Chinese and in particular herbal medicine, has been around for thousands of years, herbal medicine is said to be able to relieve a vast amount of symptoms when taken in the correct dosages and amounts. Herbal medicine can be bought through a wide range of places including drug stores, super markets and herbal stores, there is also a specialist in herbal remedies and this is called an herbalist. The herbalist is a trained professional in herbal remedies and diagnosing illnesses and problems and is the most effective way of using herbal medicine.

There is so much more to herbal medicine than just taking the herbs, although there are many ready-made medicines available. The Chinese herbalist uses various skills in order to make a diagnosis and so can suggest the treatment most suitable for the condition. The herbalist does this in many different ways; here are some tips on choosing a herbalist.

A well-trained herbalist will always insist of looking at and inspecting the tongue of the patient. The tongue can give many clues as to the condition of the person and this is usually where the herbalist will start. The persons pulse will also play an important role in the diagnosis; the herbalist will feel the pulse in both wrists before making a diagnosis. Pulse palpitation and assessment of the tongue are the two main procedures that the competent herbalist will always follow and this procedure has evolved over thousands of years.

Most herbalists choose to use dried herbs as their choice, mainly due to the fact that greater control over the herbs can be given, such as the freshness of the herbs and the quality of them.

The next thing the herbalist should ask during the examination is about the lifestyle of the patient, the person is treated on the whole in Chinese medicine and the person’s diet, environment, work and social habits should all be taken into account during the examination. The simple fact is that around 80% of the illnesses in Americans are thought to be caused by environmental factors or because of poor diet. As a result of this these factors are taken into account as very often the cure is as simple as changing the diet.

Certification often comes behind the experience of the herbalist as there is nothing to match experience, although many herbalists do have Training in the medical field such as a physician or nurse. What you pay for treatment and diagnosis with an herbalist will often reflect on the experience and any qualifications that the herbalist holds. Depending on the type of the problem also depends on how much the herbalist will cost, if you have a chronic illness that needs many visits to the herbalist then of course treatment will be given over time, the average cost is around $200 to $300 per month. Despite the monthly bill, Chinese herbal medicine is still the cheapest and many believe the most effective form of medicine available when compared to Western traditional medicine.

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