clearance.

• It prevents anemia by stimulating red blood cell production by bone marrow from two different cell lines.

• It hinders progression of disease due to its antioxidant effects.

Rehmannia cont…

• It inhibits fibrosis within the kidney

• Use in renal patients with urine protein creatinine ratios of 3.5 or lower in azotemic animals. Damage to the glomerulus is due to under perfusion.

If protein creatinine ratio is 4 or greater it is thought that there is ongoing acute or subacute glomerular inflammation. Do not use Rehmannia 8 yet. Start with Minor Buplerum (Xiao Chai Hu Tang) and San Ren Tang (Three Seed Combination) until UPC ratios and other parameters reduce to 3.5 or less and then use the Rehmannia 8. (This may be a few days to a few years, it depends!)

Rehmannia cont.

• Beneficial to give to hyperthyroid cats after surgery or radioiodine therapy to stave off renal failure due to acute declines in renal filtration pressure.

• It is beneficial for older cats with constipation issues because the Rehmannia has polysaccharides that help retain moisture in the stool.

• Asthma can be eliminated because Rehmannia inhibits type I hypersensitivity reactions.

• It can help address cognitive dysfunction because Rehmannia contains significant quantities of catapol, a neuroprotective iridoid glucoside that promotes angiogenesis to relieve cognitive disorders.

Rehmannia 8 FormulaContains 3 tonic herbs

1. Rehmannia (Sheng Di Huang)

– Generates yin

– Drives circulations

2. Chinese yam rhizome (Shan Yao)- supports spleen to product yin-astringe/keeps essence-avoid dryness in kidneys and lung.

3. Cornus fruit (Shan Zhu Yu)- Nourishes liver blood and yin- Astringe/maintain kidney essence- Drives out damp cold painful obstruction

Advantages of Herbs

• Tailored to the Individual

• Improve vitality, blood, fluid balance

• Act as a preventative

• Strengthen the immune system

• Antiviral and antibacterial activity

• Anti cancer activity

• Pain relief

• Unidentified Western disease patterns

• Drug sensitive individual

Resources

PRESENTED BY DR. KIM VITA HOMBS, DVM, FAAVA, CVA, CVH, CVT,

OWNERDr. Hombs is certified in Veterinary Acupuncture through

IVAS and Chi Institute. She is also certified in Chinese herbal

medicine, tui-na and food therapy. In 2010, she became

certified in the use of Therapeutic Class IV Laser. In March

of 2015, she became a Fellow in the American Association

of Veterinary Acupuncture. She is currently the only

Fellow in North Carolina and one of twenty in the country.

She is an active member of AAVA, AAHA, AHVMA, and AVMA.