Chinese remedies can take away pain; Family health Chinese herbal remedies are becoming increasingly popular in the West. HILARIE STELFOX meets a practitioner from the Holme Valley, Stacey Ash, who now has a practice at her home in Dunford Road, Holmfirth, after years of studying for her qualifications.

Byline: HILARIE STELFOX

TREE BARK, tiny rosebuds, dandelions, gypsum and fungi are just a few of the many substances that make up a Chinese herbal pharmacy.

Stacey Ash, acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist, has all these and more - over 200 jars of plant and mineral-derived remedies - in her Holmfirth dispensary.

"And there are many, many more that are used," she says.

The herbs are labelled with both Mandarin Chinese and Latin names and form the basis of a system of medicine that dates back around 2,000 years. It's a system that is becoming increasingly popular in this country, along with a general uptake in all forms of alternative or complementary therapies.

Stacey, who qualified as an acupuncturist in the 1980s and is now also working as a Chinese medical herbalist, says the reason why there's so much interest in non-mainstream medicine is quite clear. "I see patients who get a huge amount out of the conventional treatments they have received but there is also a lot of unmet need," she said.

"For example, Chinese herbal medicine works really well for skin conditions such as psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, vitiligo, rosacea, eczema and acne.

"With some of these conditions you are looking at lifelong misery and suffering if you don't find a treatment that works." Back in the 1990s Chinese herbal medicine, which already had a reputation for effectiveness, was put to the test in UK trials, alongside conventional treatments for eczema.

"They did trials with hundreds and hundreds of patients and obtained very good results with Chinese herbal medicine," added Stacey."

One of the herbalists taking part in the research project was Mazin Al-Khafaji, who now teaches other practitioners. Stacey has just completed a year of study with Mazin to learn more about the use of Chinese herbs in dermatology.

"The skin in itself is such a massive area you could devote your whole life to it. I made a decision to gain some in-depth knowledge about it," she explained. Stacey has a consulting room and pharmacy at her home in Dunford Road and she also practises at The Aspen Clinic in Huddersfield.

She became interested in herbal medicine as a natural extension of her work as an acupuncturist.

She began her formal herbal training at the Northern College of Acupuncture in York, in 2000. "It was my millennium project, to keep the old grey cells going. I was about 40 when I started the training and thought that if I was going to do it, it was a case of now or never," she said.

From time to time concerns are voiced about the harmful side-effects of improperly prescribed Chinese herbs but Stacey says Chinese herbs are generally extremely safe.

"Many herbs are quite powerful; at least or even more powerful than conventional pharmaceutical drugs. But most have few side-effects.

"There are levels of toxicity in herbs, which is why it is important to have them prescribed by someone who knows what they are doing." One of the organisations that regulates Chinese herbalists, the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (of which Stacey is a member), instructs its members on which herbs they can use and which they can't.

All animal-derived remedies are forbidden in the UK and all adverse reactions must be reported. The RCHM represents more than 300 qualified herbalists in the UK.

In fact, because many of the herbs have a long and safe history and still form the most widely-used medical system in the world - by virtue of China's huge population - Chinese herbal medicine could be seen as potentially safer than conventional medicine.

"Many Western drugs are highly toxic and have lots of side-effects," says Stacey.

Stacey is a general practitioner but has a particular interest in skin conditions, along with anxiety, insomnia and depression.

"Chinese herbs can often be used safely with conventional medicine, but I work in consultation with a patient's physician. If someone is on a cocktail of drugs then I probably wouldn't want to treat them because there would be too much going on," she added.

After a consultation Stacey usually prescribes a 'formula' comprising a number of herbs. "We suit the formula to the person and the condition. We always use a formula; we'd never hand out just a single herb." Clearly there are medical conditions for which herbal medicine is not appropriate and Stacey acknowledges this. "If I broke my leg I would want it set in a hospital. But if I had a bad back I would want acupuncture or to see a chiropractor and if I had trouble sleeping then I would want to use Chinese herbal medicine.

"When I was first in practice as an acupuncturist I saw medicine as an us and them situation and Western medicine was the big, awful thing. But I have changed my mind."

The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (www.rchm.co.uk) has a list of all regulated members. The phone number is 020 74708740.

Chinese herbal medicine treatments

Just a few of the commonly-used substances in Chinese herbal medicine include:

Cinnamon tree bark; to treat poor appetite and diarrhoea

Ginger; to strengthen the digestion and circulation and to treat flu

Dandelions; to clear toxicity

Green tea (dried but not fermented); thought to fight cancer and HIV 

Nutmeg; aids digestion and eases abdominal pain

Saffron; aids the healing of wounds

Goji berries; used for people with blurred vision

The pith from reeds; clears pathogens from the bladder

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CAPTION(S):

CURING WORKS: Chinese herbalist, Stacey Ash at work Picture by Andy Catchpool (AC140308Cstacey-2); REMEDIES: Rosebuds, ginseng and orange peel are just a few of the hundreds of ingredients used for the treatments made by Stacey Ash