Finding a Good Chinese Herbalist

Locating a Qualified TCM Practitioner and What a First Visit is Like

Jul 23, 2007 Dawn M. Smith

Ready to try Traditional Chinese Medicine? Where and how to start looking for a Chinese herbalist and what to expect from a first appointment.

Interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is growing as people become disillusioned with standard medical practice. And with that interest comes a need to know how to search for a practitioner that you can trust. Given that herbalism in the US is unregulated, it can be intimidating to try to find someone with the appropriate knowledge to help enhance your wellbeing.

Where to Look

The first thing to do is ask around. As with any health care situation, friends, colleagues or family members who have a TCM practitioner they like are a great resource. If they are in a different area, their practitioner may know of a good Chinese herbalist near you.

Chinese medicine websites are the next place to look. TCM schools will generally have a listing of people who have completed a program recognized by experienced Chinese herbalists for producing well-trained practitioners. While acupuncturists have to take board exams in most states in the US, those who solely practice Chinese herbalism do not. Most acupuncture schools teach herbalism as well, but emphasize the acupuncture much more strongly. A qualified acupuncturist can be found through the Acupuncture Referral Service. If you have a phobia about needles or just prefer to focus on herbs, both the Chinese Herb Academy and the Rocky Mountain Herbal Institute provide listings of Chinese Herbalists.

What to expect on a first visit

A thorough Chinese health assessment should take at least an hour. Because Traditional Chinese Medicine is thousands of years old, begun before even stethoscopes were invented, the assessment will largely be based on asking questions and observing you. The herbalist should ask about diet, lifestyle and previous health history. (S)he may be interested in any western medical diagnosis but will do a complete assessment based on Chinese parameters.

There will be two physical procedures- the herbalist will examine your tongue both top and bottom, looking at the color and shape of the tongue and the coating on it. This gives a snapshot of your health right now. The herbalist will also take multiple pulses-18 in all but (s)he won’t be particularly interested in heart rate, other than whether it is faster or slower than a normal resting breath cycle. Each pulse point-3 on each wrist matching various aspects of physical health- will be felt at 3 different depths. This exam gives a longer-term picture. Once your assessment is complete, the Chinese Herbalist will develop a formula specifically for you.

From there, the course of care will depend on you and your herbalist.

The copyright of the article Finding a Good Chinese Herbalist in Natural Medicine is owned by Dawn M. Smith. Permission to republish Finding a Good Chinese Herbalist in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Forbidden City, Beijing