Advanced Training in

Chinese Herbal Medicine

Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the four main pillars of Chinese medicine. It is an ancient form of healthcare, rooted in traditions that go back many thousands of years. At the Xian Tian College of Chinese Medicine, we teach Herbal Medicine as a professional UK course to those experienced students who are already comfortable with the foundation skills of diagnosis and Acupuncture. Our course is a combination of online lectures and live, in-person clinical events.

Characteristics and Functions of Herbs

Within Chinese herbal medicine, each herb has its own specific characteristics and functions. The different characteristics of herbs are employed to treat disease, restore the balance of Yin and Yang, and ultimately help the body to restore its normal physiological functions and good health. These various characteristics and functions of the herbs with regards to medical treatment are categorised according to their property, flavour, and movement, and arise from each herb’s unique quality of ‘Qi’, which is essentially formed from the various different interplays between Yin and Yang. A herb’s unique quality of Qi will enter a specific channel according to its channel tropism, and will have an influence on the Qi flowing throughout that channel and organ – similar to how the different qualities of Qi within the climate influence our body’s Qi. If prescribed correctly, this will bring the body back to balance.

Materia Medica

The Chinese Materia Medica was developed based on the classical theories that are found within Chinese Medicine. These include the Yin and Yang, Wu Xing, Zang Fu, and Jing Luo theories. The general principles of Chinese medicine, such as the eight principles (Ba Gang, 八綱), the eight methods of treatment (Ba Fa, 八法), and the six stages (Liu Jing, 六經) are also used within Chinese Herbal Medicine. Chinese Herbal Medicine has been developed and refined throughout a long history of medical practice, and this history has provided the basis for herbal analysis and application.

Study

Chinese Herbal Medicine is considered an advanced subject of study within Xian Tian College of Chinese Medicine. The two advanced subjects – Herbal Medicine and Wai Qi Liao Fa, are studied only after a student has completed the foundation material and qualified in Acupunture or Acupuncture and Tui Na. It is also advised that studenst have professional experience before undertaking the herbs training and, as suh, it will not be a subject taught early on in Xian Tian students education.

 

The Eight Methods of Treatment (Ba Fa, 八法)


Within Chinese medicine, there are eight therapeutic methods of treatment, also known as ‘Ba Fa’. They were originally discussed in the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, which discusses 12 different methods of treatment. Su Wen 74 notes that,

“Treatment principles consist of warming to dispel cold, cooling to clear heat, dispersing to remove congestion, purging to eliminate build up, catharsis to dispel water, lubricating to moisten dryness, fortifying to strengthen deficiency, decelerating to arrest acute progression, invigorating to accelerate flow, inducing vomiting to expel food or phlegm, calming to tranquilise anxiety, and softening to dissolve mass”.

These 12 methods have since been combined into the eight methods based on their therapeutic actions.

  • Sweating (Han Fa, 汗法)
  • Harmonizing (He Fa, 和法)
  • Purging (Xia Fa, 下法)
  • Dissipating (Xiao Fa, 消法)
  • Emesis (Tu Fa, 吐法)
  • Clearing (Qing Fa, 清法)
  • Warming (Wen Fa, 溫法)
  • Tonifying (Bu Fa, 补法)