What is herbal medicine?
One of the most effective treatment methods is herbal medicine. Acupuncture, moxibustion, herbs, and other treatments are prevalent in Traditional Eastern Medicine. Herbal medicine has proven its effectiveness over a few thousand years of clinical experience in ancient China; herbal formulas relieve relevant symptoms, allowing patients to return to their normal conditions. Herbal formulas treat a wide range of ailments. In Beaverton, Oregon, Dr. Kihyon Sohn, a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, prescribes herbal medicine.
Acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal medicine
People in Korea say that the first is Korean acupuncture, the second is moxibustion, and the third is herbal medicine. It means that Korean acupuncture is more effective in treating acute conditions. It works quickly to clear any blockages in energy channels known as meridians. If the patient does not receive proper treatment, the disease likely spreads deep into the body and can become chronic. In this case, moxibustion would be a better option for healing. Herbal medicine is more appropriate when the disease has spread deeper into the internal organs. Taking herbal medicine by mouth has a faster effect on the internal organs. However, in clinical settings, we combine Korean acupuncture and moxibustion or Korean acupuncture and herbal medicine for earlier healing.
Food is medicine
Food serves as medicine. It is what Koreans say to emphasize their importance. Whether we eat grains, vegetables, or juice, the foods we eat in our daily lives affect our bodies. What you eat today becomes you tomorrow, as you are well aware.
Food Properties
Herbs are food extensions. Every food has its unique properties. Each food has a different effect on different organs. Food, like people, has different temperaments.
Consider the mung bean. According to Dr. Cliff Park in California, it sedates the liver and kidneys. Mung bean is not good food for people with weakened liver or kidneys. Broccoli also feeds the liver and calms the lungs. Cucumber soothes the spleen. Olive oil benefits the liver. There are numerous other examples. This is why there are better ideas than relying on one food. You should eat a variety of foods together. This may compensate for property differences.
Food affects organs
Dr. Cliff Park in California tasted all of the foods and discovered how they affected organs.
| CQ10: tonify heart and kidneys. MSM: sedate all five Zang organs. Eggplant: tonify liver. sedate spleen. Sweet potato: tonify lungs. Oat: sedate spleen. Perilla leaf: tonify liver. sedate lungs and spleen. Raw cabbage: sedate spleen. Green juice: tonify liver. Mung bean: sedate the liver and kidneys. Green tea: tonify liver. |
| Sweet pumpkin (inner yellow part): tonify heart and lungs. Sweet pumpkin (skin): descend qi. Chicken: tonify spleen. Acorn: sedate the liver and kidneys. Pork: tonify the liver and kidneys. sedate spleen. Fish with a bluish back: tonify liver. Strawberry: tonify heart, liver, and lungs. Peanut: tonify spleen. Romaine lettuce: sedate liver. Mango: sedate the liver and spleen. |
| Buckwheat: sedate spleen. Radish: tonify lungs. Water dropwort: tonify liver. Dandelion: sedate liver. Banana: tonify heart and spleen. Purple sweet potato: tonify liver. Chinensis: tonify liver. Chive: Tonify kidneys and spleen. Brocolli: tonify liver. sedate lung. Blueberry: tonify liver. |
| Bread: tonfiy spleen. Sevenup: sedate spleen. Celery: sedate liver. Black bean: tonify liver and kidneys. Pine mushroom: tonify liver and spleen. Watermelon: sedate heart. Sprite: sedate spleen. Spiruna: sedate liver. Spinach: sedate liver. Cilantro: sedate spleen. |
| Ama seed: tonify liver. Almond: tonify lungs. Avocado: sedate liver. Asparagus: sedate liver. Lamb: tonify spleen. Onion: tonify spleen. Thistle root: sedate liver. Goat meat: tonify spleen. Ganoderma Lucidum mushroom: sedate heart and lungs. tonify liver. Orange: tonify heart and liver. |
| Omega 3: tonify liver. Schizandra: tonify the liver and spleen, and lung. Cucumber: sedate spleen. Olive: tonify liver. Pea: sedate liver. tonify gallbladder. Burdock: sedate spleen. Milk: tonify heart. Genseng: tonify heart and lung. Plum: tonify liver. Chaga mushroom: sedate the liver, kidney, and spleen. |
| Sesami: sedate liver. Korean melon: sedate the liver and stomach. tonify spleen. Chocolate: tonify the heart. Seasoned aster: tonify liver. Chia seed: tonify liver. Chicory: sedate liver. Cantaloupe: tonify liver. Coffee: sedate liver. Kale: sedate liver. Coconut water: tonify heart and lungs. |
| Coke: tonify spleen. Cauliflower: sedate liver. tonify lungs. Bean: tonify spleen. Bean sprouts: tonify heart and lungs. Kiwi: sedate liver. Turkey: tonify the heart, liver and lungs. sedate spleen. Tomato: tonify heart and spleen. Adjuki bean: tonify spleen. Probiotics: tonify lungs and spleen. Honeydew: tonify liver. |
| White corn: tonify lungs. Walnut: tonify lungs and spleen. Pumpkin: tonify spleen. Red ginseng: tonify spleen. Chemical condiments: tonify spleen. |
Classic herbal formula
He
Herbal formulas have existed for thousands of years. Practitioners in ancient China tested many groups of herbs in clinical settings. They developed many herbal formulas through their extensive experience. Classic formulas appear in books like Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui Yao Lue. Dr. Sohn practices traditional herbal medicine in Beaverton, Oregon.
Shang Han Lun
Zhang Zhongjing compiled herbal formulas handed down and available for generations during the later period of the Han dynasty in ancient China while referring to many books, such as Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, Pulse Pattern Differentiation, and so on. The title of the book in English is Treatise on Cold Damage.
According to Shang Han Lun‘s prologue, many people died from cold damage disorders, similar to the current Covid-19 pandemic. He lost two-thirds of his family to cold-related diseases. It inspired him to study medicine and write Shang Han Lun. In clinical settings, he even outperformed his teacher.
Six meridian pattern differentiation
In his book, Shang Han Lun, Zhang Zhongjing developed a method of differentiating diseases based on six meridians. His pattern differentiation principles are as follows:
- Taiyang disease: floating pulse, headache, stiff neck, and aversion to cold.
- Shaoyang disease: a bitter taste in the mouth, dry throat, and dizziness.
- Yangming disease: excessiveness in the stomach and intestines.
- Taiyin disease: abdominal fullness, vomiting, food stagnation, worsening diarrhea, and intermittent abdominal pain. If you use forced defecation, it makes the epigastric region becomes knotted and hard.
- Shaoyin disease: feeble and thin pulse and tendency to fall asleep.
- Jueyin disease: extreme thirst, qi surging up to the chest, pain and heat inside the heart, no appetite despite hunger, eating makes throwing up a parasite, and forced defecation leading to continual diarrhea.
Acupuncturist and herbalist in Beaverton, Oregon
Dr. Kihyon Sohn practices traditional herbal medicine in Beaverton, Oregon. Each formula contains a smaller number of herbs. When it matches relevant symptoms, they work faster and more effectively. He prescribes granules that must melt in room-temperature water before use. It is convenient because you don’t have to cook large quantities of herbs.
Dr. Sohn studies herbal medicine alongside Korean physicians. In Beaverton, Oregon, he prescribes classical herbal medicine, which has a few thousand years of history in ancient China.
He employs a variety of approaches before arriving at specific formulas for each condition. It is the method developed by Dr. Roh in Korea through his extensive clinical experience. It helps select appropriate herbal formulas for the resolution of relevant symptoms. It will also assist patients in feeling relieved of their complaints sooner.
Herbal medicine can be effective on its own. It will be more effective when combined with Korean acupuncture treatments. Patients come from Beaverton, Portland, Tigard, Vancouver, Lake Oswego, and other cities. They find each treatment beneficial and valuable.