Chinese Herbal Medicine & Phytotherapy

Chinese herbal phytotherapy at Institut Celostní Medicíny involves individually tailored herbal formulas drawn from both the Traditional Chinese Medicine materia medica and European botanical medicine. MUDr. Strnadelová combines her training in TCM phytotherapy with knowledge of locally grown European medicinal plants to compose formulas specific to each patient's diagnosis. Rather than prescribing standardised supplements, she formulates custom herbal blends that address the patient's pattern at organ, energetic, and constitutional levels — adjusting the prescription at each follow-up based on response.

Chinese herbal medicine is the pharmacological arm of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the most complex of its clinical disciplines. Where acupuncture works through the body's energetic pathways, herbal medicine works biochemically — delivering active compounds that modulate inflammation, support organ function, regulate hormonal pathways, and rebuild depleted physiological reserves. The TCM approach assembles formulas from multiple herbs rather than prescribing single-herb remedies, because combinations produce synergistic effects and allow the formula to simultaneously address the primary pattern, secondary complications, and the patient's underlying constitutional weakness. At Institut Celostní Medicíny, MUDr. Strnadelová's phytotherapy practice integrates the Chinese herbal materia medica with European phytotherapy — locally growing plants such as calendula, elderflower, yarrow, nettle, and St John's wort that are part of the Czech and Central European botanical medicine tradition. This dual tradition allows her to work with a wider therapeutic palette and, where appropriate, source herbs locally rather than importing from Asia. The prescribing process begins with the EAV diagnostic examination and case history from the initial consultation. The EAV findings point to which organ systems are under stress and whether the pattern is primarily one of heat or cold, excess or deficiency, interior or exterior — the fundamental discriminations in TCM diagnosis. These findings inform both the choice of primary herbs and the supporting and harmonising herbs that round out the formula. Herbal prescriptions are adjusted at each follow-up consultation (typically 4–6 weeks apart) based on the patient's reported response and any change in clinical picture. This iterative refinement is one of the key strengths of the TCM approach: the formula evolves with the patient rather than being fixed. Conditions well served by Chinese herbal phytotherapy at this clinic include chronic respiratory conditions (asthma, recurrent bronchitis, sinusitis), digestive disorders (IBS, dyspepsia, liver and gallbladder dysfunction), hormonal and gynaecological conditions (irregular cycles, PCOS, perimenopause), skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis, acne), immune dysregulation (recurrent infections, allergies, autoimmunity), and metabolic conditions including thyroid dysfunction and metabolic syndrome.