How is Chinese Herbal Medicine different from the herbs I can buy at the grocery store?
1. Chinese herbal medicines are multi-herb formulas that are prescribed for you to treat your pattern (in Chinese medicine we diagnose according to what we call “patterns”, or qualities of a specific imbalance). One of the benefits of multi-herb formulas is that they are multifaceted, and address many aspects of your condition at the same time, synergistically, with a very low incidence of side effects. Many herbs found in the grocery store are single herbs that tend to have very general indications, making them less targeted and more prone to side effects. 2. Chinese herbal medicine has been in use and development for over 2,000 years, and has evolved far beyond the rudimentary single herb use stage.
