Chinese Herbal Medicine Made Easy

by Thomas Richard Joiner

Chinese herbal medicine is an ancient medical and healing tradition for maintaining health and prolonging life. As more people turn to herbal cures for common ailments, the need for accurate-and accessible-information is greater than ever. Chinese Herbal Medicine Made Easy demystifies the principles of herbal treatment. It offers simple explanations of Chinese medical theories, describes medical terms in layperson's language, and lists multiple sources for obtaining herbal formulas. Clear, easy-to-read alphabetical listings cover over 250 common illnesses, offering more than 750 herbal remedies for specific complaints ranging from acid reflux and AIDS to breast cancer, pain management, sexual dysfunction, and weight loss. Special introductory sections include information on buying and using ginseng, herbal tonics for life extension, formulas for stress management, and instructions for preparing herbal teas. Whether you are just becoming interested in exploring Chinese herbology or are a seasoned practitioner, you will find this book a valuable addition to your health library.

"Chinese Herbal Medicine contains alphabetical listings of specific complaints from acid reflux and AIDS to breast cancer, pain management, sexual dysfunction and weight loss. Special introductory sections include information on buying and using ginseng, herbal tonics that increase strength and endurance, formulas for stress management and instructions for preparing herbal teas.

The author avoids confusing medical terms and gives sources for all remedies listed.Whether you are experienced in the use of herbal remedies or wish to broaden your current health care options,this book will be a highly useful addition to your health library.

Thomas Richard Joiner, author of The Warrior as Healer, is a certified acupuncturist and herbalist and a graduate of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine/First World Acupunture in New York City. He completed advanced studies in acupuncture and herbology at the Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences in Oakland, and the Institute of Chinese Herbology in Berkeley. He conducts lectures and workshops on the use of Chinese herbs in Oakland.

Editorial Information:

The title well describes this compendium of more than 250 common illnesses and the 750 Chinese patent herbal remedies that the layperson can use to treat them. After a minimal introduction to the principles of Chinese medicine, Joiner, a certified acupuncturist and herbalist who is affiliated with a Chinese herbal mail-order company, organizes the text alphabetically by ailment. A description of each medical condition is followed by recommended dosages of Chinese herbal patent remedies, which may or may not include a list of herbal ingredients. Cautions for pregnant women are included, along with recommendations that readers consult their physicians prior to remedy use, but cautions on individual herbs are not provided. The end matter consists of several indexes to illnesses and remedies, but individual herbs are not indexed. While the list of ailments and recommended Chinese herbal patent remedies is extensive, the manual does not address the individual herbs that combine to make up a patent formula. Thus, this volume would work best when paired with another containing a Chinese pharmacopoeia, such as David Molony's The American Association of Oriental Medicine's Complete Guide to Chinese Herbal Medicine (Berkley, 1998), Michael Tierra's The Way of Chinese Herbs (Pocket, 1998), or Dan Bensky's Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica (Eastland Pr., 1993). Recommended for consumer health collections in public or academic libraries, though those interested in the individual herbs and in a more extensive explanation of Chinese medicine will want to combine it with another title. Mary Stout, Prima Community Coll., Tucson, AZ Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.