Herbal therapy is a broad term used to refer to any type of healthcare treatment using fresh or dried herbs. The use of herbs may take the form of supplements, fusions or teas, tinctures, topical creams and poultices. Herb therapy may also include the creation of a healing steam that is scented with various combinations of herbs.

While the origins of herbal therapy are unknown, just about every culture has used herbs as a means of dealing with different physical and emotional illnesses. Perhaps the most ancient documented form of this type of therapy is found in the healing traditions of China. Grounded in Taoist beliefs and principles, Chinese herbal therapy incorporates the use of many different types of herbs in caring for the sick. While in some cases, a single herb is used in the therapeutic treatment, it is not at all unusual for several herbs to be combined in order to prepare medicine for a specific ailment.

One of the strengths of herbal therapies in general is that the use of herbs helps to provide the body with essential nutrients that may be lacking in the daily diet. When the body does not receive sufficient nutrition, various types of aches, pains, and emotional disorders begin to appear. By using herbs to restore a nutritional balance, the body is equipped with what it needs to overcome illness and regain health.