Big title right! More than a billion options for eczema using Chinese herbal medicine, sounds far fetched and unrealistic. But on the contrary it is a very real reality, one that I am sure is the reason Chinese medicine is able to get consistently good results for such a stubborn skin disease.
Ok, lets do the math…
In my practice, I draw from about 200 different herbs when I create a prescription. Each daily prescription will then have anywhere from 8 to 18 different herbs in it, obviously being totally dependant on the person I am treating. So let’s see…
8 to 18 herbs drawn from 200 herb choices. In order to see the amount of variable ways that I could write a formula, we can do a simple math equation like the following:
Variable formula options = (Total amount of herb choices) x (amount of remaining herb choices) x (amount of remaining herb choices) x (duplicated up to the 8 or 18 herbs needed for a formula)…
(I know it is some heady math… but fun nonetheless!)
200 (Herb #1) x 199 (Herb #2) x 198 (Herb #3) x 197 (Herb #4) x 196 (Herb #5) x 195 (Herb #6)… ok wait let’s stop there and see where we are in terms of the amount of different formulas I could create with just 6 herbs in it (a very small formula indeed)….
Hmmmm…. can this be right? My calculations say, 5,933,421,090,000.
Thats almost 6 trillion different kinds of formulas I could make for eczema, using only 6 herbs in a formula, drawing from a bank of 200 herb choices! If I were to see the differing amount of formulas I could write using 18 herbs in the mix, I think I would run out of space on my computer screen!
So just with 6 herbs in a formula, out of a list of 200 to choose from, we have more formulas than there are humans on the Earth!
Unbelievable right? But absolutely true. Chinese medicine has an unlimited amount of formulations that can be used for eczema, but not just eczema, any type of issue. This is why Chinese medicine can be so successful – it can fine tune in the most delicate way to match any individuals needs.
The way that eczema will manifest in the different people, and the way the people are different themselves, means we need medicines that can be adaptable to the person, rather than just to the disease. Contrast this to the letter one of my patients received from her western dermatologist in regards to the treatment of her atopic eczema,
“My patient is aware that as a Western medicine trained dermatologist, I can offer her topical corticosteroids, topical immunomodulators, systemic corticosteroids and other immunosuppressant medications for the treatment of her atopic dermatitis.”
In other words, pretty limited options. None of them are able to match the individual, as all them have the same relative function of suppressing the immune system. None of them take into account the uniqueness of human life, their digestion, stress levels, menstrual cycles, and variability in how the skin looks. The list above is maybe 10, at the most, different medicines to choose from in order to treat the millions upon millions of different people suffering with eczema. This certainly will not do, as has already been seen. Western dermatologists struggle greatly in their ability to treat eczema effectively.
Luckily the same above dermatologist went on further to acknowledge the limitations of her own medicine and how Chinese medicine was actually making her patient better.
“Unfortunately, my patient has not achieved any control of her dermatitis with traditional Western medicine therapies. Fortunately, she seems to have a found a system that works for her, including the use of Chinese medicine… At present her disease is under control.”
The statement of the above dermatologist probably relates to why many Western doctors throughout Europe, like those in Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, have switched over to using herbal medicines in their practice. In fact my mentor, Dr. Mazin Al Khafaji now consults for a major Western Swiss hospital where they use only Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of various complicated skin disorders – a whole ward in a major Western hospital using only herbal medicines is quite profound when you think of it! These doctors understand the limitations of the bio-chemical pharmaceuticals, and even of their own diagnostic system, thus they opened right up to Chinese herbal medicine approach, seeing such incredible results from them.
Although Chinese medicine offers more than a billion treatment options for eczema, or any other skin disorder, can seem overwhelming, as in “how do you choose the right ones?”, the system is very well organized and sound. Dedicated study and mentorship with other skilled Doctors illuminates the methods, making the process very enjoyable and interesting indeed. I certainly love my work.
I love working with natural medicines, using them to help people overcome their health concerns. I can think of no better career path.
Wishing you health,
Dr. Trevor Erikson
Copyright © 2019 Dr. Trevor Erikson