More and more people are opting out of the conventional route to a cure their illnesses. Barry Nelson talks to one practitioner who is bringing traditional Chinese medicine to the North-East.

WHEN children with severe eczema suddenly got better, specialists at one of the UK's leading children's hospitals were baffled.

The children had been under the treatment of specialists at the famous Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London, but conventional treatment using powerful steroid creams had failed to have much of an impact.

It turned out that the children whose conditions had improved had been seeing a well-known Chinese herbalist doctor, Dr Luo, at her little shop in Chinatown. The children had benefited from drinking a pungent mixture of up to 12 Chinese traditional herbs prescribed by Dr Luo.

Impressed by the results of this unorthodox approach, the medics at Great Ormond Street carried out a controlled trial which clearly demonstrated that children with severe eczema who were given Chinese herbs did far better than those who relied on western medicine. That trial was published in 1992, proving the efficacy of Chinese medicine in the treatment of serious eczema and related skin conditions. Since then, there has a growing acceptance of Chinese traditional medicine in the UK. Even though a House of Lords committee, which investigated alternative and complementary medicine a few years ago, placed Chinese herbal medicine in the category of "unacceptable theories", along with crystal therapy, kinesiology and dowsing, British people seem to be embracing Chinese medicine.

Despite the exotic philosophy underpinning the Chinese approach to healthcare - the notion that our health depends on Yin and Yang, the two opposing forces in our Chi, or vital life energy, being in balance - thousands of Brits are paying hard cash for a mixture of Chinese herbs, acupuncture and traditional massage.

Anyone interested in trying out Chinese medicine used to have to go to one of the UK's Chinatowns, but these days the local shopping mall may have a branch of Dr and Herb, a fast growing chain of Chinese medicine stores staffed by experienced practitioners from mainland China.

Founded just seven years ago by Dr John Wu and Dr Jin Sun, the chain has grown from its first shop in Northampton to 40 outlets all over the UK. Outposts in the North-East include the Cornmill Shopping Centre in Darlington and Eldon Square in Newcastle.

Visiting the Dr and Herb shop in Darlington is quite an experience.

The traditional Chinese dolls in the window immediately alert you to a very different environment to the slick 21st century retail experiences on offer elsewhere in the mall.

Ducking in from the muzak, the visitor is immediately confronted with old-fashioned looking shelving behind a counter displaying hundreds of traditional dried Chinese herbs.

Looking along the labels, most with English translations as well as angular Chinese characters, you will find names like Pagoda Tree Flower, Hog-Fennel Root, Mulberry Twins and Rhubarb Root. The shop has 300 different traditional herbs available on the premises and the ability to access a total of 3,000.

If Dr Gu Zu Sun, the Chinese doctor based at the Darlington store, decides to recommend a herbal infusion, he will mix up a concoction of herbs on the spot and parcel them up. The client takes the herbs home, adds hot water - just like making ordinary tea - and drinks the resulting liquid.

Alternatively, Dr Zu Sun, who has 30 years experience and was a professor of traditional Chinese medicine in his homeland, may recommend acupuncture treatment using very fine Chinese needles.

Another approach uses "firecups", putting hot glasses on to the skin to draw out undesirable elements. Dr Zu Sun might also suggest massage, or a combination of all three approaches.

English language leaflets explain that the Chinese doctor makes a diagnosis by looking, listening, asking the patient questions and touching.

But the most important examination in the Chinese tradition is based on the tongue. An experienced practitioner is said to be able to tell from the tongue's colour and coating the condition of your internal organs.

Pulse rates are also very important in the Chinese tradition, with trained physicians able to distinguish up to 125 different rates.

Among the conditions which Dr and Herb claims to be able to help are skin disorders, internal disorders (such as asthma, diabetes and heart problems), muscular and skeletal problems (such as back pain and arthritis) and neurological disorders (including multiple sclerosis and paralysis).

Wei Huang, manager of the Darlington shop, who also acts as an assistant and interpreter for the doctor, is impressed at how open-minded many customers are to this very different style of medicine.

"They are very open to a lot of new concepts. Many have already tried Chinese herbs and know something about our approach to medicine," says Wei, who, like Dr Zu Sun, comes from mainland China.

Customers are warned that many of the herbal infusions can be very bitter; in some cases customers are given herbal pills as an alternative, although the infusions are much stronger.

"All the herbs are imported from China and are the best quality available," says Wei, who comes from Beijing and studied at Glasgow University before accepting a position with the medicine chain.

The cost of treatment varies according to what is prescribed by Dr Zu Sun, starting at around £30 and ranging up to several hundred pounds for eight sessions of acupuncture.

Some customers have remained very loyal since the store in Darlington opened almost two years ago. "We have quite a few people who keep coming back. We see lots of different people including doctors, nurses and policemen," says Wei.

And with ambitious plans for expansion in North-East shopping centres Chinese medicine may be coming to a mall near you in the near future

* For more information go to the website www.chinese-remedy.com

'Why I'm pleased I went Chinese'

FOR Andrew Greener, a former policeman from Teesdale, going into the Chinese medicine store was like stepping into the unknown. Frustrated at the failure of conventional medicine to deal with a range of issues, including chronic back pain and stomach problems, Andrew decided to take the plunge and go Chinese. "I had gone through all the usual channels but it just didn't work for me so I thought it was time to try something new," he says.

After a course of acupuncture and herbal infusions, he reckons going to Dr and Herb is one of the best things he has done. "I am a convert to acupuncture and I have recommended the place to other people I know. I would rather go there than the doctor - I have more faith in them," he says.

Apart from dramatic improvements to his stomach and back problems, he suddenly found himself sleeping much better. "It was astounding the difference it made to my sleeping, I went from two or three hours to six or seven almost immediately," he says.

Andrew, 45, who lives in Cotherstone, was also impressed that the staff at Dr and Herb took the trouble to explain some of the principles behind Chinese medicine. But he says some of the herbal infusions take some getting used to. "Some of the herbs are pretty vile to take and they really stink the house out, but I suppose they are doing you some good," he laughs.