THE traditions of Chinese herbal medicine date back thousands of years - and they are still healing people today. LUCY STEPHENS finds out more about this ancient branch of medicine.

THE first written records of Chinese herbal medicine date back 2,000 years. But those records talk about at least 1,000 years of tradition - so its origins are known to be far older than that.

Chinese doctors use each separate herb for its individual properties - some nourish weak organs, others can stimulate or calm what is called the body's "internal energy".

Patients who are diagnosed by oriental practioners then have a lengthy discussion. They are also examined, often by studying the tongue. This is done to see if they have an abnormal accumulation of disease factors such as damp, phlegm, blood or Chi - an element unique to Chinese medicine, which "stimulates warmth and activity".

Cheng Hao Zhou, a supervisor at the Herbal Clinic at The Northern College Of Acupuncture in York, says: "After diagnosis, we use different herbs to nourish what is deficient in any organ or eradicate whatever is excessive, both of which can be the cause of disease.

"When these have been done, the organs function more harmoniously and the patient's body is able to heal itself.

"Even though two people may have the same illness, the treatment for each is likely to be different because other factors about a person's life are taken into account.

"In doing so, it can treat deep, underling causes of illness rather than just the symptoms."

Helen Zhao, a nurse at Mayfair Chinese Medical Centre in Gillygate, says practitioners there do not advise patients' leave Western medicine altogether.

The practice has had success with patients suffering from a range of conditions, including hay fever, skin and fertility problems, and even mental illnesses like depression.

It can also help people who want to stop smoking, for which the practice normally prescribes a combination of herbs and acupuncture to detox the system.

Dr David Fair, from Jorvik Medical Practice, says he has seen patients whose complaints have been improved by Chinese medicine - but also those whose problems have not gone away or worsened.

"It's obviously been around for many centuries and, during that time, it's likely that many of the methods will have proven to have some benefit," he says.

But he says some herbs used in the medicine could also have harmful properties - and wants to see them regulated as Western medicines are.

The Herbal Clinic at The Northern College Of Acupuncture is open for public consultations on Mondays and Fridays. For appointments, phone 01904 343305.

Otherwise, to find a practitioner near you, phone the Register Of Chinese Herbal Medicine on 01603 623994.

Herbs kick-start recovery

HARRIET DYER, 27, works in customer service for a York-based mail order contact lens company.

She was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis after being referred to a urologist at York Hospital.

After trying various remedies and treatments, she saw Cheng Hao Zhou at the Herbal Clinic.

"Once I started using the herbs, it did kick-start a faster recovery," she says. "I'm never going to be 100 per cent, but now, when my problems flare up, they are not as severe and do not last as long."

Cheng Hao Zhou says: "In Chinese medicine, there are many possible reasons to explain interstitial cystitis. In Harriet's case, the earlier infection created abdominal blood stagnation which exacerbated the inflammation.

"This stagnation flares up in a heat feature, when the person eats certain food or is fatigued from over working and they experience an infection-like sensation.

"Harriet's treatment was to remove and disperse the stagnant blood, encourage the normal tissue to recover quickly from inflammation and strengthen it to resist further infection.

"Diet and exercise can help patients with this condition."

Updated: 09:56 Friday, April 21, 2006