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Herbal-Therapy
- The Guide to Herbalism, Herbal Medicines and
Natural Herbal Therapies.
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal
practice based on the use of plants and plant
extracts.
Herbalists
use the leaves, seeds, flowers, bark,
stems, berries, and roots of plants to
prevent, relieve, and treat illness. Many regard
these herbal treatments as experimental, however
the reality is that herbal medicine has a long
and respected history. Numerous familiar medications
of the twentieth century were developed from ancient
healing traditions that treated health problems
with specific plants.
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Modern
medicine has its roots in the use
of herbs. It is only within the last
fifty years that science has isolated
the medicinal properties of a large
number of botanicals, and have extracted
and analysed their healing components.
Many plant components are now synthesised
in vast amounts. For example, vincristine
(an antitumor drug) and digitalis
(a heart regulator) were both originally
discovered through research on plants.
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In
recent years we have seen a significant growth
in popularity of herbalism often
as part of an alternative/ complementary form
of health care. People are
recognising that the use of herbal
therapies is an effective and relatively inexpensive
form of health care, they can see the advantages
of using totally natural products that have
been popular for many centuries.
Herbal
remedies make use of wholly natural products
and therefore they are less likely to cause
the side effects often associated with modern
drugs.
Herbal
therapy is a general term used to refer to
types of healthcare treatment that uses fresh
or dried herbs. The use of herbs can take
the form of herbal baths, herbal capsules,
herbal compresses, supplements, tinctures,
fusions or teas, topical creams and poultices.
Often Herbal therapy can include the use of
a healing steam that is scented with various
combinations of herbs. The majority of prescriptions
for treatment in herbal medicine will actually
be mixtures of herbs, plant extracts and other
organic substances, rather than just strictly
one herb for every disorder, disease, and
illness.
Herbal medicine is used to treat many conditions,
such as asthma, eczema, premenstrual syndrome,
rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, menopausal
symptoms, chronic fatigue, and irritable bowel
syndrome. Herbal supplements are best taken
under the guidance of a trained health care
provider. Be sure to consult with your doctor
or pharmacist before taking any herbs
Herbs are utilised in more than a quarter
of the alternative therapies for treatment
after diagnosis. Herbal medicine constitutes
a large part of what is practiced as traditional
medicine around the world although Traditional
Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, and Western Herbal
Medicine all have distinctly different systems
of herbology.
Herbalists, chiropractors, naturopathic physicians,
pharmacists, medical doctors, and practitioners
of Traditional Chinese Medicine all may use
herbs to treat illness. Naturopathic physicians
believe that the body is continually striving
for balance and that natural therapies can
support this process.
Many
drugs in common use today originate
from plants and herbs.
Some examples are:-
•Aspirin |
from
white willow bark and meadow
sweet plant |
| •Atropine |
used
to treat irregular heartbeats
- from belladonna leaves. |
| •Colchicine |
used
for gout - from autumn crocus. |
| •Digoxin |
the
most widely prescribed heart medication
- from foxglove, a poisonous plant. |
| •Ephedrine |
is
used to widen or relax the airways
- from the ephedra plant. |
| •Morphine
& Codeine |
potent
narcotics - from the opium poppy. |
| •Paclitaxel
(Taxol) |
used
to treat metastatic ovarian cancer
- from the yew tree. |
| •Quinine |
a
drug for malaria from cinchona
bark. |
| •Vinblastine
(Velban) and vincristine
(Dncovin) |
anticancer
drugs - from periwinkle. |
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"Herbs
won't replace pharmaceuticals, but the
research shows that--for many conditions--herbs
work well, are cheaper than drugs and
cause fewer side effects,"
Mary Hardy, M.D., medical director of
the integrative medicine program at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. |
Herbalism
is also known as:-
- botanical
medicine,
- medical
herbalism,
- herbal
medicine,
-
herbology, and phytotherapy.
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Some
Basic Definitions.
Herbal
medicine
-
The study or use of medicinal herbs to prevent
and treat diseases and ailments or to promote
health and healing.
-
A drug or preparation made from a plant or
plants and used for any of such purposes.
Herbalism
- The
medical use of preparations containing only
plant material.
study and practice of using plants to treat
ill-ness and promote health.
Herbalist
-
One who grows, collects, or specializes in
the use of herbs, especially medicinal herbs.
Herbal
-
Of, relating to, or containing herbs
- A
book about plants and herbs, especially those
that are useful to humans.
When
using a herbal medicine these simple rules should
apply
- Consult
your doctor first
- Avoid
taking a bigger dose than the label recommends
- Take
it under the guidance of a trained medical
professional
- Be
especially cautious if you are pregnant or
nursing
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