home therapies chinese herbal medicine taking chinese herbal medicine

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There are a few different ways to take CHM, and these will be discussed below. Sometimes the type of condition/illness that is presented can govern the most effective type of administration of CHM.

Raw Herbs - This is the most traditional way of taking herbal medicine. The properties of the plants are extracted via a boiling process. The resulting liquid is the medicine and the boiled herbs are discarded afterwards. Raw herbs are effective for all conditions.

Some practitioners believe that the herbs need to be infused in water together with the heating process. This releases the ingredient in the herbs, but more importantly binds the ingredients from the different herbs together in their unique formula.

What ever you believe as far as administration, this method has been used for thousands off years.

Powder Herbs - This has been developed recently to accommodate the lifestyle many have. They are quick and easy to use. The herbal powder is mixed with some water to provide a drinkable liquid.

The advantage of the powder is that the ingredients can be adapted to suit the patient specifically. One herb can be removed and substituted with a more effective herb that would directly relate to the individual that was receiving the treatment. Powders can be effective for certain conditions.

Pills - The most convenient form of taking herbal medicine, and fits into the high paced living world of some individuals very well. The drawback here is that the formula can not be adapted to specifically fit the individual.

Once described to me with an analogy:

“It’s a bit  like buying a suit. If you take a suit ‘off the peg’ it may be a bit long in the leg and not fit exactly, but it looks
alright. With a tailor made suite it will fit perfectly, feel
extremely comfortable and look fantastic.

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