Some top hospitals begin offering Chinese herbal medicines

Imagine this. You go to the doctor for digestive issues or joint pain. But instead of being handed a risky Rx, you end up getting a capsule that contains 8 different herbs, including licorice, mint leaf and white peony root.

Of course, that’s not something you’d ever expect to happen when visiting your doctor’s office.

But it turns out there are now some highly regarded medical facilities where traditional Chinese herbal remedies are given to patients with chronic problems. And they’re right here in America.

The renowned Cleveland Clinic is one. Its Center for Integrative Medicine, where things like acupuncture and massage therapy are offered, recently began dispensing herbs as well.

These ancient forms of relief are also provided by the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern University and NorthShore University HealthSystem in Chicago.

Only patients referred by their doctors can get these treatments. But more and more referrals have been coming in for all kind of problems, according to the medical director of Northshore’s integrative program. “When I first started here we were pounding on doors to prove we’re not crazy and we’re legitimate and safe,” she said.

Of course, the fact that herbs were effective in treating illness centuries ago is something that drug companies would rather we’d forget.

But it looks like some doctors — as well as major health centers — are starting to realize that Big Pharma might not have all the answers.

And “crazy” ideas like that have a way of catching on. Big time.

 

Sources:

“Old at heart? New tool calculates heart’s true age” Bahar Gholipour, March 25, 2014, Live Science, livescience.com