herbal medicine Archives - Singing Dragon and Handspring Blog

Denise Tiran on Using Natural Remedies in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Singing DragonMarch 18, 2021 0 Comments

Denise Tiran HonDUniv FRCM MSc is an internationally renowned authority on maternity complementary medicine, having pioneered the subject as a midwifery specialism since the early 1980s. She is Chief Executive Officer and Education Director for Expectancy, an independent education company providing complementary therapies courses for midwives, doulas and other maternity workers. Denise was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Greenwich in October 2020 and a Fellowship of the Royal College of Midwives in 2018 in recognition of her work in this field.

Here, she introduces her new book, Using Natural Remedies Safely in Pregnancy and Childbirth: A Reference Guide for Maternity and Healthcare Professionals.

I’ve been publishing on maternity complementary therapies for many years but the huge increase in popularity of natural remedies, including aromatherapy oils, herbs and homeopathic remedies led me to write this latest book. Expectant parents frequently ask midwives, doctors, doulas and antenatal teachers about the use of remedies such as raspberry leaf tea, and for remedies such as castor oil and evening primrose to start labour. The massive rise in popularity of aromatherapy in pregnancy and birth also means that parents often ask about essential oils, or want to bring them into the birth centre for use in labour. This can sometimes put the midwife or doctor in a difficult position because they may know very little about the oils and which are safe or not. Continue reading →

Using Raw Herbs in Chinese Medical Dermatology

Singing DragonMarch 18, 2021 0 Comments

Sabine Schmitz (M. Med. TCM) is a graduate of the Zhèjiang Chinese Medical University in Hángzhou, China where she majored in Chinese medical dermatology. Her enormous knowledge treasures from China as well as her many years of experience benefit many patients with chronic and complex skin diseases – such as psoriasis and eczema – but also many other patients with various diseases. Sabine has a busy TCM practice specializing in skin diseases, gynecological disorders and infertility treatment. Her first book with Singing Dragon, Treating Psoriasis with Chinese Herbal Medicine (Revised Edition) was published in 2020 as part of a new dermatology series. Her second book with us, Treating Acne and Acne Rosacea with Chinese Herbal Medicine, will be published in November 2021.

When I look at social media these days, I see more and more reports from patients describing improvements in their skin diseases by using Chinese herbs. That is a good thing because it spreads awareness of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and gives other patients, who might currently be looking for a suitable therapy, options and ideas. Sometimes, patients upload pictures of granules, sometimes raw herbs or, in rare cases, I see pills. However, today I would like to discuss why raw herbs are best in the treatment of chronic and complex skin diseases from a therapist’s point of view, who sees difficult skin diseases every day.

Using decoctions as treatment

The wide variety of treatment options developed over the centuries and the extensive range of internal and external applications TCM offers are a direct response to the flexibility required in curing complex disease patterns. When talking about raw herbs, I am referring to “decoctions”, in Chinese this is called jiān jì (煎剂). As seen in practice, decoctions, or teas, of raw herbs are the most effective form of treatment. They are easy to prepare and drink. And when I say easy to prepare, I mean boiling raw herbs up for a couple of hours a week – it’s not rocket science and most patients will do this when the benefits are properly explained to them. Continue reading →

Treating Psoriasis with Chinese Herbal Medicine

Singing DragonJuly 15, 2020 0 Comments

We are thrilled to announce that the new, revised and updated edition of Treating Psoriasis with Chinese Herbal Medicine, the wonderful book by Sabine Schmitz, is being published by Singing Dragon in July 2020.

In this video, Sabine introduces her book, the first comprehensive English-speaking guide to treating psoriasis with Chinese herbal medicine.

We have implemented some exciting changes into this edition:

We’ve vividly enriched the book with illustrations, photographs of both the skin and the tongue (including a tongue atlas), as well as in-depth case studies and new information based on the latest research.
It is beautifully designed and type-set – readers will now find it much easier to navigate and dip in and out of the text as needed.

The perfect resource for Chinese medicine practitioner or student interested in treating skin conditions, this is the first ‘Western’ Chinese medicine publication dedicated specifically to psoriasis, and it takes a modern, practical approach to treatment, looking at the root cause of the condition from a Chinese medicine viewpoint, examining the most common Chinese medicine syndromes and formulas that have been proven to be most effective, and discussing the role of environment and emotional health.

New TCM Dermatology Series with Singing Dragon

This book is the first of a new TCM dermatology handbook series that Sabine is working on with Singing Dragon, with practical books about the most common skin diseases.

We’re creating the ultimate resources for practitioners to use in clinical practice – easy to read, use and navigate in day-to-day practice, and based on her many years of experience in treating skin conditions with Chinese medicine.

To keep an eye out for upcoming books in the series, subscribe to the Singing Dragon mailing list by clicking here.

Meet The Singing Dragon Author: Lydia Bosson

Singing DragonJanuary 15, 2019 0 Comments

As part of our Meet The Singing Dragon Author series, we speak to authors to discuss their motivation for entering their respective industries, inspiration for writing their books, what challenges they faced and who they would recommend their books to. Is there a specific Singing Dragon author you would like to hear from? Let us know in the comments or join the conversation using #MeetTheSDAuthor.

Lydia Bosson, author of Hydrosol Therapy

How did you become interested in aromatherapy?
I discovered aromatherapy about thirty years ago. A friend had given me an essential oil of lavender and one of neroli. As the effect of these two essences impressed me so much, I decided to deepen this knowledge. Subsequently, I tried many essential oils and hydrosols on myself and those around me. The rest is history – and fortunately, the collective spirit has opened up to alternative medicine in recent years. Continue reading →

Homeopathy and Herbal Medicine in Maternity Care

Singing DragonFebruary 1, 2018 0 Comments

Complementary Therapies in Maternity Care by Denise Tiran is one of our new books from January for midwives, doulas and maternity care professionals who are working with new and expectant mothers. We have an extract from the book, in which you can read how herbal medicine and homeopathy can be implemented into maternity care, both during and after pregnancy.

Click here to read the extract

Read more about Complementary Therapies in Maternity Care, or buy a copy here.

If you would like to read more articles like this and hear the latest news and offers on our books, why not join our mailing list? We can send information by email or post as you prefer, and please also tell us about your areas of interest so we can send the most relevant information. You can unsubscribe at any time.

More Books by Denise Tiran

Aromatherapy in Midwifery Practice

Denise Tiran shares her extensive knowledge to provide midwives and other professionals with complete information on how to use aromatherapy during pregnancy, birth, and for new mothers. Covering all the necessary scientific, legal, ethical, and health issues, it gives you the knowledge and confidence to use aromatherapy safely and effectively.

Click here to read more about the book.

Essential Resources for Chinese Medicine Students

Singing DragonSeptember 11, 2017 0 Comments

We have all the books you need for your Chinese Medicine course, from comprehensive textbooks to fun and engaging learning tools such as our acupuncture colouring book and a comic covering the diagnosis of 78 syndromes of Chinese Medicine.

Read more about our books for students below. To view all the books in our Books for Students collection, please click here.

Basics of Chinese Medicine

Principles of Chinese Medicine by Angela Hicks is a a definitive introductory guide to Chinese medicine, and is a great starting point for those just beginning their studies. You can read more about the basics of Chinese Medicine, including an examination of yin and yang in this extract from the book.

Principles of Chinese Herbal Medicine by John Hicks is an authoritative introduction to the fundamentals of Chinese herbal medicine. We have an extract from the book here, which details the characteristics, processing and properties of the herbs used in Chinese Medicine.

The Yellow Monkey Emperor’s Classic of Chinese Medicine is a truly unique learning tool. With this graphic novel, you can learn and remember the syndromes of Chinese medicine, their causes, symptoms and treatment protocols with these witty cartoons, rich with Daoist in-jokes. We asked Spencer Hill for a glimpse ‘behind the scenes’ of working on the book, and in this blog piece, Hill recalls the process of drawing the cartoons for The Yellow Monkey Emperor’s Classic of Chinese Medicine and how he met and came to work with Damo Mitchell.

Also of interest

Diagnostics of Traditional Medicine edited by Zhu Bing and Wang Hongcai.
Basic Theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine edited by Zhu Bing and Wang Hongcai.

Acupuncture

The Fundmentals of Acupuncture by Nigel Ching is a fantastically readable guide to Chinese Medicine, and you can read more about acupuncture points, and yuan source points in particular, in the extract here.

Rainy Hutchinson’s The Acupuncture Points Functions Colouring Book presents a fun and practical way of learning the functions of acupuncture points on the twelve primary and eight extra channels. This colouring book is an essential learning resource for students of acupuncture, acupressure, shiatsu and massage, and is ideal for revision and self or paired testing. We have an exclusive colouring page from the book here.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine by Charles Buck is an authoritative and accessible account of the history of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. The book provides an accurate overview, focussing on the key developments that are of most practical relevance to the students and clinicians of today. In an extract from the book, you can read about medicine in China prior to the Han Dynasty.

Chinese Medicine – Techniques

Nigel Ching’s The Art and Practice of Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine is a complete diagnostic manual for students of Chinese medicine. It covers how to collect and collate the relevant information needed to make a diagnosis and clearly describes the various diagnostic models in Chinese medicine.

We have an extract from the book which includes a detailed discussion of interviewing techniques, including suggestions on what questions to ask your patients.

Clare Stephenson’s The Acupuncturist’s Guide to Conventional Medicine is a comparative textbook which provides everything students and practitioners of complementary medicine need to know about conventional medicine. You can read a sample from the book on the processes of disease, examined from both a conventional medicine perspective and a Chinese medicine perspective here.

We also sat down with Clare Stephenson to talk about Eastern and Western medicine, acupuncture and complementary therapies in practice. Read the interview on our blog.

Classical Chinese Texts

Grasping the Donkey’s Tail by Peter Eckman is an in-depth examination of some difficult, often misunderstood classical texts of Oriental medicine, and is an essential text for students of Chinese Medicine. You can read about the Yi Jing in this extract from the book.

Richard Bertschinger’s Essential Texts in Chinese Medicine is a commentary and translation of the key writings for students and practitioners of Chinese medicine in the 21st century from the ancient, definitive set of books on Chinese medicine, the Huangdi Neijing or ‘the Yellow Emperor’s Medical Classic’. You can read an extract from the book here.

If you would like to read more articles like this and hear the latest news and offers on our books, why not join our mailing list? We can send information by email or post as you prefer, and please also tell us about your areas of interest so we can send the most relevant information. You can unsubscribe at any time.

As above, so below: Astrology and medicine – extract from Culpeper’s Medicine by Graeme Tobyn

Singing DragonJune 21, 2013 0 Comments

In this extract from Culpeper’s Medicine, Graeme Tobyn traces the ancient Greek and Egyptian philosophy on medical astrology, showing how this informed the work of Nicholas Culpeper, the noted 17^th Century herbalist, physician and astrologer.

Click here to read the extract.

‘This book presents an invaluable account of the principles and practice of the renowned 17th century herbalist and astrologer Nicolas Culpeper. Graeme Tobyn has masterfully encapsulated and interpreted the philosophies and empirical knowledge preserved within Culpeper’s writings which are still highly relevant to modern herbalism. Whether you are a scholar of herbal medicine or are just interested in herbs or traditional medical practice, this book is a must read.’

—Dr Julie Whitehouse, Principal Lecturer of Herbal Medicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster

Graeme Tobyn has been a practising medical herbalist for over 20 years, including two years working for the NHS. He is currently the Course Leader on the Herbal Medicine degree at the University of Central Lancashire and is an external clinical examiner for other herbal training programmes in the UK. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Herbal Medicine and lectures internationally. Graeme lives in Lancashire, UK.