Chinese Herbal Medicines may be powders, pastes, lotions or tablets, depending on the herb and its intended use. Different herbs have different properties and can balance particular parts of the body. Prescribing a particular herb or concoction of herbs means the practitioner’s diagnosis has to take into account the state of the patient’s Yin and Yang, and the elements that are governing the affected organs.

Today, there are over 450 substances commonly used in Chinese Herbal Medicine. Some of the ingredients you may find in your kitchen, such as ginger, garlic and cinnamon, while others such as chrysanthemum and peony flowers, are more likely to be found in your garden. And many of the substances you may never heard of before; chai hu (bupleurum), di huang (rehmannia), and huang qi (astragalus)