JoAnna LaForce is the Health Naturalist, Herbalist and Pharmacist and the source of the new educational column of MELROSE HEIGHTS – JoAnna’s Corner.
She got her influence from her father, a contractor, that always pushed her to her limits, acknowledging no limits. JoAnna’s father would expect no excuses for grade B in her school record.
Being one of the best in school and having a very strong interest in Biology and Science, JoAnna was considering nursing, medical doctor, and pharmacist specialties.
She very soon found out that being a nurse or a medical doctor wasn’t going to be able to satisfy every aspect of her very versatile and avant-garde personality. But there was another family member that helped JoAnna find herself in her life, JoAnnas grandmother, who had this very big and beautiful garden, filled with various plants and herbs, that JoAnna enjoyed very much observing and learning.
JoAnna graduated from USC as a pharmacist, but later in her practice, she discovered new things that excited and intrigued her curiosity. JoAnna wanted to counsel patients, listen to their complaints about their health issues, and be the fairy that found non-chemical solutions for her patients. Idaho was the state where JoAnna met her future mentor herbalist to bring her closer to fulfilling her career ambitions and morals.
Cooperating with medical doctors, she has been very successful in cutting down the number of chemical medications that the elderly patients she works with use.
To find out a lot more about the natural ways you could treat your body, mind, and spirit, look for Melrose Heights’ next issues, and the new upcoming trailer of the Web Episodes of “MELROSE HEIGHTS” TV show, which will be crisscrossing the Magazine and TV Show MELROSE HEIGHTS.
What Is All That Stuff?
anyone who visits The Farmacy in Venice immediately takes note of the hundreds of jars lining the walls of our store. Full of leaves, sticks, flowers, roots, minerals and various other types of natural substances, the inevitable question we hear on a daily basis is, “What is all that stuff?” Of course, the short answer is, “Those are traditional Chinese herbs.” For those who are content with such a brief answer, the matter is fairly straightforward. On the other hand, for those who have any other sort of follow-up question, the matter can get complicated quickly. Given its 2,500 year history, it would be unrealistic to uncover the entire breadth and scope of Chinese herbal medicine in just one article. However, as an introduction, the next few paragraphs will attempt to demystify the theory and practical usage of Chinese herbal medicine and its increasingly common complementary role alongside modern Western medicine.
Herbal Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Chinese herbal medicine is one of the three branches of a much broader subject, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In addition to herbal medicine, the other branches of TCM consist of physical treatment methods [acu- puncture, moxibustion, cupping, scraping (gua sha), and massage (tui na)] and mind-body exercise techniques [taichi, chi gong, and meditation].
At their foundation, all three branches of TCM are based on the same theory of “Yin and Yang”. This theory states that all diseases and illnesses are the results of an imbalance of Yin and Yang in the body. When the balance of Yin and Yang is restored and maintained, optimal health and tranquility are achieved
Traditional Chinese Medicine is Holistic Medicine
A second unique feature of TCM and Chinese herbal medicine is its holistic approach to an individual’s health and wellness. Holistic medicine seeks to treat not only the physical aspects but the emotional and spiritual aspects of daily living as well. TCM holds that illness and “dis-ease” can arise not just from exposure to environmental mental factors, but can be the result of an imbalanced internal/emotional/spiritual situation as well (stress, anger, sadness, anxiety, etc). For most people, such a concept follows actual personal experience. Most of us can identify times in our lives when our physical symptoms affected our emotional situation or our emotional situation gave rise to some sort of physical symptom (such as headache, nausea, high blood pressure, etc).
Treating the “Root” and the “Branch”
Following this holistic approach to health and illness, a TCM diagnosis differs from a Western disease diagnosis in that it takes into account not only the symptoms of the illness but also an individual’s emotional temperament and bodily constitution. In addition to taking a thorough health history and history of the current illness, a TCM-trained herbalist uses unique tools such as tongue and pulse diagnosis to form an overall “pattern of disharmony”. In this way, the TCM diagnosis can be much more refined than a typical Western disease diagnosis. Take for example the Western diagnosis of “migraine headache”. According to the individual’s specific combination of signs and symptoms, TCM identifies at least five different “patterns of disharmony” that would commonly be identified as “migraine headache”. Thus Chinese herbalism is designed to create customized formulations (typically anywhere from 6-15 ingredients) that address not only the symptoms of an illness and the underlying cause as well. Considering the metaphor of the body as a tree, a properly constructed Chinese herbal formula will treat the “branch”(symptoms) while simultaneously strengthening the “roots” (emotional temperament and bodily constitution).
What Can Chinese Herbal Medicine Treat?
Chinese herbal medicine is a complete system of medicine in itself. Many conditions that are commonly treated by prescription and over-the-counter drugs can be effectively treated with Chinese herbal medicine. A brief list of conditions commonly and successfully treated with Chinese herbal medicine include: Pain syndromes (back pain, neck pain, arthritis, headaches, etc.) Asthma Stress, anxiety, depression, and other emotional disorders Allergies Sinus Women’s health (PMS, irregular menstruation, infertility, etc.) Colds flu Men’s health (E.D., prostate health, premature ejaculation, etc.) Fibromyalgia Chemotherapy and radiation side affects Fatigue Skin conditions (acne, eczema, psoriasis, etc.) Insomnia Endocrine disorders (hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, etc.) High blood pressure Autoimmune disorders (Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, Sjogren’s, etc.) Diabetes Gastrointestinal problems (indigestion, constipation, heartburn, etc.) and more…
How Can I Have Customized Chinese Herbal Formula Written For Me?
Farmacy’s staff of licensed acupuncturists and herbalists is available to schedule Chinese herbal formula consultations daily. While we always do our best to accommodate walk-in traffic, we strongly recommend calling ahead to schedule your appointment. Upon arrival, you will be asked to fill out some brief medical history forms. From there, you and your herbalist will discuss your chief complaint, the history of your current complaint, and previous medical history, conditions, or medications that might affect your treatment. The herbalist will take your pulse and ask you to see your tongue in order to form an individualized pattern diagnosis according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Please allow 30-45 minutes for your consultation, and in most cases, your formula can be written and filled the same day. Dietary and lifestyle recommendations are usually offered as a means to enhance the effects of your formula. Depending on the condition being treated, your herbalist might recommend treatment for anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months.
Joe Recsnik L.Ac is a licensed acupuncturist and Head Herbalist at The Farmacy Venice. He is also the founder and chief practitioner at Los Angeles Community Acupuncture (www.lacommunityacupuncture.com).
The Farmacy Venice offers the most comprehensive selection of herbal medicine products on the west side of Los Angeles. Our inventory includes over 500 individual raw herb and powder ingredients, plus a wide selection of liquid extracts, capsules, and topical medicinals. We specialize in Chinese herbal medicine and carry Western, Ayurvedic, and South American herbal ingredients as well. We stock only organic ingredients or the highest grade possible when organic is not available. Our manufacturers and compounding pharmacy technicians adhere to strict cGMP guidelines. 1509 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA 90291 tel. 310.392.3890
Also available at The Farmacy Westwood, 7825 Gayley Ave. Westwood, CA 90024 tel. 310.208.0820
