Chinese, Ayurvedic, Western, and Hawaiian Herbalism are all complete systems of internal medicine in their own right, capable of treating a wide range of acute and chronic conditions. My approach is to assess each case from a broad view, incorporating elements of each medicine when most appropriate, accessible, and supportive of consistency. Many herbs are used in more than one, and occasionally all of these herbal frameworks.
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Potential herbal prescriptions may include:
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Custom Formulas in powder or tincture form
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Patent Formulas in powder, capsules, or tincture form
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Herbal Soaks or Steams
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Topical Salves, Oils, Balms, or Patches
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Benefits from Herbal Medicine Include:
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Hormonal Balance
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Menstrual, Peri & Post Menopause Support
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Pain Management
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Autoimmune Management
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Immune System Resilience
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Metabolic Syndrome Balance
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Blood Sugar Balance
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Liver & Kidney Support
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Lung Support for conditions including but not limited to asthma, COPD, post-Covid symptoms
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Improved Memory, Cognition, & Focus
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Improved Sleep & Mood
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Chinese Herbs
Hou Po,
Cortex magnoliae officinalis
"For thousands of years in China, herbs have been used to treat many acute and chronic conditions...There is a growing body of evidence supporting Chinese herbal therapy for many acute and chronic conditions.
As in the case of acupuncture, Chinese herbs can help with re-establishing the body’s physiologic and energetic patterns of health, known as homeostasis. Therefore, Chinese herbs may help in the treatment of:
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Cold or flu symptoms.
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Breathing issues.
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Digestive disorders.
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Sleep issues.
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Mental-emotional state (stress, anxiety, depression).
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Autoimmune disorders.
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Menopausal symptoms.
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Menstrual issues.
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Infertility (male and female).
Chinese herbal therapy can also be a valuable adjunct to cancer treatment in aiding the body’s recovery from the after-effects of chemotherapy or radiation. Chinese herbs are also useful in the rehabilitation of other chronic diseases.
Your herbalist may recommend Chinese herbal therapy when:
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You have a complex constellation of symptoms.
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You have exhausted conventional medical options, or everything you have tried seems not to have helped.
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You need to counteract side effects of prescribed medications.
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You are interested in preventive or integrative medicine."
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Ayurvedic Herbs
Neem, Azadirachta indica
Ayurvdic Herbal Medicine is an extremely tailored, constitution-specific approach. Herbs with the same pharmaceutical actions are differentiated by specific qualities that give a practitioner the ability to know which choice will benefit the patient the most. For example, ginger, turmeric, boswelia, devil's claw, and white willow bark are all anti-inflammatory, but ginger, turmeric, and boswelia are all very hot in quality according to Ayurveda, which, while very effective at pain relief in many patients, will cause some patients to have a headache, irritability, insomnia, and agitation, all symptoms of high Pitta Dosha (the fire-based constitutional type). White willow bark and devil's claw, on the other hand, are both cold anti-inflammatory herbs. In the same person, this pair will relieve symptoms without causing side effects. The reverse is true for someone with a Vata or Kapha constitution, which both run quite cold. These patients will experience pain relief, and support to their entire system.
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Another example is Ashwagandha. Hailed recently in the West for adrenal support and fatigue, this strong tonic reduces high Vata Dosha. It's strengthening, warming, and nourishing. However, the same herb will cause a Pitta type constitution to become elevated, resulting in a new set of seemingly mysterious symptoms. A better choice for the exhausted Pitta person is Cordyceps.
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The Ayurvedic approach can also be applied to Western Herbs (in fact, Devil's Claw and White Willow Bark are both used in Western Herbalism), to dramatically improve the formula's effectiveness while avoiding side-effects.
Western Herbs & Supplements
Western Herbs play an important role in herbal medicine here in the West. They are readily available, high quality, and effective. Western herbs and formulas are used in a more Western way (surprise!), focusing on symptomatic relief and a strong pharmaceutical action rather than addressing the constitution. When appropriate, Western herbs are a phenomenal tool.
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Supplements such as vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and oils focus on longterm support of the system by addressing deficiencies.
Aloalo, Hibisucus rosa-sinesis
Hawaiian Herbs
It is with great honor and humility that I am able to incorporate Hawaiian herbs into my practice at Synthesis Medicine. A benefit of attending acupuncture school in Honolulu, HI, was the ability to learn uses of local Hawaiian herbal medicine. The tradition of La'au Lapa'au is very much alive, having experienced a resurgence, and is being held and passed down by elders to the new generation intact. I was extremely lucky to learn uses of Hawaiian medicinal plants, and to assess them through the lens of Chinese Medicine from David Bruce Leonard, L.Ac. and longtime student of Kuku Dane Kaohelani Silva and many other revered Hawaiian teachers. Deep respect of the land is still alive an well in Hawaiian culture. If you are interested in Hawaiian medicine, you may find a link to Medicine at Your Feet, Healing Plants of the Hawaiian Kingdom, under Resources. This book is especially potent for practitioners of Chinese Medicine as it offers an assessment of each plant from both Hawaiian and Chinese perspective.
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Hawaii is a special place on our planet, one in which reverence for the land and each other is very much alive and a way of life. The spirit of Aloha is such that we are not only connected to the land, rather, Kama'Aina translates to Child of the Land, just as each human being in the islands is an essential part of the Ohana, one family. It is expected that we take care of the land as we would our own mother, because the land is, in essence, our mother we are born from and are nurtured by. It is with this reverent orientation to life that I work with plants and people.
I look forward to connecting with you in clinic, and creating a unique herbal formula for you, and with you. If you are curious about Hawaiian herbs specifically, please ask and I'll include them in your protocol if appropriate.
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Aloha & Mahalo.