Herbal Medicine is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which has been commonly used to treat illness and health problems for at least 5000 years. There are more than 450 substances commonly used in Chinese Herbal Medicine, most of them are from plants, and very few of them are animal or mineral substances. In Australia, practitioners will not prescribe animal substances if it is not necessary and will seek alternative options. Clinically, Herbal Medicines are often prescribed in formulae, which may combine a few ingredients, and served in the form of granule powders, pills, or raw herbs, with variations for individual requirements.

Although some substances can be found in our daily life, such as ginger and cinnamon, Herbal Medicine can act in the body as powerfully as pharmaceutical drugs and should be administered with the same caution and respect. Often the diseases grouped under the same modern medicine name can be diagnosed as different TCM patterns based on a unique diagnostic system. For example, a fever can be diagnosed as Wind Heat, Wind Cold, Yin Deficiency, Qi Stagnation, Damp Heat and other patterns, and will be treated with different formulae accordingly. Qualified practitioners will be able to identify and prescribe the most suitable Herbal Medicine. For this reason, it is important that you do not share your prescription with others and do not self-prescribe or repeat the prescription without consulting your practitioner.