Integral to Herbal Medicine is the restoration of harmony expressed in terms of the two complementary forces – yin and yang – and the five elements – fire, earth, metal, water, and wood.

• Fire gives rise to bitter-tasting herbs that drain and dry,
• Earth to sweet herbs that tonify and may reduce pain,
• Metal to acrid herbs that disperse,Water to salty herbs the nourish the kidneys,
• Wood to sour herbs that nourish the yin and astringe to prevent unwanted loss of body fluids or Qi (energy).

Herbs that have none of these tastes are described as bland, a quality that indicates that the plant may have a diuretic effect.

The taste of a plant can also indicate the organ to which it has a natural affinity. Besides defining particular herbal tastes, Herbal Medicine ascribes different temperatures to herbs – hot, warm, neutral, cool and cold. Each individual herb has different properties such as taste and temperature, and enters different organs in the body. When the herbs are combined through mutual harmony, the treatment effect is increased and the side effects reduced. A usual prescription or formula can consist of multiple herbs.

The use of plants as medicine is older than recorded history, but thanks to modern technology, science can now identify some of the specific properties and interactions of botanical constituents. With this scientific documentation, we now know why certain herbs are effective against certain conditions.

After a diagnosis is made by your practitioner, herbs are selected and combined, or a well-known traditional formula is prescribed. The formula is then adjusted to fit your symptoms and diagnosis, and bring about the treatment effect by regulating Qi, and fundamental substances such as blood and body fluids. When used in conjunction with Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine gives total harmony and balance to the whole body, effecting maximum treatment.

For more information on Herbal Medicine:

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