Connecticut Institute for Herbal Studies

School teaches methods for using ancient Chinese medicines in the modern day...

by Alicia B. Smith
from the Newington Life, September 2003

            Newington is a long way from China.  However, an important piece of the Chinese culture can be found here, in the form of Laura Mignosa.
       Ms. Mignosa is a nationally certified Chinese herbologist and director of the Connecticut Institute for Herbal Study located here in town.  Her job is to take thousands of years of traditional Chinese herbal practices and teach the subject to others interested in the topic.  Ms. Mignosa is in private practice, treating clients using Chinese herbs.  She also works in conjunction with the University of Connecticut Medical School in a clinical study investigating the use of Chinese herbs to reduce hot flashes in women who are unable to use more traditional hormone replacement therapy or who are undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
     Ms. Mignosa is trained in both Western and Chinese herbs and first opened her school in 1995, following her own training which began three years earlier.  She offers her students thorough training in traditional Chinese medicine as well as a Chinese herbology program.
     The school offers a variety of courses and programs revolving around traditional Chinese medicinal practices.  These include a Chinese herbal course.  This is a one-year program consisting of nine weekends and includes case studies.  Other certificate programs that are available run between five and six months.
      Not only is the school attracting interested people from different fields, but also from throughout the Northeast.  Ms. Mignosa has taught students from as far away as New York, Pennsylvania and Montana.  The classes are often scheduled to meet twice a month, thus giving students the opportunity to travel to town.
     Students may also elect to take an educational tour to China.  This will incorporate study in a traditional Chinese medicine hospital as well as a tour of the country.
     "It's a wonderful opportunity," Ms Mignosa siad of the trip.
     Many of these trips include the study at the hospital which consists of mornings spent in clinical study and seeing patients.  The afternoon is filled with lectures on a variety of topics: women's issues, cancer, liver disharmonies and diabetes among them.
    The hospital training is lead by western trained Chinese doctors who exemplify the concept of integrated medicine.
     "It's just a phenomenal place to study," Ms. Mignosa said.  "I think we're a different kind of school than you are going to find anywhere else," said Ms. Mignosa.
     Students can select from a variety of courses covering such topics as Chinese herbs, western herbs, Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and aromatherapy programs.  There are also lectures on accupressure, feng shui, and reading auras.
    Ms. Mignosa works with a group of instructors in a wide variety of practices, many of which are experts in their field of study.
     Lisl Matava is a certified Chinese herbalist with a private practice in Canton, Connecticut, called Balanced Being.  She is a former student of the institute.
     "It was not a real formal school setting," Ms. Matava recalled.  "It was more guided study, a lot of hands-on and lab work.  The thinking in Chinese medicine is circular; the education is geared towards that way of thinking," she said.
     She appreciated the size of the school, which is small, thus allowing students more individualized attention.  "It was a good program," Ms. Matava said.  "She definitely listens to people and creates programs to accommodate that," she said of Ms. Mignosa.  "She and I, we've become colleagues."
     On occasion Ms. Mignosa will invite Ms. Matava to bring in one of her patients in order for the present students to receive some education in the clinical areas of study.
      "I still love to be in the setting," Ms. Matava said.
     Western medicinal practices and Chinese medicine differ in many ways, as does te use of Western herbs compared with Chinese herbs.  On occasion the two practices are used in conjunction with one another.
     The basis behind Chinese medicine is to maintain a balance in the body.  The use of herbs helps to treat imbalances and assists in the treatment and prevention of disease.  The entire body and its state of health is taken into consideration rather than just the symptoms of a problem or illness.
     "Our job is to look at the whole body, determine if the person is ying or yang," said Ms. Mignosa, explaining that there is no concrete ying or yang, rather an individual can switch between the two depending on a number of internal or external issues.
       There are differences, to, between the way in which Western and Chinese herbs are used.  Western herbal practices tend to use one herb grown here in this country, while Chinese herbal treatments tend to consist of a combination of herbs grown and processed in China.
     "We use groups of herbs together to balance side effects," said Ms. Mignosa.
    Chinese herbal therapy is often used to treat hormonal imbalances but have been found to help with digestive issues, tumors, chronic sinus infections, arthritis and emotional issues.  These disharmonies can be an excess of something in the body or even a deficiency.  Other disharmonies can be headache, lung infections such as bronchitis, sprained ankles, fatigue, anger and a lack of sleep.
      "I believe there is an integration between Chinese medicine and Western medicine," Ms. Mignosa said.  "There are wonderful diagnostic tools in Western medicine.  Chinese medicine can help with the side effects.
       A tongue and pulse diagnosis is often performed before any Chinese herbs are prescribed.  A close inspection of the tongue can reveal disharmonies as can at attentive listen to the pulse.
      "It's different from a Western diagnosis but many times it reveals the same things," Ms Mignosa said.
     She went on to explain that there are Chinese herbs that are anti-viral and many which are better able to treat chronic illness.
     Often the professional formulas of Chinese herbs that are used in treatment consist of concentrated teas of a variety of carefully selected Chinese herbs.
     All the herbs that Ms. Mignosa uses come from China and undergo a careful standardization process, thus ensuring that all the herbs are checked to see if they contain heavy metals, pesticides or bacterium.  It also ensures that each bottle is the same. 
      There are different modalities of Chinese medicine that can be used in conjunction with the herbal practices.  These consist of Qi Jong (which relates to breathing), acupuncture, accupressure, tui Na (Chinese massage), auricular therapy (applying pressure to the ear to help heal another part of the body), and feng shui.
     The way in which Ms. Mignosa prefers to describe the use of ancient Chinese herbs is "integrated."  This implies that the treatment with herbs is not a substitute for other methods of treatments, but rather is used in conjunction with even more traditional practices.
      "Traditional Chinese medicine relies on old formulas wit modifications for modern day," Ms. Mignosa said.  "There are new people who formulate new formulas keeping in mind the environment in which we live.  That's what makes Chinese medicine so great.  It's a living entity, it's always changing."
       Through research being conducted today, the field is learning more about why these herbs were used some 5,000 years ago.  Among them are herbs commonly used today, such as licorice and ephedra, which Ms. Mignosa explained when used properly is not dangerous.
      Ms. Mignosa said that these days so many people are using Chinese medicine that those in health care fields, such as doctors and nurses, are coming to her school to take classes to understand more about what these herbs do.
     "In terms of the professionals that come here they want to add another modality," Ms. Mignosa siad.  "Nurses in particular want to learn more.  I think there is a lot of genuine interest in herbal medicine among nurses who are with patients more than doctors."
         Many of her students are ordinary mothers who are interested in discovering more natural ways to keep their children off antibiotics.
     "They want to make sure they do not use any harmful herbs," Ms. Mignosa siad.
     Then there are those who simply have a "passion for the philosophy of Chinese medicine."
     "When I first started I think people thought it was very bizarre," Ms. Mignosa said of practicing Chinese medicine.  She said more and more the field is attracting "people with an investigative mind or those who did not find an answer in Western medicine come to us."  

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