top of page

Welcome to my Chinese Herbal Medicine Clinic!

 Sean Dugan L.Ac. Herbalist

This page is full of information to answer all your questions about me, my herbal medicine practice, and about Chinese herbal medicine. You can read, watch, or listen to learn more. â€‹

​

Here are some quick links for new and existing clients:

New Client Questionnaire

Returning Client Questionnaire

Schedule a Consultation

Conditions Treated

Order Herbs

​

Image by Maurits Bausenhart

About Sean Dugan L.Ac

Hi, I’m Sean Dugan. I am an herbalist and an acupuncturist, a husband, a cat-dad, and an avid gardener and orchardist. I love hiking in the mountains, fishing, whitewater rafting, and the occasional binge of bad tv on netflix. And I really love plants, especially the ones I can use in my practice to help people feel better. 

 

When I was a kid I got sick a lot. I struggled with asthma, severe allergies, and chronic sinus infections. I had scoliosis, and I experienced neck pain and migraines from a young age. It wasn’t unusual for me to raid the medicine cabinet for Tylenol rather than raiding the pantry for chocolate chip cookies. I missed out on a lot of “kid stuff” that I just didn’t feel well enough to do.

 

Western medicine didn’t have good solutions for the problems I was dealing with. Fortunately, I was exposed to Chinese Medicine early, and through treatment with Chinese herbal medicine as well as qigong and acupuncture, I was able to get my asthma, migraines, and sinuses infections under control.     Read more...

How My Herbal Clinic Works

Here’s how it works in a nutshell.

 

If you would like to begin herbal medicine treatment with me, simply fill out the New Client Questionnaire and submit it. Next, schedule an initial consultation, which can be done in-person, over the phone or through videochat. During this visit, we will go over important details about your treatment plan. 

 

You can then purchase your first herbal formula, and get started. Every two weeks you will fill out the returning client questionnaire and I will adjust your formula according to your responses in this online intake.

 

If that’s all you feel like you need to know, you can get started on the questionnaire! If you would like some more information on how I practice Chinese herbal medicine, why I do it that way, and what your role is in making your treatment with Chinese herbal medicine a success...keep reading! 

 

All your questions will be answered.  Read more...

Image by Eugenie Lai
Image by Paul Morley

About Chinese Medicine

In this section I’m going to cover some of the most important things you need to know about Chinese medicine, including what it is, why it works, and how it can help you.

 

Let’s start with the basics: What is Chinese Medicine?

 

Chinese Medicine is an independent medical system that was developed thousands of years before modern Western medicine. It was developed through scientific observation, systematic record keeping, and extensive clinical practice. 

 

Chinese Medicine has a unique system of medical theory and diagnosis, and a variety of treatment methods - the most important of which is Chinese herbal medicine. 

 

Today, modern Western medicine leads the world in near-miraculous life-saving emergency medicine, and in treatment of late-stage disease. But it often has little to offer in the way of preventative medicine, early intervention, and treatment of chronic illness. 

 

Chinese Medicine focuses on addressing the root cause of disease, which is the most important aspect of treating chronic illness, as well as acting as preventative medicine. 

 

One of the most fundamental differences between Chinese Medicine and Western medicine is that we treat you, the person, not the disease.  Read more...
Image by Outi Marjaana

Choosing the Best Herb Format for You

You can choose, but you don't have to. At the end of your New Client Questionnaire you will be asked which format of herbal formula you would prefer. There will be an option to choose "I prefer whatever is recommended for best results with my concerns." If you don't have a strong preference, this is what I would recommend choosing. This allows me the most flexibility to use the formula type that's going to be the most effective in your situation.

 

Granule extract. The most common method of administering herbal medicine that I use is called a granule extract. This is a modern method where a decoction (a traditional hot water extraction of raw herbs) is prepared into a concentrated extract powder. You add water, and drink it "like a tea." Granules are often referred to as "powder" but are very different than grinding raw herbs into a powder. Granule extracts are convenient, easy to travel with, and provide the best all around extraction, and especially extraction of active ingredients that require long cooking.   Read more...​​

Image by Niilo Isotalo
Image by Olena Bohovyk

Chinese Herb Quality and Safety

Many people have concerns about the safety and quality of Chinese herbs. The truth is, Chinese herbal medicine is incredibly safe when sourced properly and prescribed by a skilled and qualified practitioner. 

 

So let’s break that down.

​

Sourcing High Quality Herbs

 

Before I went to graduate school for Chinese Medicine, I studied botany and sustainable agriculture at UC Santa Cruz. I am well aware of the problems with chemical pesticides and environmental contaminants, so I only source Chinese herbs from companies that go above and beyond to ensure that they are providing safe, high quality herbal medicine and practicing environmental stewardship in the process.

 

We source our granule extracts from Evergreen Herbs, our raw herbs (whole or sliced dried herbs to be used for decoction or draft formulas) are from Spring Wind Herbs, and our capsule formulas come from Classical Pearls.

 

All three of these companies do extensive testing on their herbs to ensure they are potent and safe.  Read more...

Conditions Treated with Chinese Herbal Medicine

The holistic nature of Chinese Medicine allows me to treat a wide variety of conditions. The list on this page does not include all the conditions I have helped people with, or will be able to help people with. So if you have a condition that's not listed, please reach out. â€‹

Pain

  • Peripheral neuropathy (chemotherapy-induced, diabetic, and idiopathic) 

  • ​Nerve damage

  • Migraine headaches

  • Menstrual pain

  • Endometriosis

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Neck pain, back pain

  • Sciatic pain, sciatica

  • Osteoarthritis

  • Muscle tension

  • Tendonitis

  • Post-herpetic neuralgia, shingles

  • Recovery from surgery and injury

  • Bone spurs (neck, heel, etc)

Immune & Autoimmune

  • Supportive cancer care

  • Post-herpetic neuralgia, shingles

  • Long covid (fatigue, brain fog, headaches, pain, neuropathy, shortness of breath, palpitations, POTS, dizziness)

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Chronic sinusitis, recurring sinus infections

  • Chronic Candida & yeast infections

  • Meniere's

  • Hashimoto's thyroiditis

  • Guillain-Barre syndrome

  • Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis

Women's Health

  • Painful periods, dysmennhorrea

  • Irregular periods

  • Endometriosis

  • PCOS

  • Uterine fibroids (6 cm or smaller)

  • Hormone imbalance

  • PMS symptoms

  • Fertility, infertility

  • Chronic yeast infections

  • Bacterial vaginosis, BV

  • Chronic UTIs

  • Chronic pelvic pain syndrome

  • Insterstitial cystitis

  • Postpartum recovery

Digestive

  • IBS

  • Diarrhea

  • Constipation

  • Acid reflux, GERD

  • Bile reflux

  • SIBO

  • Incontinence

  • Dysbiosis

  • Chronic Candida

  • Digestive parasites

Cardiovascular 

  • High blood pressure, hypertension

  • High cholesterol, hyperlipidemia

  • Palpitations

  • Irregular heart rhythms (atrial fibrillation, PVCs, SVTs)

  • Mitral valve prolapse

  • Shortness of breath

  • Peripheral neuropathy

  • Fatigue

Nervous System & Neurological

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Stress

  • PTSD

  • Chronic "fight or flight" stress response

  • Insomnia

  • Palpitations

  • Fatigue, adrenal fatigue

  • Vertigo

  • Tinnitus

  • Meniere's

Respiratory

  • Acute and sinus infections, sinusitis

  • Bronchitis

  • Chronic cough

  • Long covid

  • Allergies

  • Asthma

  • Chronic congestion and phlegm

  • Shortness of breath

Men's Health

  • Fatigue

  • Low libido, low sex drive

  • BPH, Benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate enlargment

  • Chronic prostatitis

  • Chronic UTI

  • Erectile dysfunction

  • Premature ejaculation

  • Symptoms of low testosterone

Metabolic

  • Fatty liver

  • Elevated glucose, A1c

  • High cholesterol, hyperlipedemia

  • Weight loss

Can you help me with.....?

Wondering if we can help you with something? Send us a message. 

Thanks for submitting!

bottom of page