Rootworth is the online herbal arm of a clinical practice that has operated since 2005. It is not a replacement for in-person care. It extends the practice to two situations: people who cannot come into the office, and patients already in a course of treatment who need a re-exam or their next course of herbs without driving in.
Key takeaways
- A licensed practitioner reads every intake. Michael Woodworth, M.S., L.Ac. (California-licensed) — not a questionnaire algorithm, not a sales team.
- The formula is written and compounded for you. Custom concentrated granule extracts prepared by the practice and shipped directly — never a premade product resold under a new label.
- The method is classical. Patterns are read through the Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui Yao Lue, and the plan is revised at each re-exam as the pattern moves.
01 · Credential
Who reads your intake, and what licence do they hold?
Every Rootworth intake is read by Michael Woodworth, M.S., L.Ac. — a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist under the California Acupuncture Board, with a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine and more than twenty-five years of continuous clinical practice. California licenses acupuncturists through its own board examination, and in California the acupuncture license is the credential that covers Chinese herbal prescribing.
Rootworth is the online herbal reach of that same practice. The clinic that holds your records is Makari Wellness, Michael's in-person practice running since 2005 — one practitioner, one HIPAA-compliant record system, two reaches of the same practice. You can verify the license on the California Acupuncture Board's public lookup, and read the practitioner's training on About.
02 · The telehealth intake
What does the online intake involve, and how long does it take?
There is no live, timed appointment. The intake is asynchronous telehealth: you create an account in the clinic portal, choose initial exam (first time being read) or re-exam (already in a course of treatment), and complete the questionnaires. For most people the intake takes thirty to forty-five minutes, photos included; answer the initial history thoroughly — the depth of your answers sets how precisely the pattern can be read.
Alongside the questionnaire you attach a tongue photo in natural light and anything that helps the reading: recent labs, imaging or OCT reports, a medication list, symptom notes. The review begins when your questionnaires are submitted, not at a scheduled time. If Michael needs clarification before writing the formula, he messages you through the HIPAA-compliant channel in your clinic account.
What comes back is a written plan, not just a jar of herbs: the pattern as it is read now, what the formula is built to do and in what sequence, and a week-by-week map of what to expect. See what a plan contains, section by section, with a sample →
03 · Who compounds the formula
Who compounds the formula — is it a premade product?
No. Your formula is a custom compound — not a stock blend, not a category formula, not a patent tea-pill relabelled. After the reading, Michael writes the formula for the specific pattern your intake reveals, and the practice compounds it from concentrated powder extracts (granules), each single herb or classical base measured to the gram for your dose, then ships it to you with written preparation and titration instructions.
Granules are used deliberately: they are the second-highest grade of herbal preparation after raw decoction, shelf-stable in sealed jars, and — unlike boiling raw herbs for an hour several times a week — actually taken consistently. Consistency is what makes a formula work. Raw herbs remain the choice for severe acute presentations, and that is a conversation for the intake.
Custom formulas always come from the practice and cannot be sourced elsewhere. When functional-medicine supplements are part of a plan they are recommended by name, form and dose; you may fill them anywhere, or through the practice's Fullscript dispensary as a convenience. How to take a granule formula →
04 · Classical method
What method is the formula written by?
Rootworth formulas are written from the classical texts — the Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage) and the Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet) — using the Six Conformations and Eight Principles to place a presentation in a pattern, and the ICEAM clinical framework to hold that reading against a modern chronic case. This is different from the post-1950s standardized approach most practitioners are trained in, which matches symptoms to protocol formulas.
The practical difference is that classical pattern-level reading can hold a complex, long-running presentation — a fertility case with three overlapping diagnoses, a degenerative eye condition, an autoimmune picture — where symptom-protocol matching cannot. The plan names the pattern in those terms, and each re-exam re-reads it. Classical versus modern TCM training → · The methodology underneath the formula →
05 · Sourcing and testing
Where do the herbs come from, and are they tested?
The concentrated extracts the practice compounds from come from three practitioner-only granule manufacturers: Evergreen Herbs, Classical Pearls, and Legendary Herbs. Each supplier tests its own products and publishes its own testing methods — see each supplier's site for the specifics rather than taking our word for it. Rootworth does not use consumer-market patent pills or unverified bulk material.
Herbs are dispensed as dietary supplements under U.S. law. Each formula ships with the herb list and dosing so you and your other providers can see exactly what is in it, and any herb that is contraindicated with a medication you take is left out at the writing stage — which is why the medication list in your intake matters.
06 · Where we can work with you
Where can Rootworth treat you?
Rootworth is available to patients in every US state. Michael is licensed by the California Acupuncture Board, and the telehealth model was built for anyone who cannot reach the Oceanside or San Diego clinic — distance, schedule, mobility — and for existing patients between in-person visits. Rootworth formulas are dietary supplements, and the practice assesses and treats Chinese medicine patterns, not medical diagnoses — which is what lets the same intake serve someone in Maine as readily as someone in San Diego. Rootworth does not provide acupuncture online, does not bill insurance, and is not an emergency service.
Re-exams are closer together while the pattern is still moving; once the formula is dialed in, patients check in every 2–3 weeks. The recommended course is three months — a season: long enough to notice significant change in how you feel and function, and some patients also see changes in lab markers over that span. Herbs are adjusted at each check-in if the pattern has shifted, refilled if it has not.
07 · Cost
What does an online custom herbal formula cost?
The initial intake is $150, charged when Michael begins reading your completed questionnaires (it appears on your statement as Makari Wellness). That fee includes the intake examination and pattern assessment, your first custom formula with the first seven to ten days of herbs shipped, and your first follow-up re-exam after you have taken it.
After that, refills are herbs plus shipping only; a formula revision includes a $50 re-exam. Herb cost varies with the ingredients and, mainly, the weight — your daily dose and number of days set how much formula you receive. Because there is no exam room and no live appointment, the whole arc costs a fraction of in-office care. Full detail and the acknowledgment step are on the intake page.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an online custom herbal formula the same as buying a formula from an online apothecary?
No. An online apothecary sells premade, fixed-recipe products. At Rootworth a licensed practitioner reads your full intake, writes a formula for your pattern, and the practice compounds that formula from concentrated extracts and ships it. Nothing is stocked in advance, and the formula is revised at each re-exam as your pattern moves.
Do I need a live video appointment?
No. Rootworth is asynchronous telehealth. You complete the intake questionnaire, attach a tongue photo and any records, and the practitioner reads it when it is submitted. Clarifying questions and follow-up move through the HIPAA-compliant messaging channel in your clinic account, so there is no scheduled call to keep.
Can I use a Rootworth formula alongside my medical care?
Classical herbal medicine is used alongside, not instead of, your physician's care. Bring current medications and diagnoses into the intake so the practitioner can account for them; keep your prescribing doctors informed; and continue any monitoring they have ordered. Rootworth herbal preparations are dietary supplements and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Can Rootworth work with me outside California?
Yes. Rootworth is available to patients in every US state. The formulas are dietary supplements, and the practice assesses and treats Chinese medicine patterns rather than making medical diagnoses, so the intake works the same wherever you live. Rootworth does not bill insurance and is not an emergency service.
What happens after the first formula?
The first re-exam is included with the initial intake. After that, refills are herbs plus shipping only, and formula revisions carry a re-exam fee. Once the formula is dialed in, patients check in every 2–3 weeks, and the recommended course is three months — a season — with the written plan updated at each check-in.
Ready to begin?
Begin your intake
Classical pattern assessment. Custom formula. Shipped to your door.
Begin intake formRootworth herbal preparations are dietary supplements. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your physician or licensed healthcare provider before beginning any herbal or supplement protocol.