Ananda Mahony
NaomiTreating chronic pain...Herbal Medicine
October 23rd 2006 11:24
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is a system of medicine that uses plants to cure and prevent disease.
There are about 350,000 species of known plants in the world; 10,000 of those are used for their medicinal properties. There is possibly many undiscovered medicinal plants that we are not yet aware of.
The practise of using plants to heal goes back as far as man himself. Animals eat certain kinds of plants when they feel unwell; especially dogs.
It was through trial and error that man discovered the healing benefits of specific plants. Records of plants being used as medicine go back as far as 60,000 years ago to the times of The Assyrian King whose grave revealed a tablet engraved with 350 drugs from vegetation, However, the Chinese are probably the most noted for their sophisticated records and in depth knowledge of herbal medicine.
When trated by a herbalist every patient receives their own unique treatment. Similar to the principles of Homeopathy, the herbalist creates a medicine to treat the patient as a whole; not just the disease.
The dosage is low and there are rarly side effects. The patient is encouraged to make a complete lifestyle change in order to encourage the body's natural defenses to produce the desired effects. Improvement is noticable within hours after taking the remedy and the patient is usually cured of chronic symptoms within days of commencing the treatment.
Here are some common ailments and their suggested herbal remedies:
Asthma: aniseed, celandine, elder, flower, fennel, hyssop infusion, liquorice root, valerian
Blood pressure: mistletoe
Bronchitis: comfrey
Stings and bites: (externally) horseradish, tea tree oil, lavendar
Menstrual problems: ladies mantle tea, mistletoe, rose hips
Toothache: oil of cloves, elder(held in mouth), tansy
Sore throat: stinging nettle (gargle)
Flatulence: caraway, tincture of cardamom, charcoal biscuits, fennel, garlic, tumeric
Fatigue: acrimony, marjoram, peppermint, rose hips, yeast tablets
Remember to seek the advice of a medical proffessional before taking any herbal medication. It is important to ensure that the herbalist has credentials
to support their ability as a reputable practitioner.
Resources
Aternative medicine by Dr. Andrew Stanway
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