WHAT IS CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE?
Herbal Medicine is the main treatment method within Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is the world’s oldest, continually practiced professional medicine of over 2,500 years. Although Acupuncture was the first Chinese method of treatment to gain wide acceptance in the West, Chinese Herbal Medicine is now quickly establishing itself as one of the most popular and effective alternative therapies. Chinese Herbal Medicine includes plants, minerals, and animal products. Over 7,000 herbs have been identified in China, 400 of which are most commonly used in variations in formulas. According to Chinese Medical Theory, each herb has a different taste, temperature and numerous specific functions. Depending on the condition and syndrome, the Chinese Medical practitioner will choose different properties of herbs to create a formula to address the patients particular needs. A practitioner who makes use of herbs is familiar with most of the 1,800 herbs in Chinese pharmacopeia.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the worlds oldest continuously practiced professional medicine-it has been practiced for over 2,500 years. Although acupuncture was the first traditional Chinese medical method to win wide acceptance in the United States, Chinese herbal medicine is the foundation of TCM. The herbs used in Chinese herbal medicine include botanical, mineral and zoological substances. Among these, botanical substances are the majority, such as leaves, flowers, twigs, roots , tubers, stems, and bark.
