What is Chinese Herbal Therapy?
CHINESE HERBAL THERAPY is the combination of Chinese herbs to make a formula. Chinese herbal formulae have the characteristic of being tailor-made by the practitioner for the patient. This includes consideration of the patient’s constitution as well as the stage of the patient’s illness. Prescription is a complex art in TCM, the perfect formula is well-balanced, produces an obvious beneficial effect and no side effects. Herbal medicine is considered to be most effective in the form of a decoction, although many patients prefer not to drink this often bitter medicine. Alternatives include pills, bolus and IV methods (not in the UK). For external problems external medicines may be applied with a kind of sticking-plaster, or decoctions may be used to wash the exterior of the body. Chinese herbs are plant, mineral or animal substances. Recently the use of mineral and animal Chinese herbs has been banned in the UK. The use of endangered species, while greatly publicized, does not occur in t
