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What is Herbal Medicine?

Herbal medicine can take many forms – raw herbs which you need to brew up yourself, powders, pills and tinctures. Which type of herbal medicine you choose may depend on a number of issues, including the severity of your condition, convenience and taste.

Powders, pills and tinctures (as a group I will call these “patents”) are very convenient and for that reason are widely used.

Most conditions lend themselves well to the use of patents and, depending on the quality of the preparation, there is usually not too much of a difference in the effectiveness as compared with raw herbs that you brew up yourself. However, not all patents are created equal. Quality varies widely and it is extremely important to choose a high quality patent. Lesser quality patents may be contaminated with heavy metals and microbes, may contain adulterants such as steroids or other western drugs, or may simply not even contain the herbs they claim to contain. Do not assume that if the herbs are being sold in NZ then they are of a high quality – customs and MAF check for endangered species and forbidden herbs but neither of them do any checks on heavy metals, microbial contamination etc. so even sub-quality herbs can easily be imported. As these products are being prescribed to the customer by a practitioner and are not for sale over the counter, they are not subject to the same regulations as products you find in a health store. Therefore it is really important that you look into the quality of what you are being prescribed yourself.

Centre of Balance are the sole distributors in NZ for Sheng Foong brand herbal formulas and powders.

We chose this brand because of its high quality and we have been to Taiwan to visit the factory. Sheng Foong runs an ISO17025 certified laboratory and subjects all products to strict quality inspections before being released to market. Products meet or exceed most national health and safety standards and are currently sold across Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Australia. Many brands of herbal preparations pass GMP or ISO 9001/2000, but this is not the same as being tested in an ISO17025 laboratory. GMP is not an international set standard and the GMP guidelines vary in every different country, moreover they are only a set of general principles to be observed during manufacturing, not a prescriptive way of doing things. ISO 9001/2000 requirements are generic and are intended to be applicable to all organizations, regardless of type, size and product provided.   ISO/IEC 17025:2005 specifies the requirements for the competence to carry out tests and/or calibrations, including sampling. It is applicable to all organizations performing tests and/or calibrations. These include, for example, first-, second- and third-party laboratories, and laboratories where testing and/or calibration forms part of inspection and product certification. So as you can see, it is much more important for herbal products to be tested in an ISO17025 laboratory than it is to meet ISO 9001/2000 requirements.   Sheng Foong has not only passed GMP and ISO 9001/2000, but it runs an ISO17025 certified laboratory and subjects all products to strict quality inspections before being released to market. Another thing that we love about Sheng Foong is their huge range. When we make up a prescription for a patient, it is always tailor made for that patient. The formula will likely contain a base formula or two and then the addition of various other single herbs that we feel that patient needs. Sometimes we just make the formula up entirely from single herbs. Some brands of patents have a limited range (especially when it comes to single herbs) which forces practitioners to try to fit what they have available to what the patient needs – it might not be quite right but they just have to make do as that is all that is available. We have over 40 different Sheng Foong formulas and over 60 different Sheng Foong single herbs in stock, so the likelihood is that we have exactly what you need. If you would like more information on Sheng Foong herbs and their quality control please feel free to visit their website: www.shengfoong.com

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.