Phytotherapy is the most commonly used and widespread method of alternative medicine. The Chinese use herbs enriched by minerals and rarely also by animal products. Our local medicinal herbs are not employed. Not because they would not be as healing as the Chinese ones, but because the Chinese medicine - as it has already been mentioned - is bound by long history of experience and verified procedures. Therefore, it does not apply that a bitter dandelion can replace any bitter Chinese herb.
Phytotherapy is a method based on herbal constituents, in other words on substances found in herbs and plants. Substances effecting metabolism and other body processes are extracted by boiling. That is also another reason of adhering to ancient proven prescriptions. After a certain period of herb usage the body regains its lost norm. At the beginning, it is thanks to the healing effect of herbs; later, however, the herbal dosage is decreased and the focus becomes to preserve the level of enhanced health. The goal is to completely discontinue herb doses without losing the client’s healthy condition. Therefore, phytotherapy is not a lifelong substitution, but education of organism. Nevertheless, variations are possible: in urgent and short-term cases especially, the herbs can be discontinued immediately en bloc after the recovery, and vice versa, in severe or chronic cases, where the herb power is not sufficient enough for remedy, but is still important as a supporting treatment, the herb mixtures can be used on a long-term basis. The client receives the herb combination for a prescribed number of days, till their next examination, when the blend is further adjusted according to current needs or dosage is decreased in the final stage of the phytotherapy.
Chinese herbal concoction can have several forms:
- Concoction (tang): Original method of herb administration, it is also the most effective, but the least tasty. It follows Confucius’ idea: Good medicine tastes bitter, good advice may be difficult to listen to.
- Powdered extract (san): Dry concentrated extract to be dissolved in water. It is less effective, but tastes better. It is often given to children or used as an after-disease support.
Compressed tablets (wan): Traditional blends compressed into small balls of neutral taste, but lower effect compared to concoctions. Also appropriate for after- disease support or for treatment of less severe cases.
