Q I'm not exactly sure what a tonic herbal medicine (boyak) is. Does it just make you healthier if you take it?
A A tonic (boyak) is a formula that replenishes deficient qi (energy), blood, yin, and yang in the body to boost its self-healing capacity. Since what is lacking differs from person to person, you need a customized prescription after pulse diagnosis for it to work properly.
Detailed Answer
In Korean medicine, a tonic (boyak) is a formula that replenishes deficient qi, blood, yin, and yang to enhance the body's innate recovery. When qi is deficient you feel weak; when blood is deficient you feel dizzy; when yin is deficient the body becomes dry and feels hot; when yang is deficient the body feels cold and digestion suffers. What is lacking differs from person to person, and even the same fatigue can have different causes.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang Korean Medicine Clinic, a tonic is a customized prescription that first identifies the current excess and deficiency of qi, blood, yin, and yang through pulse diagnosis, then precisely replenishes what is lacking. A tonic that does not suit your constitution can actually burden the body, so we do not recommend taking one without pulse diagnosis.
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