Herbal medicine is the use of plants, flowers and minerals for healing. Herbs are highly specific in their actions and possess diverse qualities and properties to target different aspects of an ailment. Herbs are classified as hot or cold, bitter or sweet, and more. When your illness is warmer in nature, cooling herbs are appropriate. As an example, let’s take the common cold. Your cold may have heat signs, such as fever, yellow phlegm and a sore throat. So, your herb formula would include herbs of a colder nature to clear the heat from you. From this simple example, you can see how herbal formulas are specifically tailored to the individual needs of each patient. Herbs come in many forms, most popularly pills and teas. When used correctly under the guidance of your TCM practitioner, they are generally safe and rarely have side effects.