Herbal Conception

About Herbal Conception
We are a web site specifically dedicated to promote natural conception for couples with diagnosed infertility.

The trading company which owns this web site is the Chinese Herbal Clinic who’s business it is to administer Chinese
medicine.

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About Chinese Herbal Clinic
Chinese Herbal Clinic offers herbal products to individuals seeking traditional Chinese medicine, alternative medicine, complimentary medicine or herbal remedies to balance their body’s metabolism and aid their body's natural healing process. For infertility we offer a range of treatments to couples that find difficulty in achieving natural conception.

We offer patented Chinese herbal products in several different forms: tea, pills, granules, capsules, oil and cream. The herbal products all contain herbs that are grown naturally in China and manufactured under strict Chinese government control then imported in to the UK under controls imposed by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency - formerly the Medicines Control Agency.

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Our Chinese medicine practitioner
Profile of Li Rong Li Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (China)·

- Registered and insured to practice Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in the UK British Register of Complimentary Practitioners (BRCP) registration number: 4079·

- Born: Beijing 1959 ·

- Li Rong is a graduate doctor of the Beijing Traditional Medicine Hospital University - China. · In 1991 gained recognition and awarded a prize at China’s Science and Technology Awards for her research in the treatment of stroke.

- Came to the Britain in 1994 to study English. Married an Englishman and is now a British Citizen.

- Lived in London for six years running three herbal shops in south London before moving to live in the Midlands.

- Over the last three years she has established her business in the Midlands, applying honest working practice, to build up a stable client base.·

- Li Rong has worked in both acupuncture and herbal medicine departments of her University hospital and so is highly experienced in both disciplines.

- For this reason she has the skill and confidence to administer treatment to patients who suffer with conditions as diverse as bone cancer, facial paralysis, male impotence, high blood pressure, male and female infertility.

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Origins of Chinese medicine
Chinese medicine is an ancient form of health care that dates back to 2800 BC. This complete medical system is capable of healing a wide range of conditions with skilful application of it’s component treatments which include acupuncture, herbal therapy, dietary therapy, and exercises (Tai Chi and Qi Gong) Throughout its near 5000-year history Chinese medicine has continually developed in response to changing clinical conditions, adapting to the ills of mankind, presently evident in its use with AIDS patients and people with Parkinson's disease.

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The philosophy of Chinese medicine
Herbal medicine, is only one component of traditional Chinese medicine, and is based on the promotion of health and vitality that encompasses the entire body. Health is represented as a balance of Yin and Yang - two variable opposing forces that equate with all things in nature.

Traditional Chinese medicine aims to understand the many ways in which the fundamental balance and harmony between these two polar forces could possibly be undermined. Disharmony can occur between the different organs in our own body, and between our body and the environment in which we live.

According to traditional Chinese medicine when this fundamental balance is upset and not restored, we will feel ill and disease will occur. Chinese medicine refers to this as an individual’s Qi becoming “blocked” or vitality depleted, resulting in a decline in health.

As a response to poor health clinical strategies are based upon a diagnosis of signs and symptoms that reflect and aim to redress any imbalance in the body’s Yin and Yang. For a course of treatment all components of Chinese medicine are considered; acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, dietary therapy, and exercises, with some or several components applied together.

Yin & Yang
The theories of Yin and Yang and that of the Five Elements of Nature originated separately in China about two and a half thousand years ago in an ancient “scientific” attempt to explain the then universe in terms of forces or principles. The simple doctrine of Yin and Yang soon spread to all aspects of Chinese civilization, with its extensive influence felt in areas as diverse as art, government and traditional Chinese medicine.

In modern terms the principle of Yin and Yang represent the constantly active polar opposites of inter-related phenomena corresponding to any identifiable object, where one can’t exist with out the other. Although described as polar opposites Yin and Yang are themselves not separated from one another - as in the case of our world’s polar regions. In fact everything is both Yin And Yang, as within Yin there is Yang and within Yang there is Yin, in varying amounts.

When the philosophy of Yin and Yang is applied to Chinese medicine

Yin: usually represents formed matter and a passive or static condition, for example organs, tissue, blood and other bodily fluids.

Yang: mostly represents a body’s formless action, it’s active matter, vitality and Qi

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What are the Five Elements?
Over the centuries the philosophy of Yin and Yang has developed, early on incorporating with in it’s medical theory the principle of the Five Elements of Nature: Earth, Water, Wood, Fire and Metal

Ancient Chinese science recognised that the universe - of which we are all a part - consisted of five transformative phases or natures that were in a state of constant interaction with one another. This theory was an attempt to classify the basic properties of all material things that were in the process of change. Indeed life itself is in a process of change from birth to death, with change in the universe and in our selves a dynamic interaction between internal and external forces.

Each of these Five Elements or “transforming phases” has a particular nature resulting in a predictable interaction and relationship with each of the others. In interaction, elements may clash, balance or nurture the others, depending on their own inherent nature as well as their relative strength, with the world’s natural seasons the driving force in a constant interplay of these basic primal forces.

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The Five Elements in Chinese medicine
From the theory of the Five Elements of Nature: Earth, Water, Wood, Fire and Metal are constantly interacting with one another. Each transforming phase - element - functions to keep another phase in balance with the whole, and in turn are balanced by yet another fostering harmony over all. So in this way: Earth dams Water, Water nourishes Wood, Wood feeds Fire, Fire makes Metal, Metal strengthens Earth and so on.

In Chinese medicine there is a physiological equivalent to the actions these Five Elements with in the body. For example Earth is related to the spleen and stomach, Water the kidney and bladder, Wood the organs of the liver and gall bladder, Fire the heart and small intestine, and Metal the lungs and large intestine.

According to traditional Chinese medicine and so it is in nature, the organs of the body depend on one another, nourishing and controlling each other for their growth and support. As a brief example: Earth (the spleen and stomach organs) can dam Water (the kidney and bladder system), and as a result control an excess of water - natural or otherwise - in these organs

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Causes of disease in Chinese medicine
Although the philosophy of Yin and Yang incorporated the principle of the Five Elements early in it’s development, it wasn’t until about 1,000 years ago that the factors that cause disease were clearly defined with in traditional Chinese medicine.

In traditional Chinese medicine the causes of disease fall into three main categories:

-External causes; normal weather and climatic influences· -Internal causes; including stress and emotional distress ·
-Non-specific; including diet and injury

This simplified method of categorizing the causes of disease still applies to traditional Chinese medicine to day, providing clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

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The external causes of disease
One of the main causes of disease categorised in traditional Chinese medicine relates to normal external factors such as weather and climate changes. These malignant factors - or “pathogens” in Chinese medicine - do not under normal circumstances cause disease.

However, when sudden environmental changes occur and the body’s natural ability to adjust to climate change is diminished, the body’s delicate balance is unsettled and poor health ensues.

According to traditional Chinese medicine there are six pathogenic factors - the normal climatic elements that are typical of China:·

- Wind (spring)
- Heat/fire - very hot, like fire (summer)
- Summer/heat - hot and humid (summer)
- Dampness (late summer)
- Dryness (autumn)
- Cold (winter)

Each of these six pathogens is associated with a season, and although most of them can disrupt the body’s delicate balance at any time of the year, it tends to be during their related season that they cause illness.

With the advent of modern science, new clinical practice has caused other external factors related to the original six external pathogens of traditional Chinese medicine to warrant inclusion in this section, these are:

- Organic factors - bacteria and virus
- Synthetic factors - chemical and nuclear pollution

Obviously, as science progresses bringing change to our environment, concern has grown over the increasing use of biotechnology in crops. No one knows what the future may hold - unlike the seasons synthetic factors tend to take longer to break down and balance, which is a huge concern for anyone advocating a “natural” way of life.

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External factors a cause of internal disorder In traditional Chinese medicine six pathogenic factors can induce disease individually or with two or three combined that affect the human body simultaneously.

An example of a single cause is when pathogenic wind invades the outer skin of our body; It can cause chills, fevers and sweating. In traditional Chinese medicine the outer skin is related to the lungs, and as a result when pathogenic wind invades the body surface, it will also affect the lungs and induce symptoms of coughing, a stuffy or running nose and itchy throat.

As disease develops in the body the result is further categorised in traditional Chinese medicine and relates to five internal syndromes of the body. These internal problems also manifest symptoms of wind, heat/fire, dampness, dryness and cold so in order to distinguish these from the six external pathogenic factors traditional Chinese medicine refers to them as:

- Internal wind· Internal heat/fire
- Internal dampness
- Internal dryness
- Internal cold

In traditional Chinese medicine these syndromes are occasionally linked to one another, as for example when Wind combines with Dryness a patient’s main symptoms are diagnosed as a ” wind-dryness” syndrome and body symptoms include a dry - mouth, nose, throat and cough

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Stress - a major cause of internal disease
In following the belief that good health is more than just the absence of disease Chinese medicine places great emphasis on lifestyle management in order to prevent disease before it occurs. Many centuries ago ancient Chinese medicine recognised the importance of well-being and happiness to maintain balance and harmony in every day life.

Although the philosophy of Yin and Yang incorporated the principle of the Five Elements early in it’s development, it wasn’t until about 1,000 years ago that three main factors were clearly defined with in traditional Chinese medicine as the cause of disease, among them are the internal causes. These include stress and emotional distress that cause damage to the visceral organs of the body, thereby causing disease.

Obviously the pace of life is faster in this modern era, with stress in its many guises a challenge to man and medicine. Chinese medicine although ancient in it’s origin still holds many tried and tested remedies and therapies that promote the balance of Yin and Yang - going some way to heal the stress of modern life.

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What is Qi to Traditional Chinese medicine?
Qi (pronounced “chee”) translates into English as “air”, “breath” or “steam” (vapour) and represents the energy present throughout the universe and which flows within the human body. In Chinese medicine Qi is the vital force that animates a living organism, responsible for pumping blood throughout the body and vitally essential for the smooth functioning of internal organs.

In Traditional Chinese medicine a principle theory is that good health results from the harmonious flow of Qi throughout the body. Disease is therefore referred to as “Evil Qi” and deemed to be caused by either a lack of Qi or an imbalance of Qi.

The theory of Qi is one of the foundations of Chinese medicine and is to be found in many therapies and exercises practiced by this medical system. Examples are acupuncture therapy and Qi Gong exercise (pronounced “chee kung”) and meaning “deep breath”.

As Chinese Medicine philosophy follows a holistic approach to health care, so it’s not surprising that deep breath exercises promoting the power of Qi should play a role in every-day Chinese preventative medicine, witness the growing popularity of Chinese breathing exercises in the West.

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What can Chinese herbal medicine treat?
Chinese herbal medicine is successfully used to treat a wide range of conditions. A few of the more commonly treated disorders are:

- Fatigue syndromes which are common following a viral infection, some times chronic and referred to as ME

- Gastro-intestinal disorders, including chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis

- Gynaecological conditions, including pre-menstrual syndrome and endometriosis, infertility

- Psychological problems, (e.g. stress anxiety and depression,)

- Respiratory conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, and chronic coughs, pollen allergies and sinusitis

- Rheumatological conditions, (e.g. osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis)

- Skin disease, including acne eczema, psoriasis.

- Urinary conditions including chronic cystitis

Chinese herbal medicine has successfully treated most of these disorders for centuries. The results that can be expected and the length of treatment required will depend on the severity of the condition, its duration, and the general health of the patient.

Chinese herbal medicine is also increasingly applied to compliment Western drugs in their treatment of other high profile disorders such as: Cancer and HIV: supplementary herbal therapy taken along side conventional western drugs may have beneficial results in helping the body regain vitality.

Hepatitis: promising results in treating Hepatitis C,

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How safe are Chinese herbs?
People of any age or constitution can use Chinese herbal medicine. Children and pregnant women can be treated with herbal medicine provided the practitioner correctly determines suitable adjustments for dosage which in turn are correctly observed by the patient.

Over millennia Chinese herbal practitioners have compiled detailed information about the clinical effectiveness of herb
(and animal) medicines, placing great emphasis on the safety of the patient.

Adverse reactions to Chinese herbs are rare and are negligible when compared to Western pharmaceutical drugs. Should symptoms of an allergic type reaction to Chinese herbs appear, no permanent damage will result provided treatment is stopped immediately.

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Comparing Chinese herbal medicine and common Western drugs
Many of today’s Western pharmaceutical drugs have their origins in the traditional uses of plant remedies. Though both concepts share proven therapeutic effects, radical differences exist, some of which are mentioned below.

The time it takes the body to respond to either a drug or herbal medicine is very significant and should be viewed in the light of differing medical concepts. Where Chinese herbal medicine is aimed at correcting the body’s internal imbalances (Ying & Yang) to encourage a self-healing process. Western drugs endeavour to target the symptoms that cause the disorder. Generally herbal medicine loses out to the potency of Western drugs, although with more people in the West adopting a healthier life style Chinese herbal medicine has become increasingly popular in its role as a complimentary therapy.

Western drugs are regarded as a cleaner more precise form of medicine based on the isolated active substances of plants with known medicinal properties, thereby increasing a drug’s therapeutic potency. Although fast and strong this clean synthetic potency has it’s drawbacks following sustained use, in certain cases resulting in unwanted side effects, allergy or resistance to the drug.

Chinese herbal medicine uses a formulated combination of whole plant materials (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds etc) of more than one plant species with known medicinal properties. Combined plant materials are chosen for their ability to have a synergistic influence on each other. As a result Chinese herbal medicine can increase or promote therapeutic effectiveness for the patient and is thought far less likely to cause side-effects.

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What are patent herbal remedies?
Patent herbal remedies offer a more general treatment that can be very helpful with less severe symptoms and Qi disharmonies, herbal medicine’s equivalent of taking aspirin for a headache. Patent herbal remedies in the form of pills, powders, capsules and teas are available for more general treatments, and can be supplemented with other forms of therapy and exercise that compliment the system of Chinese Medicine.

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Can herbal tea promote weight loss?
Traditional Chinese medicine recommends the use of herbal teas for weight loss. Example: the Mongolians have long believed that drinking green tea will help them lose excess fat.

Although herbal teas have been used for centuries to help control weight, there is no modern clinical evidence to support claims for any miraculous weight loss. Research based on the supposed properties of ‘diet’ herbal teas conclude that such effects on metabolism, appetite or even directly dissolving fat were unfounded.

Some Chinese herbal slimming teas claim to cleanse the excretory system, remove toxins, reduce water retention, and curb the appetite. These teas may contain senna leaves which have a purging effect on the body (rather like a mild laxative), only temporarily reducing weight, can remove excessive amounts of fluid and if taken too frequently may cause powerful stomach cramps.

We sell a selection of teas and would like to inform our customers that because we don’t manufacture the goods - claims made on the packaging are not those of Chinese Herbal Clinic.

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Are all natural skin creams 100% herbal?
Eczema is an increasingly common condition affecting children and adults, and causes itchy rashes, pain and inflammation.

One way of controlling eczema is by the use of corticosteroid creams prescribed the by a doctor. These can produce a swift improvement, but many people are aware of risk, particularly to children, of permanent skin damage, following long-term use of steroids for eczema.

Increasingly people have turned to herbal medicines, in particular Chinese herbal medicine and have purchased creams advertised as "natural" remedies in an attempt to avoid steroids completely.

Recently research into so-called "natural" creams - sold by a few “rouge” Chinese herbal practitioners - have been found to contain the steroid drugs customers were trying to avoid. This practice is illegal, as corticosteroids are a prescription-only medication, and herbal practitioners selling such products are breaking the law.

There are a few reasons for this type of deception: The so - called “Chinese herbal practitioner” may lack the proper qualifications to prescribe effective herbal medicines for this disorder. Pressure from the customer for a swift result induce some “herbal practitioners” to cheat. There are no “overnight” herbal treatments for eczema - Chinese herbal medicine improves the condition over a longer period of time. The only swift treatment is a steroid, so if that's what happens after you use an “herbal cream”, we would suggest you stop the treatment and get it analysed.

Chinese Herbal Remedy.com would like to reassure its customers that we do not knowingly sell any herbal medicines containing steroids. To avoid this occurring we only purchase our medicines from suppliers who are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency - who ban such products.

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Why our herbal treatment for eczema is 100% steroid free.
We can claim that our Chinese herbal treatment is free of steroids because our remedy for eczema is not sold in the form of a cream product. Instead our Chinese herbal practitioner will make you up a prescription made of dried herbs, following a consultation.

The prescription is mailed out to you in 7 bags that contain enough dry mixture of herbal medicine for one week - one bag per day. To prepare the mixture of herbal medicine, all that one does is empty the bag of dried herbs in to a pan, add water and soak, boil, then simmer, strain the “juice” and drink when sufficiently cool.

The unusual taste of a mixture of herbal medicine
Almost everyone who drinks a “tea” made from the “juice” of a mixture of herbal medicine at first remarks about the unusual and often bitter taste. Most adults get used to the taste very quickly, though unfortunately the taste of the “juice” is a major draw back as some people find the taste revolting. We would ask customers to bear this in mind before going ahead with an order for a mixture of Chinese Herbal medicine.

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Endangered plant/animal species in Chinese Medicine
Chinese Herbal Clinic would like to reassure it’s customers that we do not sell any products that contain the remains of wild animals or endangered plants. Chinese remedies which contain ‘exotic’ ingredients and popular in certain countries, are banned in the UK. We only offer herbal products that are manufactured in China under strict Chinese government control and imported in to the UK under controls imposed by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency - formerly the Medicines Control Agency.

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Are all herbal practitioners in the UK sufficiently qualified?
Due in part to growing popularity of alternative medicine in the UK - in particular Chinese medicine - people are setting themselves up in a business where the government have limited controls on them. Now an increasing number of people in the UK claim to be able to practice Chinese Herbal Medicine. Some of them have received proper training - for example in China’s Traditional Chinese Medicine University Hospitals - and clearly some have not. As a result it is almost impossible for a member of the public to establish the authenticity or the validity of certificates held by a practitioner claiming qualification as a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

New UK legislation alongside proposed EU directives (governing the supply herbal medicines and food supplements) are soon to be implemented in a move for tighter regulation of herbal medicine in the UK. For now if you need to verify the credentials of any herbal practitioner who is treating you, check out their membership of a government approved register.

At the moment there is a danger of the whole profession being sullied by a few rogue elements passing themselves off as practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine. The public should be wary; a non-member will not be bound by the regulations of a professional body and may well not have professional insurance.

There are web sites where you can check out a practitioner’s credentials, the latest developments and restricted products in the field of Chinese herbal medicine. For more information about these web sites - scroll down to “web links for important information about Chinese Medicine”