Herbal Medicine

In other forms of herbal medicine, single herbs or small formulas of herbs with the same function are used to address the symptoms of an illness. If the focus is simply on addressing symptoms, then treatment needs to be continued indefinitely. In sharp contrast, Chinese herbal medicine employs a number of single herbs with varying, synergistic functions to create formulas which focus on rebalancing the whole body and treating the root cause of illness. Once the root cause is addressed, symptoms will subside and treatment can be discontinued.

The Chinese pharmacopoeia lists over 6,000 unique medicinal substances of which there are about 600 in common use today. These herbs range from the familiar to the exotic. Gan Cao or licorice root is one of the most common herbs used in Chinese formulas. This versatile herb addresses many different Chinese medical patterns with symptoms ranging from shortness of breath and palpitations to spasms of the legs or abdomen. Most importantly, though, it is used in many herbal formulas because it moderates and harmonizes the characteristics of other herbs.

The most important herbal characteristics are temperature and taste. Where temperature is concerned, some herbs are hot, warm, cold, cool or neutral. As far as taste, there are sweet, acrid, sour, bitter and salty herbs. The various combinations of temperature and taste give the herb the ability to influence the yin and yang patterns of the body. These different tastes and temperatures must be moderated to ensure that a formula is properly balance thereby achieving maximum results with minimum side effects.

In conjunction with acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine is an important modality in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Chinese herbal formulas, consisting of two to eighteen or more different types of single herbs and are effective, yet gentle treatments that provide a safe, natural alternative to pharmaceutical chemicals. These classic herbal formulas which have been in existence for thousands of years, can be customized to address each person's unique symptoms and energetic imbalances.

Chinese herbal formulas may be taken in many different forms. Herbal decoctions are made using raw herbs (barks, seeds, roots, minerals etc.) to create a concentrated form of tea. Patients are given several packages of a 1-2 day dosage which they will then bring home to boil in water. The boiling process takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes and the resulting decoction is consumed about three times per day. Although decoctions are the most potent herbal delivery method, modern technology has allowed for more convenient methods consisting of granules (used to make a quick tea by adding water) pills, capsules, or tinctures making the herbs easier and more convenient to ingest.