My Experience with Chinese Herbal Medicine and Remedies

I have a history of intermittent lower back pain. It began when I herniated a lumbar disk from exertion in sports when I was in school. It healed from 2-3 weeks of rest, but five years later I developed severe lower back pain. I tried rest, physical therapy and pain killers but did not get much relief. So I cut back my hours at work, minimized my activity during the day and pulled on with the condition for a couple of years. My pain was more bearable with a reduced work load but I was not close to leading a normal active life.

A friend recommended a Chinese acupuncturist in Maryland to me. Although skeptical, I decided to give it a try. Besides, my insurance covered 70% of the acupuncturist's fee.

My acupuncturist examined my pulses and tongue and asked me if my extremeties felt cold. I was surprised that she had figured that out correctly! She then explained that Yin and Yang energies of my kidneys were deficient and recommended about 15 sessions of acupuncture. She explained that the treatment would concentrate on regularizing the energy flow through the Yin and Yang meridians.

After about 5 sessions, when I did not see improvements, she prescribed 2 Chinese herbal medicines (in tablet form) to supplement the therapy -
1. YanVive - to correct Yang deficiency
2. Zuo Gui Wan - to correct Yin deficiency

Both Chinese herbal medicines contain several herbs.

She also added moxibustion to my treatment plan to improve blood circulation. In moxibustion, mugwort and some Chinese herbs rolled into a small cigar are burnt over some of the acupuncture points in my lower back and abdomen for 5-10 minutes.

After a few sessions I started seeing a distinct reduction in my back pain. After 25 acupuncture sessions (spread over 3 months) and 10 weeks of taking the Chinese herbal medicines, I was totally pain-free. It is hard to tell whether it was the acupuncture or the herbs that did the miracle. Perhaps it was the combination. I was delighted with the results. I resumed my normal routine and returned to the gym. I could flex my back comfortably and engage in aerobics and weight training.

The acupuncture points that had both needles inserted and moxibustion done left tiny scars in my abdomen. They remain even after years have gone by but I have never cared about them.

Then 3 years after this treatment, I moved to Pennsylvania. Once again I herniated another lumber disk in the lower back from lifting heavy luggage. And the pain returned. It was more severe this time - there was tingling and burning in the legs and pain in the hips. I took several sessions of acupuncture treatment with 2 local practitioners. I tried one for 10 sessions and switched to another for 8 sessions when the first one didn't help. They used completely different modes of treating me - they did not place the pins along the same meridians, they did not have a theory about Yin and Yang, they did not advise herbs or moxibustion, and did not see the need to examine my pulses or my tongue. I did not experience even a wee bit of change with either of them. Finally I switched to conventional pain management to handle my problem.

So, in my experience, Chinese herbal medicines and remedies work quite well, provided you have a good doctor and sound medical advice. After my first experience with Chinese herbal medicine and remedies, I have developed deep faith in holistic medicine.