The term “herb” is something of a misnomer. A more accurate term would be “Medicinal Substance.” Most of the medicinal substances used in Chinese Medicine are plant based, and include things like seeds, roots, leaves, barks, etc. These things are what most people think of when they hear the term, “herb.”

These plant based herbs, however, are not the only medicinal substances used in Chinese Pharmacology. Other commonly used substances include minerals, shells, resins, and even some animal parts (such as gelatins, bones, exoskeletons, etc.).

At The Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture, we use over 200 different medicinal substances that are known to be clinically effective in the treatment of infertility and reproductive disorders. Sometimes herbs are used in combination to help strengthen or enhance the properties of another group of herbs. Other times, substances might be used in combination to help to restrain or limit the effects of some other herb.

For these reasons, herbal substances are rarely prescribed alone. Instead, they are almost always combined into formulas. An herbal formula is a collection of several individual medicinal substances that are mixed together. Each formula is carefully crafted to enhance and balance the effects of the formula’s individual constituents, and produce the maximum therapeutic effect. Most of the formulas used at The Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture contain between 10 and 30 individual herbs.