NCOM Herbal A Prep Lecture Notes

Jul 12, 2024

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NCOM Herbal Prep Lecture Notes

Overview

  • Focus: Preparation for NCOM herbal exam, herbal study guide
  • Main Aspects: Single herbs, Formulas
  • Resource: Herbal study guide (Jan 2020 edition)
  • Tools: Share screen on Bright Space

Exam Structure

Domain 1: Safety and Quality of Chinese Herbs (10%)

  • **Safety Concerns: **
    • Contraindications (e.g., gluten intolerance, soy allergies)
    • Toxic reactions (nausea, diarrhea)
  • **Herb-Drug Interactions: **
    • Notable interactions often involve herbs starting with 'G'
    • Example: Ginko fruit's interaction with anticoagulants
    • English names that start with G
  • Adverse Effects and Toxicity:
    • 18 incompatibles, 19 antagonisms
    • Example: G incompatibles with Hi
  • Identification:
    • Herb descriptions based on color, shape
    • Recognize endangered species
    • cgmp for manufacturing practices
    • FDA requirements for storage and contamination checking

Domain 2: Treatment Planning and Strategies (70%)

  • Chinese Herb Recommendations:
    • Based on TCM assessment and diagnosis
    • Knowledge of single herbs' properties: temperature, flavors, tropism, actions
    • Functions and indications
    • Importance of preparation methods (e.g., honey fried, vinegar fried)
    • Application of herbs to presenting signs and symptoms
    • Herbal pairing for syndrome patterns
  • Case-Based Questions:
    • Choose appropriate herb pairs or formulas
  • Herbal Formulas:
    • Study list of formulas, focus on ingredients and relationships
    • Chief/King ingredients
    • Functions and indications
    • Special preparation methods and dosages

Domain 3: Patient Management (20%)

  • Case Evaluation:
    • Combine with biomedicine, acupuncture, psychotherapy
    • Consider patients' medical conditions (e.g., hypertension, postpartum care)
  • Patient Education:
    • Benefits, adverse effects, preparation instructions
    • Follow-up evaluations, dietary therapy, and exercise guidelines

Single Herbs Focus

  • **Primary Reference Books: **
    • Bensky’s Materia Medica
    • Dr. Joe’s condensed version
  • Study Strategy:
    • Understand the structure (e.g., chapters, sections)
    • Identify related herbs based on their categories and functions

Herbs Overview

  1. Ai Ye
    • Category: Stop Bleeding
    • Actions: Warm meridian, stop bleeding, regulate menses, relieve pain
    • Properties: Aromatic, damp-transforming, eliminates dness, stops itching
  2. Ba Ji Tian
    • Category: Tonify Yang
    • Actions: Tonify kidney yang, eliminate wind damp cold, strengthen bones
  3. Bai Bu
    • Category: Resolve Phlegm
    • Actions: Slight toxicity, topical use for parasites, moistening lung, stop cough (especially when honey-fried)
  4. Bai Dou Kou
    • Category: Aromatic Transform Damp
    • Actions: Warm middle jiao, stop vomiting, regulate middle jiao qi
  5. Bai Guo
    • Category: Resolve Phlegm
    • Properties: Slight toxicity, stabilizes lung qi, stops cough and wheezing, binds discharge (vaginal, spermia), 4.5-9g dosage
  6. Bai He
    • Category: Tonify/Nourish Yin
    • Actions: Nourish lung and heart yin, stop cough, calm spirit
  7. Bai Hua She
    • Category: Expel Wind Damp
    • Actions: Powerfully unblocks channels, expel wind, stop itching, treat tremors/convulsions
  8. Bai Hua She She Cao
    • Category: Clear Heat, Relieve Toxin
    • Actions: Anti-cancer studies, treat skin heat toxicity, promote urination
  9. Bai Ji
    • Category: Stop Bleeding
    • Actions: Astringent, stop bleeding (especially lung/stomach), generate flesh
  10. Bai Jiang Cao
    • Category: Clear Heat, Relieve Toxin
    • Actions: Clear heat toxin, eliminate pus (abscess), disperse blood stasis, stop pain, cautious use in pregnancy
  11. Bai Jie Zi
    • Category: Resolve Phlegm
    • Actions: Warm lung, expel phlegm, dissipate nodules, an irritant for skin
  12. Bai Ji Li
    • Category: Release Exterior (Cool Blood)
    • Actions: Cool blood, stop bleeding, promote urination, treat stomach/lung heat
  13. Bai Qian
    • Category: Resolve Phlegm
    • Actions: Resolve phlegm, eliminate cold phlegm
  14. Bai Shao
    • Category: Tonify blood
    • Actions: Nourish liver blood, regulate menses, calm liver, relieve spasm, nourish ying, harmonize ying and wei
  15. Bai Tou Weng
    • Category: Clear Heat, Relieve Toxin
    • Actions: Treat dysentery, corol blood, stop bleeding, kills parasites, stop itching, used for malaria-type diarrhea and topical issues

Final Notes

  • Develop a comprehensive understanding of each herb's properties, actions, and potential use cases
  • Recognize herbs by their pinyin, English names, and Latin binomial names