Chinese herbs have been used for thousands of years as concentrated nutritional substances to powerfully balance the body. In conventional medicine, a person’s chief complaint is often solely identified and treated, sometimes with no regard to co-morbidities.The Eastern Medicine approach to treatment is slightly different. When you come to an Oriental Medicine practitioner, you will be questioned about all of your symptoms. The goal in Eastern Medicine is to address the underlying cause of all of these symptoms, thus we say we are treating the “patterns of disharmony.” After a thorough health history, the unique constitution and the relationship of the patient to their environment are taken into consideration in order to prescribe herbs that will bolster deficiencies, drain excess and bring harmony to the organ systems.

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While a Western physician may diagnose you as having a specific condition, for example, "migraines", an Eastern physician will try to understand the root imbalance leading to your history of dis-ease. Three people experiencing "migraines" may all have a different underlying pattern of disharmony, each treated with a different herbal formula and acupuncture point prescription. 

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​Chinese herbal medicine is not a substitute for conventional medical treatment. However, herbs can be an incredibly helpful adjunctive therapy in helping to manage side effects of pharmaceuticals and provide corrective and nutritional support needed for the body to achieve balance again. 

 

Care is taken to work with the medications patients are currently taking and all herbs are sourced from companies that pride quality control, each batch of herbs tested for heavy metals, pesticide residues and microbial contamination. 

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"How long will I have to take Chinese Herbs?"

The more acute and severe conditions oftentimes require more frequent visits to an herbalist; however, the treatment period will be shorter. For example, if you have a common cold, taking a dose of Chinese herbs for one week may be sufficient. On the other hand, if you have been sick for 30 years, you may have to take herbs for a much longer span of time. The goal is to take the herbs only as long as your body needs to in order to come back into balance. 

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"Where do the herbs come from? Are they safe?"

We only order our formulations from companies that take safety seriously. We are proudly partnered with Kamwo and Evergreen Herbs. Our herbs are carefully selected and verified for correct species and geo-authenticity. Upon receipt, each herb must pass inspection for proper identification, maturity, and high quality.

 

Every batch is tested for heavy metals, pesticide residues, and microbial contamination. Innovative techniques in preservation and packaging ensure a product free from sulfur dioxide fumigation and other preservatives.

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"Why do my granulated / Teapill herbs contain a Proposition 65 warning?"

Good Question! In short, California's Prop 65 controls are far more aggressive than federal, EPA and WHO standards and when applied to herbs require almost all herbs sold in California at medicinal doses to be labeled with the Prop 65 warning. A few reasons that it is impossible to adhere to Prop 65's standards include these examples: Even plants grown in naturally low lead content soils still absorb higher levels than is acceptable according to this law. Herbs loose around 90% of their weight in water as they are dried and this compounds their ratio levels when compared with fresh herbs and vegetables. Some herbs do not require the label as their serving size is small enough that these levels are not met. We use relatively large doses to effect change in the body. One way you can reduce your levels of exposure is to choose a "decoction" or tincture instead of a granulated powder as heavy metals are not soluble in water or alcohol.

 

I want to stress, however, that no other state requires these labels and all herbs meet both federal and international safety standards. For a more in-depth read, please see continue reading here.