The herbal formulas I will be telling you about were formulated by Dr Efrem Korngold, LAc, OMD, and Dr Harriet Beinfield, LAc. pioneers of Chinese Medicine in the United States. These herbal formulas are prepared by Kan Herb Company and are available only by prescription. The herbal formulas are much more expensive than homeopathic remedies, but they work very well and can be an excellent adjunct to homeopathic treatment in keeping you healthy. I will list the formulas available for colds, flus and asthma, sore throats, and so forth in alphabetical order. The information I am giving you comes from Chinese Medicine Works Clinical Handbook, by Dr Beinfield and Dr Korngold.
Bug Beater. This is for the early and developing stage of colds and flus with feverishness.
Chest Relief. In the second stage of the cold, when the mucous has descended into the lungs, this remedy can help with the cough and to loosen and expel the phlegm. The remedy also helps soothe the throat and chest. It helps with bronchitis symptoms and laryngitis.
Chill Chaser. This remedy is good for the initial stage of a cold, or flu, with chills and muscle soreness brought on by sudden changes in the weather. The guiding symptoms are chills, headache, muscle ache, or tenderness of the skin.
Deep Breath. This formula helps with the treatment of chronic asthma and wheezing. Deep Breath strengthens the lungs and kidneys to resolve the underlying weakness that makes an individual vulnerable to acute asthmatic episodes characterised by wheezing, fatigue, shortness of breath and coughing.
Enviroshield. This herbal formula helps people with all manner of environmental sensitivities from allergies to pollen, sensitivities to perfumes, dust, smoke, and chemicals. Enviroshield can also help people with food sensitivities and IBS. It helps to fortify, detoxify and protect all barrier membranes, or the body, such as the skin, respiratory organs and the gut. It helps with hay fever and allergic asthma and hives.
Gan Mao Ling. This is a well-known herbal formula for flus that you can purchase anywhere Chinese herbs are sold. This formula can be taken at the first sign of a cold, or flu, and during the course of the flu to help alleviate symptoms. The ingredients in Gan Mao Ling and Zhong Gan Ling, which is for a more advanced stage of the flu are contained within many of the other herbal formulas put out by Kan Herb Company that I am listing here.
Head Clear. This formula is good for chronic congestion to the head, sinuses, or lungs. It is appropriate for any type of congestion in the head, whether a sinus headache, allergic rhinitis, itchy, or irritated eyes, otitis [ear ache], toothache, or the stuffiness from a cold or flu. It also helps with the chronic effects of congestion, such as fatigue and susceptibility to colds, and sensitivity to environmental influences.
Open Air. This formula has perilla seeds as the active ingredient. It relieves acute asthma symptoms, such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing and dissolves and expels phlegm. [Compare with homeopathic Arsenicum album and Ipecacuanha].
Phlogisticlean. This formula helps with swelling of the lymphatic glands, and thyroid enlargement. The clinical indications are swelling, pain, inflammation and suppuration of organs and tissues of the neck and head including lymphadenitis, thyroiditis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, otitis, conjunctivitis blepharitis, conjunctivitis and dermatitis.
Pipe Cleaner. This formula reverses the inflammatory process of allergic bronchitis, helping to alleviate congestion, wheezing and cough. The clinical indications are wheezing, cough, and dyspnoea with sticky, or thick yellow-green, phlegm that is difficult to expectorate. Slight to moderate fever [less than 1020F]. Dry throat, or thirst. Stubborn and persistent viral bacterial, or allergic bronchitis, with, or without, asthmatic symptoms.
Windbreaker. This is a wonderful formula that is designed for children, but good for everyone. Taken at the first sign of a cold, it will nip the cold symptoms in the bud 80-90 per cent of the time. This can also be used preventatively to offer protection from exposure to allergens or the weather. The goal is to quickly eliminate the primary pathogenic agents of wind and heat, unblock the upper orifices, and reduce the inflammatory symptoms of fever, ear ache, sore throat, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and rash.
Conclusion
How does one decide between Chinese herbal formulas and homeopathy? From my limited experience with traditional Chinese herbs, but my large experience with homeopathy, I can tell you how I would work with these.
I consider the first line and best line of defence to be to consult your homeopath to find out what your constitutional remedy is. Most people only need to take this remedy once a year, or even less often. When the remedy is well selected it helps to maintain health on all levels for an extended period of time. By health, I mean health on all levels: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual.
If you do catch a cold, or your immune system does get overwhelmed, this will most likely be the remedy you will need to restore yourself to balance. Sometimes it is not easy to determine what the constitutional remedy is, and sometimes people need a series of remedies, or the remedy they need changes as different disease layers are addressed. If despite homeopathic treatment symptoms persist, I would look to traditional Chinese herbs to help manage symptoms and bring relief.
