Chinese Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbal medicine has been practiced for thousands of years. Chinese herbalists observed closely and meticulously recording their clinical findings which has allowed successors of the medicine to advance the knowledge through the ages and adapt to the different diseases that have developed over time.

As people moved in to centralised cities, rapid population growth brought new diseases. Chinese herbalism was forced to change and address the needs of these new societies. This trend of development has continued into our own era.

Chinese herbal therapy is natural medicine. It is also a powerful medicine, therefore it should only be prescribed by someone trained and certified. Today, the medicine is used to treat many common aliments such as insomnia, hot flashes, and digestive problems. It is also used to treat more serious diseases such as IBS, cancer and HIV.

By offering an alternative to prescription medication, Chinese herbalism has helped many people to address serious health concerns without the downside of high expenses and multiple side-effects. By mixing herbs together into a balanced formula, a skilled herbalist is able to create effective prescriptions that have few to no side effects.

The use of herbs in formula is one of Chinese medicine's greatest strengths. Each individual recieves a formula tailored to his or her specific needs and each formula consists of between 6 to 18 herbs.

While Chinese herbalism has a long tradition, it continues to evolve and is driven by constant research and practice to further the base of knowledge. As a result, it has adapted to meet our modern needs and offer a natural alternative to pharmaceutical interventions.

Links

A dictionary full of information about individual Chinese herbs
http://alternativehealing.org/chinese_herbs_dictionary.htm

One of our main herb suppliers
http://www.gfcherbs.com/

Great source of herb photos!
http://www.stevenfoster.com/photography/index.html