How to Combine the Best of Western and Eastern Medicine for Optimal Health by Catherine Kurosu MD LAc

Author:Catherine Kurosu, MD, LAc
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: YMAA Publication Center

Some manufacturers of both loose Chinese herbs and prepared formulas follow stricter guidelines and handle herbs as drugs, not food. These companies use only raw materials that are pure enough to be designated “medicinal grade.” This means ensuring that the herbs are correctly identified and contain a sufficient amount of the active ingredient of the herb in each sample. It also means that no Western drug is added to the formula, as was done in decades past. The finished product is then tested for microbes (bacteria, yeast, and mold), toxic herbs, pesticides, and heavy metal content. The thresholds for acceptable levels of any contaminants are set extremely low—in some cases even lower than those permissible in pharmaceuticals. Often, an accredited third-party laboratory checks these products to verify the company’s findings and attests to the purity of the product in a certificate of analysis (CoA). A reputable manufacturer will offer these documents to anyone upon request.

Prescribers of Chinese herbs are fully aware of the ways in which herbs act separately and together and how they may interact with Western medications. To avoid any adverse reactions, it is very important to tell your practitioner of Eastern medicine about all the drugs and other supplements you are taking. Providers are required to report any such reactions to the manufacturer and the Food and Drug Administration, along with the lot number and expiration date of the prescribed herb in order to isolate any contaminated batches or follow trends.

Patients also have a responsibility to use herbs wisely and treat them with the same respect as any pharmaceutical agent. Herbal formulas should be taken exactly as prescribed. More is not necessarily better. Prescriptions should not be shared with family or friends, any more than you would give someone else your Western medication. This is particularly true in Eastern medicine, where one disease can have many different causes. The cause of your disease may not be the same as the cause of your friend’s disease, even if you have the exact same Western diagnosis. The correct treatment for your condition may be the wrong one for your friend and could result in serious side effects.

By combining common sense with best practices, manufacturers, practitioners, and patients can work together to ensure that Chinese herbs are used safely for the benefit of all.

With respect to acupuncture, the overall risks are small. It is possible to have some bruising or bleeding at the needle-insertion sites. Infection in these areas is possible but unlikely, in view of the use of sterile, single-use needles. Practitioners also swab the area with alcohol before the treatment. Because of the use of sterile single-use needles and mandated clean-needle technique, there have been no reported incidences of HIV transmission in the United States. The only documentation of a hepatitis B outbreak, noted in 1988, was traced back to a single practitioner who was reusing unsterile needles,9 which is absolutely not standard practice in the twenty-first century.

Some practitioners of the past used permanent needles during acupuncture treatments. There were reports of needle migration with this sort of needle.

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