How We Treat

Oriental Medicine is a traditional medicine originally from China, and has been the primary source of healthcare for over half of the world’s population for thousands of years. One theory as to why the Asian people have such a longer life expectancy in comparison to the West lies in the success and efficacy of its medicine and medical practices.

A Different Way of Looking at the Body

The way Oriental Medicine looks at the body is fundamentally different than methods used by Western medicine. This will often lead to Oriental Medicine alleviating the symptom or even finding a cure where Western treatments have often proven ineffective. In Oriental Medicine, the body is not simply a machine waiting for parts to wear out and be replaced, but an ever-changing eco-system, at times at odds with ourselves and the world around us. In essence, it looks at and treats the whole person all at once.

Diagnosis by Looking, Listening, Hearing, and Touch

Oriental Medicine differs from a Western diagnosis because our clients do not receive information based on a biomedical view of the body. Instead, diagnosis comes from a basis of theories about the body which have been developed over thousands of years. The methods used in arriving at a diagnosis are: looking at the skin, face, and tongue, listening to the tone of voice and breathing, along with hearing what our clients are saying, and the touch of acupuncture techniques. In addition, much of the diagnostic information derives from information received by checking the abdomen and the client’s pulse just above the wrist.

Herbs and Acupuncture

Oriental Medicine has two major branches: Chinese Herbology and acupuncture. Herbology treats the body’s inner-self to first bring about the necessary changes, while acupuncture treats the body’s outer-self to affect that change.

Chinese Herbology

Chinese Herbology developed thousands of years ago in China and later spread throughout Southeast Asia. It shares the same theoretical underpinnings as Acupuncture medicine, because it was developed alongside acupuncture. Herbology was developed in Southern China while acupuncture evolved first in Northern China. As a result, each developed its own set of diagnostic tools. Herbology, which primarily affects change from the inside out, relies on what is known as Organ Theory to diagnose, while acupuncture uses Channel Theory. Both theories compliment each other when used together, but it is important that a practitioner be thoroughly trained in the two theories if using herbs to achieve positive results.

The Difference between Herbal Formula, Western Pharmaceuticals, and Nutritional Supplements

Chinese Herbalism is the longest continually practiced medicine in the world. It has the benefit of thousands of years of clinical trial and error. The formulas offered by David have been part of this long, rich tradition. In fact, it is common for herbalists to categorize a formula as “new” if it is less than 200 years old.

One major difference with herbal formulas is the ability to manage potential side-effects. If there’s an uncomfortable side-effect from an herbal formula, this is a sure sign that the formula needs to be modified to fit the client’s constitution. This is a big difference from pharmaceuticals, where patients are conditioned to live with any side-effects caused by medication. In many cases additional drugs are given to treat the side-effects of other drugs.

Unlike natural supplements, a typical Oriental Medicine formula contains between four and twenty individual herbs. Each herb works together to magnify the effects of other herbs, counteract undesired effects of other herbs, or harmonize the effects of others. Think of the herbal formula as a sports team, where each member has a specific role to play. When all the members perform their roles well, the team achieves success. The fewer the number of herbs in a formula, the more global is its effect on the body. The more complicated the formula, the more targeted and localized the effect.

Managing Prescribed Herbal Therapy

While Chinese Herbology’s methods have proven to work through many generations, there are some shortcomings. Traditionally, herbal therapy was sent home with the client, with directions from the prescribing practitioner for its raw materials to be cooked. Many clients are simply too busy to commit to the time this requires. Also, many herbal teas have a strong aroma and taste many clients find unappealing.

David uses many innovative methods to make herbal therapy intake a simple and enjoyable task. Many of our formulas can be delivered as concentrated herbal extracts. These formulas are easy to take and many are not available elsewhere in prepared form with the full medicinal doses.

For complicated cases which require individually tailored solutions, we prescribe customized herb formulas which can be cooked at home using a fully automatic herb cooker. This makes cooking herbs as simple as making a pot of coffee in an automatic coffee maker.

We use the very best quality of herbs from only a handful of suppliers committed to providing pure, organic herbs cultivated and prepared in accordance with traditional Oriental Medicine principles and practices. Each herb is also inspected when it arrives at the clinic for quality, freshness, and accuracy of species.

David is committed to providing his Peachtree City and Newnan, Georgia clients with an herbal experience unequaled anywhere else in the world with regards to convenience, flexibility, potency, purity, and price.

Education and Examination Requirements

Current applicants must graduate from an approved school or tutorial program, completing four academic years with a minimum of over 3,000 hours of combined education and training. This training includes Western Sciences (including biochemistry, chemistry, biophysics, anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and Western medical diagnosis and treatment principles), Chinese medical theory (including clinical medicine, TCM theory, diagnosis, Qi Gong, Tai Ji, needling techniques, moxibustion, acupressure, and herbology), medical ethics, and a minimum of 800 hours of clinical training.