Herbal Medicine
Herbal Medicine is an important branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine and if often practiced along side acupuncture. Chinese Herbs are almost always prescribed as combinations or formulae as the balance and interaction of each ingredient is considered very important - more so than the effect of individual ingredients.
Though traditionally herbal prescriptions were tailored to the individual patient, nowadays many doctors use 'patent' standardized formulae that are composed of the dried herbs mixed into a powder and formed into pills, traditionally bound with honey they look like little black pearls.
The advantage of pills is that they are very convenient and easy to take. Many people these days don't have the time or inclination to prepare raw herbs. The disadvantage with patent remedies is that they are more difficult to adjust for the individual though it is possible by combining formulae and altering the dosages.
There are many different categories of herbs and a prescription has to be carefully balanced to achieve a good therapeutic outcome. To Learn about the different categories Click Here