Herbal Medicine

The members of this group are trained in medical sciences as well as botany and analytical techniques and although they work in a more conventional manner they only prescribe herbal medicines.

The general use of herbs goes back to the dawn of history, and written records have the Chinese and Greeks utilizing herbs 3000 years ago.

Today’s modern pharmacological medicines owe a lot to the active ingredient of traditional herbs that often been extracted and then synthesized. Herbal medicine is at variance with this, as the art of prescribing herbs will often include a mediating action within the herbs to prevent the body over reacting.

What happens when I visit a Herbalist?

Firstly the practitioner will take a detailed case history of your problem, paying attention to the small details that are often overlooked. They may take blood pressure and pulse rates and will check what pharmacological drugs you are taking as well as getting a general understanding of your lifestyle and habits.

The Herbalist will then try to find which organ or system is under stress and malfunctioning, causing the problems. They will then explain to you how they see the problem that you are experiencing in terms that will be easily under stood. They should then set out how they propose to address the problem and explain which herbs they intend using.

What form will the herbs be in?

Herbs can be used in a variety of different ways. In some cases the Herbal extract is used, while in other cases an infusion (the dried herb steeped in boiling water) is more appropriate and this can be drunk as a tea. If the herb is to be used topically (on the skin), then it is commonly dispensed in a neutral base such as vegetable oil, lanolin or aqueous cream.

Will I be cured straight away?

Since many of the problems dealt with by Herbalists are either of long standing, or are the culmination of many year’s problems, it is unlikely that a single visit will completely ‘cure’ any problem. What the Herbalist will be doing is getting the body’s organs to function as they normally should and once that has occurred then the bodies own homoeostasis (its ability to return to normal) will begin to occur and the person will begin to return to health.

For example a lot of skin problems have their origin in liver congestion, and if the liver is unable to cleanse the blood then the skin is often the next means of getting rid of unwanted body products. Treatment for the skin problem will inevitably have to include support and treatment for the liver itself if the results are to be more than just temporary.

Can Herbs be used for sick children?

Herbs are a gentle means of treating sick children. If the mother is breast-feeding then the mother can take some appropriate herbs herself and the medicinal effect will be passed on through the breast milk.

If the child is a little older then it may be appropriate to use infusions (teas), often sweetened with licorice, or the herbal extract itself may be able to be administrated. Some herbs may be made into lozenges that may be sucked (horehound used for coughs is a good example).

Are the herbs you use the same as the ones in my garden?

Although some of the herbs that are used are the same as you would find in the kitchen garden, such as parsley or garlic, in general if the herbs are to be used medicinally they will be in a form that makes them operate most efficiently.

For example if you are taking herbs for a sinus problem, it may be the most efficient way to us the herbs as an inhalation. That is to soak the herbs in boiling water and breath in the steam, which is carrying the active part of the herb, to assist the nasal area to get back to normal.

Other conditions require the herbs to be in an extract form, which means the active ingredient of the herb has been extracted using alcohol and in some cases pressing, and is then filtered before use.

Where do most of the herbs come from?

While it is true that we can grow herbs in New Zealand, the best herbs for medicinal purposes usually come from the hot dry areas of the world, especially from around the Middle East.

Some of the specialty herbs are grown specifically in the country of origin, and care must be taken that the herb that is obtained is the herb required. Ginseng is a herb in question, as the Chinese variety is quite different in action to the Korean type, even though they are both Ginseng.

It is also important to obtain the extract of the part of the herb that is required, for instance Dandelion root is a gentle liver herb, but the leaves have very different actions and are used for fluid retention problems.
As the demand for herbs and herbal products continues to grow, it is unfortunate that the price for the more desirable herbs reflects their scarcity and there is no doubt that in the near future many of the best herbs will become unobtainable.

Is taking herbs safe?

As with any thing that we eat or drink, if taken to excess the problems may arise. This includes water, where an over consumption can deplete the body of the very minerals that it needs for every day living.

If the herbs are taken as prescribed by a competent and well-trained Herbalist, herbal treatment is one of the safest medicinal systems available to people.

One of the features of herbs is that within their complex chemical make up they usually contain both stimulatory and suppressive components. This means that the herbal action may both excite and calm down the body as the herbs begin to work. An example of this is Hawthorn (Crataegus) that may be used both to lower hypertension and to improve low blood pressure because it has a tonfying and amphoteric action on the heart and cardiovascular system.

 

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