Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the second largest medical system in the world after Western Medicine and has been in continuous use for over 3,000 years.  In TCM individual herbs are classified various categories, for example; nourishing herbs, moving herbs, wind dispelling herbs, damp draining herbs, etc.  Within a category the different herbs may have actions some of which are the same, similar to,  but also different from other herbs in the same category.  Herb are classified as warm, hot, cool, cold, sweet, bitter, bland and neutral, etc and also as having a direction such as up/down/in and out.  All of this and more is important in understanding how to use the herbs.

In TCM herbal formula construction follow specific rules; one or two herbs address the main problem, additional herbs support this action, but also address other issues present.  Other herbs are added to harmonize and  others again send the joint actions of the formula in the desired directions throughout the body and so on.  It must be understood that when you put two or more herbs together, you not only have the action of the individual herbs, but a joint, synergistic action.  Increasingly Chinese herbs are studied and tested based on Western standards.  There are thousands of formulas to draw from, many of which have been updated over time given the prevalent health issues at that time.  It is in the knowing how to put a formula together that one can be very targeted.

Western Herbal Medicine also has a deep history going back some 2000 years.  In this system herbs are also classified in categories to address, for example; the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the nervous system, muscular sceletal system, etc.  The actions of the herbs are classified as; alteratives, analgesics, anti-spasmodics, emollients, diuretics, bitters and many more.  Of great importance is the chemistry of the herbs which desribes plant actions, such as; benzoic acid, citric acid, phenols, coumarins, alcohols, tannins, , flavonois, glycosides and many more.  All this information allows a practitioner to choose the appropriate herb(s) for the patient.

What many don’t realize is that the same plant may grow in different parts of the world simply as different varieties.  For example  Angelica Archangelica in the West and Don Quai (Angelica Sinensis)in Asia are in the same plant family and have similar actions, they are just different varieties.  Hawthorn is used in Western Herbalism  for the cardiovascular system.  In China it was traditionally used for food stagnation, now it is increasingly used there as well for cardiovascular problems.  In the West the leaves of dandelion are used as a diuretic, the root for inflammation and congestion in the liver/gallbladder.  In TCM the whole herb is used to “clear heat, relieve toxicity and resolve dampness”.  Many Chinese Herbs are now regularly in use as part of Western herbal formulas.

As use of herbs to deal with health issues gains acceptance, one needs to keep in mind that herbs can have powerful actions and need to be used with respect.  Just because it is natural doesn’t mean it can’t cause problems, even as the actions are generally far less problematic than conventional medications can be.  There does however not need to be an either or.  If a medication is necessary, it needs to be used.  Using medications  doesn’t mean that a trained herbal practitioner can’t formulate around that medication to the benefit of the patient.

When you live in South Florida, winter is a relative thing. Our definition of cold tends to make Northerners double over with laughter. But this winter has been no joke here in Florida. With snow in the Panhandle and temperatures in the high 20’s and low 30’s in Miami’s western suburbs, many of us have been left shivering in our inadequately heated homes. And that set me to thinking about what it is that comforts me. Heat, to be sure. When I lived up north I liked nothing better than to build a roaring fire in my fireplace to warm me against winter’s chill. But sometimes fireplaces and good heaters are not enough. Sometimes comfort can prove quite elusive.

These past few weeks have brought me news of illness and death, both personally and globally. Three friends have been diagnosed with cancer. For two, I fear, the handwriting is already on the wall. A family member passed away at the height of the northern blizzards when travel was an impossibility, a sad situation made sadder by the inability of friends to offer comfort personally. And the crisis in Haiti continues to dominate the news and our thoughts here in South Florida. Where is the comfort there?

And then I heard two things on the radio that focused my quest for comfort: a bit of music and some extended kindness. These things were just snippets, a few bars of sound and an off-hand remark, part of a larger interview with someone who was in Haiti reporting on the ongoing process of recovery. The occasion was the one-month anniversary of the earthquake. People had gathered for a commemorative program in a square somewhere in Port-au-Prince and they were singing. The words were in French, but the melody was unmistakable: “How Great Thou Art.” A hymn from my childhood. The power of music was offering comfort and the strength to go on. And the off-hand remark concerned an observation made by the radio reporter. He had noticed that, with as little as the Haitian people seemed to have to eat and to drink, they were sharing their provisions with animals. Their own animals, to be sure, but they were also petting and talking to and caring for the strays. They were extending kindness.

In these two examples I had my answer to the comfort question: music and animals. As far as music goes, I have sung my entire life: in church choirs, a high-school girls group, an oratorio society, in the car and in the shower. Music has always had the power to make me laugh and smile and cry and think. The freedom and release of singing has always given me strength.

And as for the animals, I have always loved and attempted to protect them with a fierceness that I reserve for few other things. Cats, horses, mice, birds and the occasional lizard have all passed through my life. I have told them my secrets and tried to learn theirs. And they have offered me comfort by simply being there. To feel the softness of my cat’s fur as she sits on my lap calms and centers me – petting as a meditation. The trust that she extends to me renews me. And her antics make me smile.

“We give comfort and receive comfort, sometimes at the same time.” I don’t know the author of this quote, but I love this quote for all that it encompasses: to sing and to be heard, to touch and to be calmed. To feel comforted. No small accomplishment these days, and something to be honored and acknowledged.

Increasingly animal companions are being diagnosed with the same illnesses that their human owners are struggling with. This is not without reason. The environmental stresses as well as the commercial foods many pets eat, even the tap water affects their health as seriously as the prepackaged foods people buy for themselves affect them. As a result allergies, diabetes, kidney problems, arthritis, lethargy, heart and liver problems, cancer, anxiety, fearfulness and other illnesses occur at an increasing rate. These are health problems that were not seen at the same rate 20 to 30 years ago. If you use as an example type 2 or adult onset diabetes, excess weight and heart disease in humans, diet and lifestyle issues are tightly connected to it. These illnesses once diagnosed often necessitate the use of medications. This is true with humans as well as pets.

In a human population, if one again takes diabetes as an example; when meaningful changes are made with regards to smoking, weightloss, use of foods low on the Glycemic scale, increase in fiber and good fats decrease in bad fats and an increased level of physical activity there is a significant decrease in occurrence of diabetes in that population. Diet and physical activity is a therefore a critical component in treatment which in many cases can be effective on its own.

In the case of our companion animals, veterinarians also recommend meaningful dietary changes, appropriate organic foods for dogs and cats. Similarly animals need regular daily physical activity as well as activities to relieve boredom and stress to stay healthy. I would add to this, give your pet fresh filtered or spring water instead of tap water. Our pets have one advantage over the human animal when trying to maintain weight; somebody else controls the refrigerator and cupboard doors.

While I was studying Chinese Herbal Medicine my teachers, Michael Tierra L.Ac. and Leslie Tierra L.Ac., had a favorite saying; “one can pay up front or pay later”, meaning of course that one can either pay up front for healthy, appropriate organic and pastured foods, clean water, increased physical exercise and stress relieving practices or pay for illnesses later. While no one can guarantee health, and medication may indeed become necessary at some point, healthy foods and lifestyle practices go a long way to maintaining physical and mental health for all animals, two or four footed.