How are Herbs Used?
Herbal medicine is by itself a powerful method of healing. Western drugs are usually used to control symptoms but often do not alter the disease process. For example: antibiotics kill bacteria but do not improve a person's resistance to infection; diuretics drain excess fluid from the body but do not improve the kidney function. Chinese herbs can also rid the body of disease but they also nourish and balance the body in very specific ways, thereby improving organ function and building up a person's constitution and immune system.
Chinese herbs may be given as dried herbs that must be cooked prior to use, or as tablets, capsules, tinctures or powders prepared by a commercial company. At Insight Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine, experience has shown that patients have an easier time taking their herbs in a convenient tablet form, so we have selected reputable companies that manufacture quality formulas in accordance with GMP standards established by the FDA. This means that your herbs have gone through rigorous testing processes to ensure your products contain what is listed on the ingredients and nothing else: no heavy metals, no contaminants, no pharmaceutical products.
Depending on your specific needs, your formula may contain a single herb or as many as 15, all carefully selected and blended according to the principals of Chinese medicine and modern science.