Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs can support a wide range of health concerns, including digestive issues, stress and anxiety, sleep difficulties, pain and inflammation, hormonal imbalances, autoimmune or respiratory conditions, and fatigue. Unlike acupuncture, which primarily works externally on muscles, circulation, and nervous system pathways, herbs work internally to address root imbalances in your body’s energy, supporting deeper systemic change. Because each formula is personalized, it can be tailored specifically to your unique symptoms, needs, and health goals.

Chinese herbs come mostly from plants: roots, leaves, flowers, and stems. Some traditional formulas include small amounts of animal or mineral ingredients, but many today use only plants.

If you have allergies or follow a vegan lifestyle, I’ll always customize your formula to fit your needs.

Chinese herbs contain naturally occurring compounds that have measurable effects on the body. Research shows they can help regulate stress and hormone signaling, support immune function, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation and digestion. By gently influencing these interconnected systems, Chinese herbal medicine supports the body’s natural ability to restore balance and heal.

Yes. I source Chinese herbs through a trusted dispensary for licensed acupuncturists. All the herbs I provide are guaranteed to be heavy metal free and produced following strict good manufacturing practices to ensure safety and effectiveness.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a single herb (like turmeric or ginger) can be helpful, especially in teas or supplements. But true healing comes from carefully crafted formulas that combine 3 to 15 (or more) herbs in precise amounts. Each herb plays a specific role: addressing the root cause, relieving symptoms, guiding or balancing the other herbs, and supporting your overall health. This teamwork creates a powerful synergy that makes formulas effective for complex or chronic issues, something a single herb or low-dose supplement can’t achieve on its own.

Herbal formulas are typically taken: 2-3 times per day, the amount you take at each time will be specific to your case. These are the kinds I use the most:

• Granules: Concentrated Chinese herbs that have been decocted and then ground into a highly absorbable powder. Granules act quickly and allow for the most precise customization, which is why they’re my primary choice for most patients. They can be taken quickly with 4-6 oz of warm water or place the powder in your mouth and quickly swallow it down with a gulp of water.

• Capsules: Granulated herbs placed in gelatin or vegetarian capsules. Capsules are slower to take effect and offer limited flexibility for adjusting formulas. They must be ordered through an external online dispensary, which adds shipping time and cost. Because of these limitations and higher overall expense, I rarely recommend or prescribe capsules.

If you are consistently taking your herbs as prescribed, most people start noticing changes in their symptoms within a few days to a few weeks, with about 50% of improvement by the first month. Substantial progress on most chronic conditions often takes around 3–4 months of consistent treatment, after which we shift into a maintenance phase. As your health improves, formulas are adjusted or reduced every week so you’re taking only what your body truly needs. The focus is always on helping you reach balance—not keeping you on herbs longer than necessary.

It depends on your needs and goals. Acupuncture primarily works externally, targeting pain, muscle tension, and circulation, while herbal medicine works internally to address digestion, inflammation, hormones, and systemic patterns. Many people use both together for faster, more complete results, but herbs can also be very effective on their own. Your treatment plan will be personalized to what’s best for your body, your goals, and your lifestyle.

I don’t recommend it. The most effective way to take herbs is 2-3 times per day (depending on the formula), since this provides steady support for your body. If your schedule makes that difficult to accomplish 3 doses per day, you can divide the total daily dose into two larger servings (for example, morning and evening). While not ideal, this option is still effective and better than skipping doses.

Most common medications like those for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, mild pain relief, and antidepressants are generally safe to take with Chinese herbs. However, some medications, might need closer monitoring. In some rare cases, we might avoid using Chinese herbs all together to keep you safe. As a board-certified herbalist trained in pharmacology and herb–drug interactions, I carefully review your prescriptions.

Totally fine. For best absorption, herbs are ideally taken 1–2 hours away from food, coffee, and medications. That said, if separating them isn’t realistic, it’s fine to take them with meals, your morning coffee, or alongside your regular medications. There are no harmful interactions with the common medications we’ve reviewed together.

Yes. This is to ensure your formula stays safe, effective, and tailored to your current needs, each weekly refill or new herbal formula requires an herbal consult. This allows me to adjust your formula regularly based on how your body is responding.

No. Herbs in Chinese medicine are different from vitamins or supplements because they contain a natural mix of plant compounds that work together to restore balance, rather than supplying a single isolated nutrient. While vitamins usually replace something the body is missing, herbal formulas can both strengthen what’s depleted and reduce what’s overactive—often at the same time, but in different ways. They’re chosen based on your unique pattern and combined to support multiple systems at once, and in most cases, common vitamin supplements (ex. D3, magnesium, B12, probiotic, etc.) are completely fine to take alongside herbs.