When you imagine herbal medicine, what do you see? Many people assume that herbs will be provided in a dried plant form, and that they’ll need a mortar and pestle to grind them up. But this is not the case for Kampo!
In this article I’ll dispell that myth, and you will learn three other facts about Kampo herbal medicine.
Your herbs come in granule form
Herbs are provided in a granulated form, rather than a bunch of raw materials. The herbs are in pouches that are easy to open and prepare.
This makes Kampo herbs:
- Ideal for long term use
- Convenient for travelling; and
- Much nicer tasting than teas produced from raw herbs
There’s no preparation required
Because your Kampo herbs are supplied in granule form, there’s no need to crush or grind or otherwise prepare your herbs ahead of time.
Simply mix your granule formula in a cup with hot water and drink!
The optimal intake time is 20-30 minutes prior to eating, or taken up to an hour after a meal.
You can stick to your regular routine
When we work together, a large part of the intake process deals with asking questions to understand your dietary needs. Unless otherwise directed, you can continue to follow your regular diet when taking your Kampo herb prescription.
If you are taking herbs to help with digestive issues, raw and sour foods should be avoided along with large amounts of fried food.
We will also discuss how your herbal formulae can be taken with any normal prescription medication, or if there are any combinations we need to avoid. This is an important reason why exploring herbal medication should only be done with the guidance of an experienced practitioner.
Relief is often quick, but not instant
In many cases your herbal formula will have a quick action in alleviating your ailment, but it doesn’t happen immediately.
The action can be subtle, and changes will only reveal themselves over a few days of use.
Remember to be patient and stick with taking your prescribed formulae as directed. We’ll discuss your results again during our follow-up session.
Learn more
This article has only touched on the very basics about Kampo herbal medicine, but I wanted to cover some of the most common questions I am asked as a herbal practitioner. I hope you have found it helpful!
To learn more please see my Kampo herbal medicine page. If you would like to book an appointment at my Toronto practice, please get in touch.
About Daniel
I am a practitioner of traditional East Asian medicine based in Toronto, Ontario. You can find more about me on my bio or learn more about the treatments I offer.
As always, thanks for reading!
– Daniel (T’agyol) Adler