How Herbal Medicine Works

Before we had pills, Chinese medicine used herbal formulas for thousands of years to treat symptoms and build up people’s health.

Today, these formulas can help you take less medication, see the doctor less, and live a fuller life. If you’re struggling with a health condition, or hoping to extend your quality of life as you age, finding a qualified herbalist can help you naturally feel your best.

Herbal medicine uses customized formulas that target patterns in your symptoms rather than one-size-fits-all pills that mask symptoms. They target the root of your problems to create true wellness in your body rather than hiding negative sensations while the real problem continues to fester.

While supplements replace missing nutrients, herbal medicine helps regulate your system. By blending individual herbs that target each symptom, you gain a tailored formula that influences your system to work toward the best of its ability. Supplements fill gaps, herbs help your body rebalance itself.

Even modern science can agree that herbal medicine can have a profound impact on your health. Herbs contain bioactive compounds that influence your physiology through anti-inflammatory, immune-regulating, neuroregulatory, and hormone-modulating effects for efficient function.

Herbal Medicine’s Role in Your Body

A single herb can interact with multiple systems in your body at once. Each herb possesses different properties that target different systems.

Some reduce inflammation, others improve your immune response. They have a wide range of functions that include improving circulation, regulating your nervous system, supporting digestion, and influencing your hormones.

This is especially important if you’re working through a complex or chronic condition, where your symptoms are interconnected among different systems in your body. By targeting multiple systems that lead to one system, you gain improved overall health.

Herbs treat symptoms and root causes. Your symptoms improve because herbs naturally correct overactive or underactive functions in your body. The root cause then improves as the systems that once struggled and produced symptoms find balance.

Even if you have the same diagnosis as someone else, your herbal formula might be completely different. If your symptoms come from different:

• Stress levels

• Digestive function

• Sleep quality

• Overall constitution

Your root cause might be different and need a more personalized solution. Your herbalist will ask not only about your diagnoses, but also the conditions that led to your symptoms arising. This will help them choose herbs that work together to treat your specific condition.

How Long Herbal Medicine Takes to Work

Herbal medicine works gradually and cumulatively, but if you commit to consistently taking your formulas, you’ll unlock a new level of health.

Many of our patients notice short-term changes within days. These include improvements in:

• Sleep quality

• Digestion

• Stress levels

• Muscle tension and pain

These are early signs that your body is beginning to regulate and respond well to your formula. If you continue to take your herbs, you’ll notice even bigger improvements over time.

Within 2-8 weeks, your body will react to the support provided by herbs. This is when you can expect:

• More stable energy

• Reduced inflammation

• Fewer symptom flares

• Better mood and stress tolerance

This phase reflects reaching regulation from a reduction in the root cause and surpasses simple symptom relief.

If you’re facing a complex or chronic condition, it may take 2-6+ months to reach your symptom goals. This is because your body needs more time to rebuild from your condition, and regulation can be difficult. Because the herbs provide your body with the resources it needs to create sustainable change and maintain a healthier pattern, you can expect improvement with:

• Hormonal balance

• Autoimmune conditions

• Digestive disorders

• Long-standing fatigue or pain

The length you need to take herbal medicine depends on your needs and goals. If you’re recovering from something short-term, like acute stress or illness, you can likely stop use after your symptoms go away.

If you’re facing a more difficult condition or imbalance, you may need on-going support. It’s important to meet with your herbalist during this time to address changes in your symptoms, so you can adjust your formula as your needs change.

You can use herbs past symptoms resolving to maintain good health and fight off stress and sickness. This is a great idea for anyone who:

• Struggles with stress

• Experiences perimenopause or menopause

• Struggled with a complex condition

• Gets sick easily

If you’re not sure how long you need to take herbs, talk to your herbalist about your goals and needs to determine the best path for you.

What Most People Use Herbal Medicine For

Herbal medicine can be used for most conditions because it influences every system in your body. Regardless of your symptoms, there’s an herb that can help.

We’ve helped people with chronic pain reduce their symptoms and regain function with the assistance of herbal medicine. Women facing difficult hormonal problems affecting their perimenopause symptoms, fertility, and periods have found balance with herbs. Patients who consistently get very sick find that their immune system works much better with herbal medicine.

It's often the nudge your body needs to return to balance and allow your natural healing systems to kick in. The further your body moves from balance, the more difficult it is for your systems to activate and address the pain on their own. Herbal medicine initiates this reset and leads your body toward improved function.

Is Herbal Medicine Right for You?

If you’re deciding whether you should use herbal medicine to treat your symptoms, the best thing to do is talk to a licensed herbalist who can help you navigate your choices and create formulas for your needs.

Some symptoms and conditions respond better to herbal medicine than others. If you’re experiencing the following, it’s a good time to find a herbalist and get started:

• Chronic or recurring fatigue, pain digestive issues, hormonal imbalance or similar issues

• Stress related symptoms including poor sleep, anxiety, burnout, and tension

• Autoimmune or inflammatory conditions that only improve so much with medication

• Highly active athleticism with recovery needs, inflammation, or performance standards

If you’re in the Golden, CO area, come in to OHM Acupuncture for an herbal medicine appointment. We can discuss your symptoms, preferences, and goals to determine what the best custom formula for you is. Eve Kocurek earned her Doctorate of Oriental Medicine in China, requiring more hours and experience than most herbalists, and has high success in treating her patients with herbs.

We look forward to helping you on your healing journey.