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Granules are easy to measure and carry, but convenience does not decide suitability. Christine looks at your health, your medicines and your reasons before any herbal product is proposed.

A neat bottle of herbal granules can seem like the simplest possible way to look after yourself. It measures easily, travels well and needs no cooking. Convenience, though, does not decide whether a product suits you. That still depends on who you are, what else you take and why you are seeking care.

A health decision in a tidy container

Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, who works with Chinese herbal formulas in Freshwater, dispenses them as granules in labelled containers. She encourages people to give each bottle the same thought as any other medicine. Ingredients act on the body and may interact with other things you use, however friendly the packaging appears.

Starting the conversation

When you raise the idea with Christine, it helps to explain:

• why you are interested, and what concern brought you in;
• every medicine, supplement and herbal product you currently use;
• any health conditions, pregnancy or upcoming surgery.

Questions to ask her

1. What is being proposed for me, and why?
2. Which written instructions apply to my preparation?
3. How and when will the plan be reviewed?
4. What should I do if I feel unwell while taking it?

Her answers will depend on your own circumstances, which is exactly the point.

Your formula is yours alone

A friend or relative may have a bottle at home and offer to share. Please decline. A formula chosen for one person's history is not a guide for anyone else, even when symptoms sound alike.

Staying organised

Keep the product name, directions and review date with the original bottle. Update Christine if your medicines change, and let your GP and pharmacist know about the herbal product. Any new symptom you are unsure about is worth a call to her, rather than a guess about whether to take more or less.

A thoughtful choice

Leaving a consultation without a herbal product is just as sensible an outcome as leaving with one. Christine cares about what fits your situation, not about how many bottles go home with you. Bring your questions and any current products to the Freshwater clinic and start from there.