I first discovered Herbal Medicine over 20 years ago, by way of Aromatherapy and through my own search for self-cure. After practicing Aromatherapy for a couple oF years I remember thinking to myself one day, “If essential oils can achieve this externally, imagine what the whole plant can achieve internally!”
Humanity has come to a place in evolution where we are beginning to realise that there is a need for the orthodox and Natural Medicine worlds to join forces for the overall benefit of the patient. Herbal Medicine has so much to offer and many doctors are beginning to witness the need to understand how herbal medicines and other complementary therapies can help people on their journey to whole health.
Who Uses Herbal Medicine?
According to one specialist, the WHO (World Health Organization) stated that approximately 80% of the world’s population uses herbal medicine in some form and in some part of their primary health care. Infants, toddlers, children, adults, the elderly and animals can all take herbal medicine. Pregnant women under supervision can also take herbal medicine. Certain remedies promote a healthy full-term pregnancy, reduce the likelihood of hemorrhaging during birth as well as reduce the likelihood of post natal depression.
The Herbalist’s Philosphy
The herbalist’s philosophy comprises the fact that humans, like plants, are biologically complex. This means that to achieve a long lasting medicinal benefit with few or no side effects, a plant with its complex active principles will be utilised by the body more easily than a single isolated drug. A major aspect of the philosophy of the Medical Herbalist is in the treatment of the person as a whole, rather than treating mere symptoms in an isolated part of the body. Herbalists use the whole herb. In fact, use of the whole herb is the very foundation of herbal medicine. We know that the whole part of a plant be it the berries, roots or leaves etc, is the most powerful part of the plant, in its entirety, having a gentle but long lasting affect.
|
J We are called Medical Herbalists due to the many hours involved training in anatomy and physiology, biochemistry and clinical medicine. Many of these subjects are taught to us by Medical Doctors. |
“An herbal tonic has a non specific regulatory and restorative effect on the organ it addresses…It is ok that we are unscientific – there is not a pharmacological explanation for why every single herb has the healing activity that it does. From the older system of orthodox medicine, a whole body tonic was essential in addressing the vitality, immune function and general well-being of a person.” Denis Stewart, God Father of Herbal Medicine, Australia.
A similarity of both orthodox and herbal medicine is that they both work at a bio-chemical level within the human body. Many orthodox medications are synthesized, copying active phytochemical constituents from plants. Perhaps the most famous example of this is aspirin, which was originally isolated and refined from the white willow herb (Salix species).
Conditions For Herbal Treatment
A whole range of digestive complaints respond very nicely to herbal medicine, as do fatigue and immune-related disorders. Herbs have a particular affinity to the female reproductive organs (period pain, endometriosis, fibroids etc) and there are certain herbs which shrink enlarged prostrates and strengthen weak and failing kidneys, normalise cardio-vascular function and blood pressure, clear a fatty liver and reduce cholesterol. I have seen herbs benefit serious lung infections and clear symptoms of hay fever and sinusitis. Herbal detoxification programs including juice fasting, can be taken yearly in order to prevent inherited diseases. Why wait until you are ill? My favourite clients are those whom are generally quite healthy and wish to remain so.
Miriam conducts face-to-face, phone, skype and faceTime consultations.