Herbal Medicine utilizes plants that have useful medicinal qualities. These range from being nutritious superfoods like nettles, adaptogens such as ginseng, to plants that strengthen and stimulate organs and/or detoxify, eg, milk thistle, or treat or prevent infections, eg, echinacea. Herbs affect metabolic functions including hormones, and can have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and cognitive enhancement, eg, turmeric. Culinary spices are typically mildly medicinal, they can provide pronounced effects at higher doses.
While Western herbs provide profound benefits, Chinese herbal medicine uses higher doses based on formulas, some of which were created over 2,000 years ago. Dr. Trahan’s herbal pharmacy and dispensary includes over 300 Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Western herbs.
Contact nationally certified herbal medicine and acupuncture physician Dr. Trahan today to set up an appointment and get started on your journey to a healthier life and body!
Herbal medicine is the medical system which uses any plant that has medicinal and/or nutritional benefits. At the Olympus Center, herbal medicine typically provides the primary treatment for the internal organs and overall metabolism. Our individualized herbal therapies detoxify, provide nutrients, and act as catalysts to the organs and immune and endocrine (hormone) systems.
Chinese herbal medicine, like acupuncture, is thousands of years old. Each originated long before their original scholarly texts 2000 years ago. Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture present the two major medical systems of Chinese medicine. Compared to the Western herbal tradition, Chinese medicine has the advantage of a history of recorded formulas going back thousands of years. Dr. Trahan modifies historical formulas according to the patient’s symptoms/ diseases and skilled pulse and tongue diagnosis. Chinese medicine typically uses much higher doses than Western herbal medicine, which enables us to provide more powerful therapeutic benefits for more severe conditions/diseases.
Dr. Trahan’s years of international training and clinical experience led him to evolve his system of Global Herbal Medicine. Western herbs are just as potent and effective as Chinese plants and both systems are supported by modern scientific knowledge. Dr. Trahan trained in China for invaluable clinical experience, and his training in Western herbs included “wildcrafting,” picking herbs and making tinctures (extracts) in many climate zones in New Mexico, California, and northeast USA. We often utilize Western herbs with Chinese herbs according to principles of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine to best serve the patient. Dr. Trahan’s herbal pharmacy and dispensary includes over 300 Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Western herbs.
Herbal medicine is very safe when administered by a trained professional with extensive clinical experience. While simple issues can be addressed by the lay person, even such cases and certainly any situation that is chronic or serious is best dealt with by a professional. Generally speaking, herbs do not have the severe side effects such as those caused by pharmaceuticals. A well constructed formula might affect digestion, for instance, but a simple adjustment will resolve that situation. Most of the herbs used in our practice are of the “superior” category, meaning they are safe for pregnant and nursing women. We also take into account that sometimes there can be an issue of possible herb-drug interactions; typically this is not an issue that interferes with our effectiveness.