11．Chinese Herbal Medicine

Chinese herbal medicine, along with the other parts of Chinese medicine, is based on the concepts of Yin and Yang. Clinical strategies are based upon diagnosis of patterns of signs and symptoms that reflect an imbalance. However, the tradition as a whole places great emphasis on lifestyle management in order to prevent disease before it occurs.

The curative effects of herbal medicine have indeed some scientific proofs. Nowadays there is a growing body of research which indicates that traditional uses of plant remedies and the known pharmacological activity of plant constituents often coincide. However, herbal medicine is distinct from medicine based on pharmaceutical drugs. Firstly, because of the complexity of plant materials, it is far more balanced than medicine based on isolated active ingredients and is far less likely to cause side-effects. Secondly, because herbs are typically prescribed in combination, the different components of a formula balance each other, and they undergo a mutual synergy which increases efficacy and safety. Thirdly, herbal medicine seeks primarily to correct internal imbalances rather than to treat symptoms alone, and therapeutic intervention is designed to encourage this self-healing process.