Herbal medicine can work independently, or together with acupuncture to treat your health concerns. A formula will be chosen based on how your specific symptoms manifest. As your health evolves, so will your herbal medicine.
Chinese herbal medicine is different from pharmaceutical drugs in that it can keep you healthy and strengthen your body and immune system, in addition to addressing illness and injury. It can successfully treat acute conditions, as well as chronic or constitutional ones.
Formulas typically have 3-12 herbs, and are created based on Chinese medical theory by pattern diagnosis. The pattern reflects the unique combination of symptoms that best describe your specific disharmony.
Formulas can be prescribed as raw herbs (which are decocted in boiling water), powdered granules (adding hot water), liquid extracts (stabilized in alcohol, then adding hot or cool water), tablets or capsules, teas, or external plasters or lotions. Most formulas are taken daily. Some people enjoy the taste of their herbal formulas; for others it is an acquired taste. Many prefer the convenience of capsules or tablets. You have options!
Some herbal formulas used today have been in use for hundreds of years, and some go back over 1000 years. Archeological evidence from ancient tombs shows that people in China used herbs 5000 years ago, and the earliest surviving written record dates from the first century of the Common Era (CE).
Classic formulas are often customized to suit an individual’s unique pattern. They treat a wide variety of conditions, including but not limited to PMS/menstrual discomfort, trauma and pain relief, fatigue, arthritis, anxiety/stress/depression, colds and flu, stuffy nose or sinus infections, cough, food stagnation, insomnia, menopause, skin conditions, and even fertility.