Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a system with over 2,000 years of recorded practice. It organizes health and plant medicine through a framework of qi (vital energy), yin and yang, the five elements, and a network of meridians. The primary classical herbal text is the Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica), compiled by Li Shizhen in 1578, which documents 1,892 medicinal substances.
About This Tradition
The earliest systematic TCM text is the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine), compiled between 300 and 100 BCE. It established the theoretical foundations: qi as vital energy, the relationship between yin and yang, and the five element model (wood, fire, earth, metal, water), each corresponding to specific organ systems and functions. The Shennong Bencao Jing, compiled around 200 CE, was the first dedicated materia medica, classifying 365 medicinal substances into three grades based on toxicity and use.
Li Shizhen's Ben Cao Gang Mu (1578) remains the single most influential TCM herbal reference. It took 27 years to compile, covers 1,892 substances with 11,000 formulas, and is detailed enough to include dosage ranges, regional names, and clinical case observations. Modern TCM practice builds directly on this text.
A defining characteristic of TCM is its emphasis on formulas over single herbs. Classical formulas typically contain four to twelve herbs, with a chief herb (jun), deputies (chen), assistants (zuo), and envoys (shi) that together produce an effect none could achieve individually. Patent formulas in pill or granule form are widely used today.
Key Principles
- Qi: The vital energy that flows through the body via meridians. Health depends on qi flowing freely and in sufficient quantity. Herbs are used to tonify (build), move, or regulate qi depending on the pattern of imbalance.
- Yin and yang: Complementary qualities. Yin represents cooling, moistening, and nourishing. Yang represents warming, activating, and transforming. Herbs are classified as yin-nourishing or yang-tonifying.
- Five elements: Wood, fire, earth, metal, and water each correspond to organ pairs, seasons, flavors, and tissues. Herb selection takes these correspondences into account. Sour taste enters the liver (wood), bitter enters the heart (fire), sweet enters the spleen (earth), pungent enters the lungs (metal), salty enters the kidneys (water).
- Meridians: Channels through which qi flows, each associated with a specific organ. Herbs are said to enter specific meridians, directing their action to particular parts of the body.
- Pattern differentiation: TCM diagnosis identifies patterns of imbalance (for example, kidney yang deficiency, liver qi stagnation) rather than Western disease categories. The same symptom may require different herbs depending on the underlying pattern.
- Formula structure (jun-chen-zuo-shi): The chief herb addresses the primary pattern. Deputy herbs reinforce or broaden the chief's action. Assistant herbs moderate side effects. Envoy herbs harmonize the formula and guide its action to specific meridians.
Herbs in This Tradition
22 herbs in this database are associated with TCM practice. Chinese herb names are noted where relevant.
- Burdock: Niu bang zi; seed used to clear heat and toxins from the body, particularly for throat infections and skin conditions with heat patterns.
- Cinnamon: Rou gui (bark) and gui zhi (twig) are both used. Bark warms the kidneys and fortifies yang; twig circulates qi and warms the channels. Used for cold patterns in the lower body.
- Dandelion: Pu gong ying; clears heat and toxins, used for hot inflammatory conditions, mastitis, and liver heat patterns.
- Dong Quai: Dang gui; the primary blood-building and blood-moving herb in TCM. Used for menstrual irregularities, blood deficiency patterns, and pain from blood stagnation. Found in many classical formulas including Ba Zhen Tang (Eight Treasure Decoction).
- Eleuthero: Ci wu jia; qi and yang tonic for the spleen and kidney; used for fatigue, impaired immunity, and as a general adaptogen. One of the most studied TCM tonic herbs.
- Fo-Ti: He shou wu; kidney and liver tonic used to nourish jing (essence), support hair and scalp health, and tonify blood. Prepared (processed with black bean) and raw forms have different applications.
- Frankincense: Ru xiang; activates blood circulation and moves qi; used for pain from blood and qi stagnation, particularly joint pain, chest pain, and traumatic injury.
- Garlic: Da suan; used in TCM to warm the stomach, resolve food stagnation, and as an antiparasitic and antimicrobial herb.
- Ginger: Sheng jiang (fresh) and gan jiang (dried) have distinct actions. Fresh ginger warms the stomach and lungs, releasing the exterior. Dried ginger is stronger, used to warm the middle jiao and restore collapsed yang.
- Ginkgo Biloba: Bai guo; traditionally used in TCM for respiratory conditions, particularly wheezing and excess phlegm. Modern use focuses on cerebrovascular circulation, supported by clinical evidence.
- Ginseng: Ren shen; the most important qi tonic in TCM. Tonifies yuan qi (source qi), strengthens the spleen and lung, generates fluids, and calms the mind. Found in dozens of classical formulas. Korean red ginseng (processed) is warming; fresh ginseng is more neutral.
- Gotu Kola: Ji xue cao; used to clear heat and toxins, promote wound healing, and calm the mind. TCM use overlaps with Ayurvedic use but is framed through the heat-clearing action category.
- Hawthorn: Shan zha; used to resolve food stagnation, particularly from meat and fatty foods; also used for blood stasis patterns and cardiovascular conditions.
- Horny Goat Weed: Yin yang huo (Epimedium); tonifies kidney yang, strengthens sinews and bones, and is used for low libido, impotence, and joint weakness from yang deficiency.
- Licorice: Gan cao; the most commonly used herb in TCM formulas, primarily as an envoy herb to harmonize the other herbs. Also tonifies the spleen qi and clears heat when used in larger doses. Raw (sheng gan cao) and processed (zhi gan cao) forms have different actions.
- Motherwort: Yi mu cao; invigorates blood, regulates menstruation, and is used for blood stasis patterns causing menstrual irregularity and postpartum abdominal pain. Also calms the heart for palpitations.
- Mugwort: Ai ye; warms the channels and stops bleeding; used for cold patterns in the uterus causing menstrual pain and irregular bleeding. Also burned as moxa to warm acupuncture points.
- Patchouli: Huo xiang; used in TCM to transform dampness and harmonize the middle jiao; standard herb for digestive complaints with a damp-cold pattern, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in summer.
- Rhodiola: Hong jing tian; tonifies qi, activates blood, and clears the lungs; used for altitude sickness, fatigue, and respiratory conditions. Its use in Chinese mountain communities predates its adoption in Western adaptogen research.
- Tribulus: Ci ji li; calms the liver, anchors yang, and expels wind; used for headaches, dizziness, and eye conditions from liver yang rising. Also used for urinary stones.
- Turmeric: Jiang huang; moves qi and blood, used for pain from blood stagnation, particularly in the chest and shoulder. TCM use emphasizes its blood-moving action more than its anti-inflammatory properties.
- Wild Yam: Shan yao; tonifies spleen and stomach qi, nourishes lung yin, and tonifies kidney essence; used for deficiency patterns with fatigue, loose stools, and excessive urination.
Common Preparations in This Tradition
- Decoction (tang): The standard preparation. Herbs are simmered in water for 20-45 minutes, often with specific instructions about which herbs to add first or last. Most classical formulas are written as decoctions.
- Patent formulas (wan/pian): Pre-made pills or tablets based on classical formulas. Widely available and convenient; used when a person fits a classic pattern well.
- Granules: Concentrated extracts of classical decoction formulas in powder form, dissolved in hot water. Common in modern TCM practice as a substitute for raw decoctions.
- Tinctures and liquid extracts: Less traditional but increasingly used, particularly in Western TCM practice.
- External applications: Liniments, plasters, and soaks using herbs that move blood and reduce pain; common for musculoskeletal injuries.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are under the care of a health care provider or taking prescription medication, check with your provider before using any herbal supplement.