About Chinese Herbal Medicine
In the East, diet and herbal formulas are often used before acupuncture to help the body to heal whatever is wrong. Acupuncture is added if the body needs more support. Here most patients would rather try acupuncture first to avoid having to take the formulas as so many of them are already taking lots of supplements and medications. Herbal formulas can really make a difference if patients are willing to try them.
Menstrual, fertility, and digestive formulas are especially effective and can expedite the healing process. Just like with acupuncture, herbal formulas take into account the health of the whole body, so we can heal the deeper causes of the problem instead of merely treating symptoms.
Most of the medicinals used are plant based- different roots, flowers, or seeds, for example. Some you might even use regularly in cooking, such as ginger and cinnamon. Other medicinals are mineral or animal-based. The companies we order herbal formulas through are all GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified, which means they undergo screenings and quality control processes to ensure that the product is pure and free from contaminants.
Herbal formulas can come in several different forms including raw, powders, tinctures, and tablets. Powders and tinctures are simply mixed with water. Raw herbs need to be boiled down and strained before consuming, which can be a bit time consuming. At Healing Lotus Acupuncture, we work with powders, tinctures and tablets because they are easier for our patients to use. Formulas are generally taken 3 times a day.
* Please note: We only provide Chinese herbal medicine as an add-on to acupuncture treatments, not as an individual service.
