Acupuncture Articles by John A. Amaro L.Ac., Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), DC
Dr. Amaro is an internationally known author, lecturer and practitioner beginning his practice of Acupuncture and Chiropractic in 1971. He has led 13 diplomatic Acupuncture study tours of The People's Republic of China escorting more than 500 doctors and practitioners. He has personally studied Acupuncture in nine separate Asian nations.
He has received Certification in Acupuncture through the Columbia Institute of Chiropractic in 1973. This was one of the first Acupuncture postgraduate education programs for physicians in North America commencing in 1972.
He has been certified by the Waseda Acupuncture College in Tokyo, Japan in 1974 and graduated from the Chinese Medical Institute, Kowloon, China in 1976. He had previously taken postgraduate studies at the Tai Chung Medical School Taipei, China 1973.
Chinese Medicine: The Most Significant Substances and Their Indications
John A. Amaro L.Ac., Dipl.Ac.(NCCAOM), DC
With the incredible popularity of Chinese herbs and traditional Chinese medicine formulae over the last few years in North America, Australia and Europe, it behooves practitioners to become familiar, or at least aware, of the individual herbs and substances which comprise the majority of formulas, along with their indications.
Ninety-nine percent of all contemporary practitioners will undoubtedly opt to use in their practice ancient formulae which have been tableted and created for today's practitioner instead of spending thousands of hours learning how to formulate these ancient remedies themselves. In our busy practices and lives, we cannot expect to practice the same way it was done during the Ming dynasty and before. Utilizing Chinese herbology today has never been easier. Even with this in mind, knowledge of each individual substance, along with the English translation and indications, could prove to be a very valuable reference tool.
The following list should be saved for future reference. Notice the list is in alphabetical order by Chinese name, followed by the English common name and indications. Should the need for a specific formula arise in which you are stymied not knowing where to look, fax the details to me at 602-488-5008; we will do the best we can to advise you and assist you in locating a patent formula or to create one specifically for your needs.
Chinese name
English name
Indications
a-chiao
gelatin
Treats yin weakness
ai-yeh
artemisia
Quiets the fetus, dispels gas
ch'ai-hu
bupleurum
Regulates menstruation, antipyretic
ch'an-shui
cicada
Disperses heat, stops convulsions
che-chien-tzu
plantago
Diuretic, clears fevers, detoxifies
ch'en-pi
tangerine
Expectorant, energy tonic
chen-hsiang
aquilaria
Alleviates pain, reinforces the kidney
chi-li-tzu
tribulus
Promotes milk production in nursing mothers
chi-lien
coptis
Digestive, antidysenteric
chiang
ginger
Food poisoning, cold extremities
chiang-huang
tumeric
Stimulates the gallbladder
ch'iang-huo
chianghuo
Diaphoretic, analgesic
chieh-keng
platycodon
Reduces swelling, promotes pus drainage
chien-chih
gardenia
Antipyretic, snake bite
chuien-chin-tzu
euphorbia
Poisonous, purgative, used externally for skin and sores
chien-niu-tzu
morning glory
Promotes menstruation, induces abortion
chih-ko
bitter orange
Antidiarrhetic, abdominal swelling, indigestion
chih-mu
anemarrhena
Antipyretic, urinary and bowel disorders
chih-shao
peony
Lessens perspiration, purifies yin, night sweats, fever
chih-tzu
gardenia
See "chien-chih"
chin-chieh
schizonepeta
Cerebral hemorrhage with aphasia, any bleeding
chin-chiu
gentian
Relieves pain, promotes diuresis and sweating
chin-yin-hua
lonicera
Clears fevers and detoxifies
chin-ying tzu
rosa
Detoxifies, menstrual regularity
ching-san-leng
scirpus
Stimulates menstrual flow, promotes milk production
