Chinese Herbal Remedies

Chinese herbal remedies are based on several thousands years of accumulated knowledge of the properties of plants and a rich cosmological philosophy based on the nature of the world and the human body. In the modern world, Chinese herbal remedies can be found in pill form at most health food stores as well as in prescribed formulas by practitioners of TCM, or traditional Chinese medicine. Any city with a Chinatown or a Chinese herbal shop will have a large selection of Chinese herbal formulas as well as the bulk herbs from which they are made.

Choosing a Chinese Herbal Remedy

• Chinese herbal remedies are designed to specifically treat and address many of the diseases and conditions that affect modern humanity. However, the traditional Chinese system of disease diagnosis includes a complex system of energetic combinations that may confuse someone who is not at least somewhat experienced in the philosophy on which it is based. Conditions such as "heat in the liver" or "damp in the kidneys" are common diagnoses in TCM but they may not make much sense to those of use who are more familiar with a western scientific model of disease cause and effect.

  If you wish to use Chinese herbal remedies to address a specific ailment you are suffering from, it is advisable to visit a practitioner of TCM who will employ a series of diagnostic techniques such as pulse reading, tongue analysis and dietary questioning before prescribing an individually tailored combination of Chinese herbs. However, many of the packaged Chinese herbal remedies that are marketed to the western public now include a list of conditions, recognizable by most people, to which they are applicable.

Using a Chinese Herbal Remedy

• If you visit a Chinese doctor or practitioner of TCM, you will most likely receive several bundles of bulk herbs to be prepared at home. Chinese herbal remedies contain anywhere from one to 20 or more herbs and are chosen for their energetic and complementary qualities. At home, you will usually have to boil each bundle for over an hour in order to make a strong decoction. Usually, each bundle is used twice; for two days in a row- leaving the herbs to soak in the pot the first night. Chinese herbal remedies may be prescribed for just a couple of days or for several weeks or months depending on the condition and overall strategy of the TCM practitioner. If using a store bought packaged combination of Chinese herbs be sure to read the instructions carefully as many formulas are not intended for long term use. If you are buying bulk Chinese herbs and designing your own herbal remedies make sure that you research each of the herbal components completely before use.