Chinese Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbal medicine is one of the important pillars for the practice of TCM. Herbs have been used by many cultures around the world for thousands of years. No other health system uses herbs as extensively and exclusively as the Chinese medicine culture.

Chinese herbs attempt to bring the body back into homeostasis/balance, depending on the condition or syndrome pattern. There are over 16 individual single herb categories that the herbal practice is based upon. Characteristic factors such as thermal dynamics (warm or cool), the organ channel association (Kidney, Liver, etc.), flavour (salty, sour, sweet, etc.) or direction (rising, down-bearing, etc.) are important characteristics to decide which herb will be better for the affective prescription. Within modern times the importance of pharmacological properties have found their way into practice also.

Chinese herbal medicine follows the concepts and theological frame work of Chinese medicine ethos. At the base of all these concepts is Yin Yang theory, Zang Fu organ theory, pathogenic influences (evil) and the vital substances (Qi, Blood, Jing, and Body fluids). Practitioners consider the body’s excessiveness or deficiency of these concepts as an important feature towards treatment. Therapeutic results bear witness by the increased popularity through out the world.