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Specialty

Chinese Herbal MedicineMateria Medica and Formulas

«The needle moves; the herb replenishes.»

6 modules
33 lessons
10 hours

The other half of Chinese medicine. How a plant is described in the language of Chinese medicine (the four Qi, the five flavors, channel tropism), the nine major categories of the materia medica, the Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi architecture of a formula, the twenty classical formulas that anchor practice, and real-world safety: interactions, hepatotoxicity, pregnancy, and product quality.

By the end, you will know how to

  • Read the profile of any Chinese herb and know what it does and where it acts.
  • Recognize the nine categories of the materia medica and their leading herbs.
  • Break down a classical formula into emperor, minister, assistant, and envoy.
  • Modify a base formula to fit a specific patient.
  • Spot the interactions and risks that mean you should not prescribe.
  • Divide the work between needle and herb in the same case.

RequirementsAcupuncture I, or equivalent knowledge of Yin-Yang, Wu Xing, the vital substances, and Zang-Fu.

Syllabus

01

The language of herbs

Before the first herb: how Chinese medicine describes what a remedy does.

  1. 1What Chinese herbal medicine is (and what it isn't)15′
  2. 2The four Qi and the five flavors18′
  3. 3Channel tropism, direction, and tendency16′
  4. 4Toxicity, processing (Pao Zhi), and quality18′
  5. 5Dosage forms: from decoction to granules16′
02

The materia medica

The nine major categories, with the key herbs of each and their full profile.

  1. 6Releasing the exterior (Jie Biao Yao)18′
  2. 7Clearing Heat (Qing Re Yao)20′
  3. 8Purging and warming the interior17′
  4. 9Dampness, water, and Bi pattern18′
  5. 10Phlegm, cough, and dyspnea17′
  6. 11Regulating Qi and resolving food stagnation16′
  7. 12Moving Blood and stopping bleeding18′
  8. 13Calming the Shen, pacifying the Liver, and opening the orifices18′
03

The tonics

Bu Xu Yao: the star category of modern herbal medicine, and the one most often misprescribed.

  1. 14Tonifying Qi and Yang19′
  2. 15Nourishing Blood and Yin18′
  3. 16Astringents and antiparasitics15′
04

Building a formula

From the single herb to the prescription: the part that truly sets Chinese herbal medicine apart.

  1. 17Jun, Chen, Zuo, and Shi: the architecture18′
  2. 18The classical formulas you need to know24′
  3. 19The practice formulary22′
  4. 20Modifying a formula18′
  5. 21Prescribing: dose, preparation, and regimen17′
05

Beyond the decoction

The other three ways a plant enters treatment: the plate, the skin and the local herbalist.

  1. 22Chinese dietetics (Shi Liao)20′
  2. 23External use: washes, compresses, and plasters17′
  3. 24A bridge to Western herbalism19′
06

Safety and clinical practice

The part that separates a professional from someone selling herbal teas.

  1. 25Interactions, liver, and kidney20′
  2. 26Pregnancy, breastfeeding, childhood, and older adults17′
  3. 27Clinic I: digestive and respiratory19′
  4. 28Clinic II: gynecology, Shen, and pain19′
  5. 29Clinic III: dermatology19′
  6. 30Supportive care in oncology19′
  7. 31Integrating needle and herb (and using Fitoki)17′
  8. 32Integrated clinical case25′
  9. 33Final exam · Chinese Herbal Medicine28′