About herbal medicine
Why herbal medicine?
What is it about herbal medicine that makes people want to train in it? And what makes people want to consult a herbalist when they have health issues?
Herbalism is very much a part of our history. One doesn’t have to go back many generations to discover a time when most families contained a member who knew how to treat a range of the most common ailments successfully, using herbs available locally. As with so many things, we have now outsourced this skill and in so doing, many of us have lost the ability and the confidence to deal with those common (mostly straightforward) health problems that occur during every day life. But that sense of connection with plant medicine is very recent in evolutionary terms, so it is not surprising then, that using medicinal herbs to support health appeals to many of us.
Why herbal medicine from the herbalist’s perspective?
Herbal medicine, “the art or practice of using herbs and herbal preparations to maintain health and to prevent, alleviate, or cure disease” (Merriam-Webster, 2018) is the traditional medicine of all cultures. The World Health Organisation estimates that 80% of inhabitants on Earth rely on traditional medicine as their main source of healthcare. For the other 20%, plant products play an important role in health management. Using herbs as medicine has and continues to be a universal human practice and has formed the basis of sophisticated medical systems for millennia. There is no doubt that medicinal herbs are a healing resource.
Medicinal herbs contain naturally-occurring biochemicals that are known to impact the human body on a physiological level (just one example being digoxin from Foxglove, which affects heart function). Mainstream science has, for understandable reasons, favoured identifying and utilising individual active constituents with which to make medicine. This does not, however, respect the complex relationship between numerous plant constituents (that enhance, inhibit or otherwise modulate one another) and their actions on human physiology. In practising herbal medicine, we involve the whole herb in treating the specific individual in front of us, with all the synergies that brings with it.
Herbalists have, whilst welcoming the understanding that scientific enquiry provides, always necessarily taken a holistic view to using plant medicine, accepting that some things cannot be explained by the deconstruction of their component parts. The complexity of human biology is reflected in the complexity of medicinal herbs, which have, after all, evolved together. Many herbalists hold the view that medicinal herbs work by improving function to enable the body to heal itself, for example, by improving elimination of metabolic waste, upregulating immune function, supporting liver function, nutrient absorption or cardiovascular function. To achieve this requires detailed understanding on the part of the herbalist, both of the person they are treating and the medicinal herbs they using.
The real magic is in the combination of helping fellow humans, practising with scientific and medical rigour whilst connecting with the natural world and the plants themselves. I grow or forage and then process many of herbs I use. And from them, I make the most appropriate form of medicine, be that tincture, tea, syrup, capsules, cream, ointment, suppository or pessary (and so on) for my clients. This enables me to not only have a direct relationship with my clients, but also with the herbal medicine that I prescribe to them. This is a hugely rewarding process.
Why herbal medicine from the client’s perspective?
The client also benefits from the focus of the herbalist on treating the whole individual. They benefit from the use of complex plants, containing numerous active constituents that influence human physiology, both in ways that are scientifically understood and in ways that are not yet scientifically understood.
The client can be assured they will receive bespoke herbal prescriptions that aim to treat their precise health situation. Herbal prescriptions are not generic. Certainly, there are themes and patterns for which specific herbs naturally lend themselves, but the combination of herbs used will be unique to each client’s health picture and each client as a person.
Herbal medicine is safe when practised by trained herbalists and has been shown in numerous clinical trials to be effective. It is exceptionally rare for medicinal herbs to cause side effects and when they do occur, side effects tend to be mild.
Trained herbalists are able to recognise and avoid prescribing herbs that may interact with conventional medicines taken contemporaneously. We are also able to work alongside the client’s GP, consultant or other health practitioner to ensure the best standard of all-round care possible.
Working with a herbalist also opens up the possibility of the client being able to take control of some aspects of their own health in ways that are enjoyable, enlivening and that encourage connection/reconnection with the natural world. This, in itself, has potential health benefits.
What to expect from an appointment
Initial appointments can take anything from 1-2 hours and the herbalist seeks to understand the client’s current health issue in the context of the whole person, including their full medical history, nutritional status and lifestyle. A physical examination may also be relevant, including taking blood pressure. This enables the herbalist to gather all the information they need to help them address the underlying causes of the problem as well as providing symptomatic relief.
Follow-up appointments allow the herbalist to continue to ensure that the advice given and the herbs prescribed precisely fit the client’s evolving health situation.
What health problems can herbal medicine help to address?
The approach of the herbalist is very much person-centred and there are very few health issues in relation to which herbal medicine cannot be of assistance.
Governance
Many herbalists choose to be members of governing bodies that require certain standards of training and continuing professional development to be upheld. It is worth checking if the herbalist you are interested in working with is registered with a governing body. Of course, membership of a governing body does not guarantee you a good herbalist. Equally, not being registered with a governing body does not mean a herbalist is necessarily a bad one. When working with any professional, especially when it comes to health, it is worth satisfying yourself as to their appropriate qualifications and it is equally important to trust your instincts..
Questions
Asking questions is important. If a client or potential client has any questions at all about their treatment specifically or more generally, they should feel able to ask the herbalist and they are entitled to expect to receive a satisfactory response. If this is not your experience, then check in again with your instincts about the professional treating you.
References available on request.
