CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE
Herbal medicine has been used throughout human history and most modern medicine is based on herbal “active ingredients.” In Chinese Medicine, there is a literate as well as oral tradition reaching back several thousand years where certain formulas of herbs have been passed down and developed by senior physicians from every generation. These formulas have helped billions of people over the centuries.
In Chinese Medicine, just as in modern medicine, a diagnosis of the disease is made, but what sets Chinese Medicine apart is the “pattern diagnosis” that is just as important. The “pattern” is an understanding of how one’s body-mind is out of balance and determining this, the practitioner then knows how to bring about greater balance on a holistic level, through acupuncture, herbs, dietary advice, movement or meditation suggestions, etc. It is through the pattern diagnosis that we focus on treating a person with a disease, not just a disease itself. Because of this individual focus, the goal is not just to resolve the problem, but to also help each person towards greater health and well-being.