Western Herbal Medicine tends to use one or two herbs to treat just a specific symptom. This can be evidenced by a trip to any supermarket to review supplements. Outside of a specific few cases, the vast majority of these supplements are single herbs. Additionally, these are typically not part of treatment regime’s which are prescribed by medical professionals. Rather, they are off-the-shelf goods which anyone can pick up and self-medicate with.
A Chinese Herbal formula has as many as 20 different herbs. The herbs are selected to work synergistically to treat the whole person. In Chinese Medicine, due to our diagnostic system, we are able to assess a person’s whole constitution and treat the root (cause) along with a branch (symptoms) of a health concern. It is in this way that we are able to treat the whole person’s body and mind, rather than a symptom. Traditional treatment with Chinese herbs is individualized to the point where they are specific to a person and meant to heal them entirely.