Causes Of Chest Pain and
Chinese Herbal Treatment

There are many causes of chest pain, some potentially serious. Therefore, you should get a Western Medicine (WM) chest pain diagnosis before considering a complimentary therapy like Chinese herbal medicine. If WM diagnostic tests don't find anything wrong then I recommend you consult a professional practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine.

If something does show up in your WM tests Chinese herbal medicine can still be used with WM treatments or possibly on its own. Here in China it is standard practice in hospitals to combine Chinese and Western medicine and a prime example is the treatment of cancer.

Causes of Chest Pain

Chest pain can come from many sources such as the heart, lungs, chest muscles, ribs and also the digestive organs and spine. Common causes of chest pain include:

• Angina
• Anxiety, panic attacks, stress
• Asthma, bronchitis
• Broken or bruised ribs
• Heart attack
• Heartburn, stomach ulcer
• Shingles
• Sore chest muscles, and others

TCM and Chest Pain

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the organs often associated with chest pain are the heart and lungs. The liver may also be involved and this is usually when you have chest pain and stress. When your liver is functioning properly you feel relaxed and easygoing. When you are under stress the liver is usually the first organ affected.

Over time stress impairs liver function and blood flow is affected. Impaired heart function can also lead to poor blood flow. In TCM such symptoms as pain in various parts of the body, e.g. menstrual pain, digestive pain and chest pain are often the result of poor blood flow.

When the lungs are the cause of chest pain it is usually from colds, flu and other respiratory problems. Chest muscle pain can be from these types of problems or it may simply be from straining your chest muscles while exercising. There are other causes of chest pain in both WM and TCM so your best bet, once again, is to get it checked to rule out anything serious.

Chinese Herbal Medicine For Chest Pain

If it's nothing serious, and in certain cases even if it is, you can try Chinese herbal medicine. For chest muscle pain from exercising, bruised ribs or colds and flu there are some excellent herbal liniments and balms. These can be purchased in Chinatown herb shops, Asian supermarkets and TCM clinics and are applied several times a day to the affected area.

If you want to take Chinese herbal medicine for other potentially more serious chest problems you will, as mentioned, need a chest pain diagnosis from a professional TCM practitioner. You may be prescribed one or two ready-made formulas (pills or tablets) or a formula that is specifically designed for your unique symptoms and body type (liquid, powder or granules).

Chest Pain, Diet and Lifestyle

Depending on your problem and the cause of your chest pain - whether it's due to stress, a pulled chest muscle or a heart or lung condition - your TCM practitioner may also suggest certain dietary and lifestyle changes. Poor diet and lifestyle are the cause of many health problems so these factors must be addressed. Otherwise you will not get lasting results from your treatment, whether TCM, WM or any other treatment.

The above article is a just a general outline of TCM and chest pain. Contact me if you have questions about the TCM causes of chest pain and treatment with Chinese herbal medicine and other TCM methods.

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