Chinese Herbal Medicine

Chinese Herbal Medicine is the practice of prescribing formulas of herbs, unique to each individual’s presenting ailments, to restore the body’s balance of energy. Chinese herbal medicine is a holistic practice that treats the whole person rather than the disease. It has been utilized in Asia for over 2000 years, and today is often used in conjunction with western modalities.

Health in Chinese medicine is measured by the body’s state of balance, when in ballance the body’s energy flows freely. “Energy” in Chinese medicine refers to Qi, the life essence that animates the body. “Balance” refers to the expression of yin and yang—the Taoist opposing forces of the universe. Yin and yang find their expression in various subsidiary antagonists such as cold vs. heat, dampness vs. dryness, descending vs. ascending, at rest vs. active, and full vs. empty. According to Chinese medicine principals, ideal health would occur when yin and yang in all their forms are perfectly balanced in every part of the body.

Because Chinese herbal medicine remedies are mixed combinations of herbs unique to each individual, treatment is often tweaked and adjusted over time as systems within the body strike balance. From menstrual pain to asthma, Chinese herbal medicine is a viable treatment option.