Fungal Infections
Flatulence and Other Digestive Problems
Massage Oils
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Chapter Five: Herbal Contraindications
Herbs that may increase the risk of bleeding
Herbs that affect blood sugar levels
Herbs that may lower blood pressure
Herbs that may have a laxative effect
Herbs that may make you drowsy
Herbs that contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids
Herbs that may affect liver function
Herbs that may affect heart function
Herbs that may have a diuretic effect
Herbs that have monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) activity or that interact with MAOI drugs
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Chapter Six: Further Resources
Finding Herbs
Finding Herb Seeds
Finding an Herbalist
Miscellaneous Resources
Foreword
by Carolyn Dean M.D.
Most people treat pain and inflammation with medication. However, strong analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs can have serious side effects, such as bleeding ulcers, fluid retention, and digestive problems. The vilified anti-inflammatories, Vioxx and Celebrex, also cause symptoms of heart disease. To offer my patients something other than drugs, I decided to learn acupuncture in medical school. I convinced a Chinese anesthesiologist to allow me to observe in his acupuncture clinic in my second year elective. I learned about all the incurable diseases in my morning class and in the afternoon I saw them cured.
I also wanted to learn about Chinese herbs for pain and inflammation. However, when I studied Chinese herbal medicine with Jeffrey Yuen in New York, I found the subject incredibly complex. The formulas used in martial arts alone required years of study to formulate and apply, a well stocked herbal formulary, and a knowledgeable herbalist to mix the ingredients. As a consumer, if you have to wade into your local Chinatown and purchase herbs without a single letter of usable English on the label, you aren’t in do-it-yourself territory. I was surprised when the last wound plaster I got from a TCM practitioner contained acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) when I read the fine print on the label.
Now, in this one volume you can access accurate and dependable Western herbs that are safe and effective treatments for sports injuries. Dr. Peterson had done a wonderful job of organizing the information and presenting it in an understandable and usable way. As a writer, I can only imagine the hundreds, no, thousands of hours that went into this volume.
As a clinician, I immediately gravitated to Chapter Four, which gives prescriptive advice for joint pain and inflammation, sprains, fractures, bruises, wounds, bleeding, puncture wounds, itchy sores, abrasions, chapped skin, old wounds, bruised lips, muscle cramps, aching muscles, scars and more. Active people suffer other symptoms besides musculoskeletal, so, Dr. Peterson also covers simple colds, anxiety, insomnia, digestion, motion sickness, and even fungal infections.
Chapter Two is a great herbal reference of over sixty herbs that answers the basic questions: What’s it good for; How do you use it; How much do you use; and What should you be aware of before using it. Other chapters tackle the difficult topics of herbal side effects and herb/drug interactions. My bias, of course, is to use herbal remedies first before turning to drugs, but if you are already on a medication you need to know if a certain herb will accentuate the drug’s effects or heal the condition and make the drug superfluous!
The book is called Western Herbs for Martial Artists and Contact Athletes but it has a much broader appeal. I’m going to recommend it to every athlete I know. Actually, to everyone I know because anyone can pull a muscle or fall and hurt himself on a curb or trip over a stone and benefit from Dr. Peterson’s guidance.
Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D. is a medical doctor, naturopath, herbalist and homeopath. She is the author and co-author of 17 books on health, an online newsletter, and online health programs at www.drcarolyndean.com.
Foreword
by David Price
Over the course of several generations, the Pacific currents that have conveyed the Asian martial arts to the West have also carried with them bits and pieces of the Chinese medical tradition used in the treatment of traumatic injuries. Occasionally, the martial artist is fortunate enough to meet a master who has firsthand knowledge of the correct application of special liniments or training formulas. A friend of mine recounts a story of just such a master who would prepare a rare elixir, an efficacious formulation with the immediate effect of loosening stiff and painful joints to allow for continued training. The same individual, however, also impressed me by casually mentioning how he had sipped White Flower Oil, a toxic external-use therapeutic rub, to eradicate colds. Obviously, in between indecipherable characters and miraculous cures, lies a chasm fraught with pitfalls for the overzealous martial arts enthusiast who yearns to explore both the combative and medicinal wisdom of the East without adequate resources and schooling.
My study and practice of Chinese herbal medicine over the past 15 years has been both arduous and humbling. Building upon a lifelong interest in herbal medicine, I began in earnest with a distance learning program followed by four years of formal training in Chinese acupuncture and herbology. A few years after receiving my diploma, I took a position teaching Chinese medical theory to graduate students. With every course in Chinese herbal medicine I teach and every formulation I craft in my private practice, I gain a little more expertise and even more appreciation for both the brilliant minds of ancient physicians and the complexity and difficulties inherent in the practice of medicine. As Ms. Peterson remarks, the skillful and safe use of Chinese herbs demands much more than passing interest and access to popular literature—Chinese medicine is a refined and erudite blend of science and art.
The present text offers one solution for the intrepid martial artist with an interest in herbal therapies. Recognizing the challenges of procuring quality Chinese materials, grasping the essence of classical Eastern diagnosis, identifying appropriate traditional formulations and modifying them, and preparing and administering treatments, the author explores instead the myriad possibilities in our own native Western traditions of herbology. The result is a delightful and scholarly addition to both the herbal and martial arts literature. Pragmatically organized, the prose is, nonetheless, lively and enjoyable, avoiding the dry language found in many older herbals and making this a wonderful read.
It is crucial to spend some time reading through the introduction and the first chapter, “Using Herbs Safely,” a mandatory primer for smart herbal usage. Distilling good herbal practices into nine basic principles, Ms. Peterson has addressed many of the mistakes that lead to problems using herbs. Chapter Two, “The Herbal,” introduces a wide range of common herbs with meticulously researched information. One particularly noteworthy feature is a grading scale for the properties ascribed to the herbs, allowing readers to evaluate the credibility of actions and indications associated with each substance. In the subsequent chapter, “Preparing the Herbs,” detailed information is given regarding the various, and sometimes complex, preparation methods and their benefits and disadvantages. This section takes you a bit closer to considering actually working with herbs. In “Applications and Uses,” we are introduced to more sophisticated uses of herbs in synergistic mixtures. The book concludes with “Herbal Contraindications,” “Further Resources,” and the “Glossary,” rounding out the text with clear lists featuring details on key terminology and the general properties of the herbs, as well as the best places to continue educating yourself