Formulation Flashcards
To understand principles of formulation
what are the different categories of information needed from the client?
- Etiology
- Quality and occurrence of the complaint PQRST
- Concomitant symptoms
- Constitution
What does PQRST stand for?
provocation: Does anything seem to bring on the complaint? What makes it better? What makes it worse?
Quality: What is the character of the complaint? Burning, Cold, throbbing?
Radiation: Does the sensation/pain travel? Is it associated with any other organ or symptom?
Severity: on a scale of 1 - 10, how severe is it? Does it interfere with any other activities, like work, sex etc?
Timing: Timing throughout the day? throughout the month(hormonal fluctuations), throughout the year(seasonal allergies, seasonal affective disorder?
What questions are related to etiology?
What is your primary concern?
How long has it been happening?
How did it begin?
How has it evolved over time?
What else was going on in your life at the time?
Are there any other symptoms or problems accompanying your complaint?
Any previous episodes? Any family members?
What are the predominant emotions that accompany the complaint? Did it begin during a period of grief, anger, anxiety etc?
Did it begin following a particular activity
What questions are associated with concomitant symptoms?
When this occurs, do you feel hot or cold, lethargy, weakness or anxiety?
Does it occur during times of activity or rest?
What categories of information is needed to assess the constitution
complexion tongue pulse muscles appetite thirst sex drive sleep patterns
What is meant by the formulation rationale?
the thought process that went into determining the goals, actions, and herbs represented in the formula.
What is the maximum amount of herbs one should use in a formula?
6 herbs
What is the main principle that inspires formulas?
Synergy.
How does the principle of Synergy operate in formulas
Different herbs, when taken together, potentiate each other’s effects which lower the dosage requirement and increases effectiveness
What is meant by the negative interaction of herbs within a formula?
certain herbs reduce the bioavailability and absorption of others
tannins will bind to alkaloids and mucilage, making them less bioavailable
mucilage will slow the absorption of minerals
for example, making an infusion of tea, comfrey, and cinnamon. The tannins in the tea will bind to the alkaloids and mucilage in comfrey, and to the mucilage in the cinnamon rendering the comfrey and cinnamon less effective
What are herbal catalysts?
Herbal catalysts often work by stimulating the circulatory system and are utilized to ensure that herbal constituents within a formula will be carried to the place in the body that you want them to go. Catalysts can be added in small amounts to increase the delivery of the rest of the herbs in the formula.
What are some common catalysts?
Herbal catalysts include black pepper (Piper nigrum) fruit, ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaf, ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) aerial parts, lavender (Lavandula spp.) bud, and cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark
What are the two main considerations when considering the energetics of a formula?
1) The constitution of the person to whom you are giving the formula.
2) The energetics of the disharmony in the body that you are aiming to affect.
This can get tricky, because often you’ll have a cold person with a hot condition or vice versa. In such cases, it is best to provide a well-balanced formula that is not too warming or too cooling. The same could be said for a moist person with a dry condition: the formula should not be too drying or too moistening.
Generally speaking, formulas should not be freezing cold, blazing hot, sopping wet, or bone dry, anyway! It is possible to moisten a dry person with a dry condition too much. Most formulas should be well balanced with a slight leaning toward an energetic shift that you’d like to make. Another good reason to keep formulas relatively neutral is because it can be very difficult to decipher the root energetic cause of disharmony in the body.
How do seasonal considerations affect our formulation?
If someone is taking a tonic herbal formula for longer than a few months, it may be a good idea to change the formula slightly as the seasons change. Just as we crave cooling foods in the summer and warming foods in the winter, our body is balanced by different energetics and herbal actions as the seasons change. Adding warming, and maybe even moistening, remedies during the fall and winter months and more cooling and perhaps drying herbs during the spring and summer can be helpful.
What are some general guidelines for determining dosage
More for Nutritive, adaptogenic herbs Less for energetic herbs Less for specific use More for Kappa types, less for Vata types Less for children and elderly
