This means that if you are receiving herbal treatment for a cold, the herbs prescribed will not only cure the sniffles and clogged sinuses, but will also work to boost the immune system and help soothe the sore throat and raw nose which are the after effects of a cold. However, this does not mean that the properties and benefits of herbs and allopathic or chemically-produced drugs are interchangeable. Western medicine assumes that if a herb works, its task is to isolate the key ingredient and duplicate the component in a laboratory, making it more powerful and at times, more dangerous than the original natural component. Besides, Chinese herbal medicine has the ability to prevent illness. While modern medicine works on cause and effect, Chinese herbal medicine works on the belief that a person need not have to suffer if he can prevent getting sick in the first place.
Herbalists rely recommend only herb for a condition as illnesses have many symptoms.
The combinations are complex and the mix depends on how each ingredient interacts with the others. The chemical interaction between Major, Supporting, Assisting and Conducting herbs is what makes Chinese herbal medicine unique. The Chinese use the characteristics of the four seasons to explain herbal properties. Each herb has its own action which is the effect it has on the human body and mind. The properties of the herb are also disclosed by its taste.