The practice of Chinese Herbal Medicine dates back approximately 4000 years, providing an unbroken lineage of medical knowledge and wisdom. Currently, the Chinese pharmacopeia contains documented effects and medicinal uses of over 5,000 individual plant, mineral, and animal substances. These substances are then combined into formulas where the herbs have synergistic effects that increase their potency and effectiveness. The combinations of herbs are also designed to reduce and even eliminate side-effects that are often associated with the Western pharmaceuticals used in modern medicine today. After we discuss in detail your medical history and current condition, I will formulate an herbal prescription that is tailored to your individual needs. This follows the Chinese medical principle that the same disease must be treated individually for each patient's particular body type, constitution, and symptoms. By spending the necessary time with you, I am able to give you the individualized herbal therapy best suited to your particular situation. The herbs you receive will consist of concentrated powdered extracts to be taken orally in capsules or in tea. The manner in which you will take the herbs depends on the type of effect we want to achieve. Some conditions respond better to herbs taken in warm or hot water as teas, while in other cases simple herbal capsules will be appropriate. Most herbal medicines gently and gradually adjust the body's metabolism and other processes, thereby reducing or eliminating side-effects. This also means that they often take longer to work than the powerful, sometimes toxic drugs that are prescribed by allopathic physicians. This does not mean that herbal medicines are better than drugs - it simply depends on the situation and how each is applied.