Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. There are five kinds of hepatitis: hepatitis-A, hepatitis-B, hepatitis-C, hepatitis-D and hepatitis-E. Although all types of hepatitis can be contracted by consuming contaminated food, hepatitis-B, hepatitis-C and hepatitis-D are often a result of contaminated body fluids, such as a blood transfusion. Chinese medicine provides a number of solutions for hepatitis infections
Chinese Medical Analysis
The form of traditional Chinese medicine hepatitis treatment used depends on an analysis of the chi, or life force, of a hepatitis patient. Because hepatitis is a liver based disease, Chinese medicine often tries to reroute the chi to heal the liver. Many different types of Chinese medicine can be used to achieve this goal, including acupuncture and acupressure, cupping, reflexology, dietary changes and special herbal preparations.
Herbs
Traditional Chinese medicine often diagnoses Damp Heat in Liver and Spleen in hepatitis cases. The following herbs can be used to cool and heal the liver: Yin chen, pu gong yin, cang zhu, zhi zi and chai hu. Other herbs can be added to help with the process. These herbs are often detoxifying herbs. A few of these herbs are: Bai hua shi shi cao, yu jin, chen pi, tao ren, chuan lian zi, ji nei jin, ban xia and huang jing. Because of the complexity of the chi and differences in conditions related to hepatitis, it is important to see a Chinese medicine practitioner before using these or any other herbs.
Success Rates
Dr. Misha Ruth Cohen, a doctor of oriental medicine and acupuncturist, reports that 20 to 30 percent of hepatitis patients in San Francisco also use Chinese medicine and herbs to treat their condition. One of the ways of testing for severity of hepatitis is to test for liver enzyme levels. A study at the Quan Yin Healing Arts Center showed positive effects in lowering liver enzyme levels due to traditional Chinese medical practices.
Tags: Chinese medicine, Chinese medicine often, enzyme levels, heal liver, hepatitis-B hepatitis-C, hepatitis-B hepatitis-C hepatitis-D, hepatitis-C hepatitis-D