Herbology

Chinese herbalism, the use of plant, animal and mineral parts for healing, dates back thousands of years to ancient China where herbs were used to address a wide range of diseases and disorders. The practice of Chinese herbology is a precise science that represents a powerful healing tradition. There are 500 individual herbs used in Chinese Herbal Medicine. These single herbs are rarely used alone. Instead they are combined with other herbs into formulas consisting of two or more herbs. It is the careful combination of herbs that produces the desired effect for an individual patient. Ancient Chinese herbal formulas are as effective now as they were thousands of years ago. They treat a wide variety of symptoms while stimulating the body’s natural healing process.

See a List of Ailments Treated

An herbal treatment begins with an Oriental evaluation of the patient to diagnose imbalances, followed by an individualized prescription of herbs which is reassessed and readjusted at regular intervals. Teas or decoctions prepared by cooking the raw herbs allow the most individualized prescription. Modern techniques allow several simpler methods of delivery for formulas. They can be transformed into pills, capsules, granules, tinctures, or topicals making them easy and convenient to take and accessible to a wider audience.

Today people are taking a much more active role in their health care. Pharmaceutical drugs don’t work for everybody and many drugs prescribed have undesirable side effects. With no alternatives offered by conventional medicine, many consumers have begun to explore the world of herbalism. Hence the herbal industry has grown astronomically over the last two decades. This growth has drawn the attention of many in conventional medicine, calling for more studies measuring the safety and effectiveness of various herbs.

Chinese herbology is commonly applied with acupuncture sessions. Commonly patients receive acupuncture without herbology, and less commonly patients receive herbs without acupuncture. This provides a great way to treat those patients that are needle phobic.