Herbal Medicine
An Ancient System of Healing
Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine is a holistic system of healing that has been practiced for thousands of years in China and other parts of East Asia. It is a fundamental component of traditional Chinese medicine. Deeply rooted in Chinese culture, herbal medicine has been passed down through generations. It reflects a holistic view of health that considers not only the physical body, but also the mind, emotions, and the environment.
How Chinese Herbal Medicine Works
The Chinese Materia Medica is an extensive compendium of medicinal substances that include plants, minerals, and animal parts. Each individual medicine, or herb, is classified by its temperature (cold, cool, hot, warm, or neutral) and flavor (pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty). The combination of these characteristics elicits different effects on the body and gives each herb a specific function, such as heat-clearing or dampness-eliminating.
Most of the time, herbs are used in combinations called herbal formulas. At our clinic, Chinese herbs are available in tablet or tincture (liquid) form. Other options include making a tea out of raw herbs, or taking a granule formula made of ground-up herbs.
Personalized Herbal Formulas
Herbal formulas address the root cause of an individual's health condition. Our practitioners use diagnostic techniques like pulse and tongue examination, and gather a comprehensive view of the patient's health to determine the nature of the imbalance in the body. Once this is understood, herbal supplements may be prescribed specifically for you — not a generic formula, but one tailored to your presentation and needs.
Herbal Therapy Paired with Acupuncture
Herbal medicine and acupuncture share the same diagnostic framework, which means they work especially well together. Many of our patients use herbal formulas between acupuncture visits to reinforce and extend the effects of treatment.
Ready to Get Started?
If you're curious whether herbal therapy could support your health goals, we'd be glad to talk through your specific situation and what a formula tailored to you might look like.