Chinese herbal medicines are mainly plant based, but some preparations include minerals or animal products. They can be packaged as powders, pastes, lotions or capsules, depending on the herb and its intended use. Different herbs have different properties and can balance particular parts of the body.
The underlying principles of TCM are very different from traditional Western notions about health, illness and the workings of the body. Chinese herbs are prescribed to normalize imbalanced energy, or Qi (pronounced ‘chee’), that runs through invisible meridians in the body. Whether or not the philosophy is believed, studies have shown Chinese herbal medicines to be successful in treating a range of disorders.
In my practice, I use a combination of Chinese Herbal and a Australian herbal based company. Both are high quality and very safe. When taking herbs simultaneously with acupuncture treatments, the herbs continue the intention of the work in between acupuncture session..