Whats the difference between Western folk herbalism and Chinese herbalism?
Western folk herbalism primarily treats diseases or symptoms, such as headaches, runny nose, menstrual pain, etc. Chinese herbalism, when practiced as a part of TCM, is based on an individualized pattern diagnosis as well as a disease diagnosis. Your pattern is made up of your signs and symptoms, your emotional temperament and the overall composition of your body. The TCM patient receives a custom written herbal prescription designed to treat their individual pattern as well as the symptom or disease. Are there any other differences? Western folk herbalism usually focuses on one symptom or disease at a time and use a single herb or groups of herbs for treatment. TCM formulas are crafted to treat your entire pattern as well as the symptoms or disease that prompted you to seek treatment. TCM formulas may include six to eighteen herbs to treat the symptoms or disease as well as your entire pattern.
