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What is Medical Herbalism?

Herbal medicine is the original medicine, used by humans since prehistoric time. It is not surprising that such an important subject is the topic of some of the earliest written texts dating from 1500BCE. The use of herbs for health was, for our ancestors, a fundamental part of life, lived in harmony with the earth. Through close communion with nature our ancestors gained knowledge of the properties of plants.

The founder of modern medicine – Hippocrates drew on this knowledge, devising a system of medicine based on lifestyle and food, with herbs for medicine. It is only in recent time that herbs have been replaced by drugs;
not because herbs ceased to be effective but because drugs were more convenient for a lifestyle lived for the most part out of contact with nature.

In herbal medicine we use the whole extract of the plant. The medicines are prepared from leaves, roots, bark, berries and oils, organically grown where available. Our bodies are metabolically suited to consume plant material and therefore we tend to assimilate appropriately prescribed herbal medicine with minimal risk of side effects.

What is a Medical Herbalist?

You need to feel assured you are consulting with the right person about something as important as your health. You can be assured of a competent and professional service when your herbalist is a member of a professional body such as the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. Membership requires completion of a degree course, comprising a study of orthodox medicine alongside plant medicine, with practical training in the same diagnostic skills as a GP. A qualified herbalist may take your blood pressure, if necessary, can understand routine test results from your GP and will ask what other medication or supplements you are taking.

Institute members display the letters MNIMH after their name and are qualified to safely make and prescribe herbal medicines. When herbal medicine is prescribed following a consultation with a qualifed Medical Herbalist it can be taken safely alongside other medication and treatments for a wide range of ailments, without fear of adverse side effects.

The Treatment

Each herb has a range of constituents and actions and a qualified herbalist will be able to select a combination of herbs uniquely suited to your treatment.

Rather than fighting off disease, herbal medicine treatment is designed to help your body in regaining health. Your body has a natural tendency to heal and a herbalist’s work is to support that process.

The primary intention of the treatment is to address the root cause of your problem and thus bring longer term alleviation from dis-ease. Herbal medicine does also however have a wide application in the management of symptoms.

The Consultation

Initial consultations last 1 hour (cost £30), during which a full case history is taken. This is similar to seeing your GP but lasts much longer and may involve clinical examination, taking blood pressure etc. This allows the herbalist time to develop a picture of you and your health imbalance and to develop a treatment plan with you.

You will be prescribed a medicine and given appropriate advice on dietary, nutritional and lifestyle amendments to complement your treatment. Subsequent visits are charged at £20 and are scheduled periodically so the herbalist can determine your progress and make any necessary changes to
your  treatment plan and prescription.

The Prescription

Your prescription will be a unique mixture of herbs selected specifically for you and typically comprise a tincture to take internally. Tea, capsules, cream or ointment may also be prescribed.  Medicine costs range from £6 to £9 per week.

Who can use herbal Medicine

The practice of a qualified Medical Herbalist draws on thousands of years of experience and modern research to give you the best of both worlds. In qualified hands it can be used safely for babies, children, men, women and the elderly. For more information or to book a consultation just call or email.

Why consult a Herbalist?

Herbal medicine can be used to treat virtually any ailment for which you would go and see your GP. There are a variety of reasons you may wish to see a herbalist instead.

You may want a natural alternative to conventional medicine, with virtually no side effects. Perhaps your condition is complicated, or chronic, you may have been dissatisfied with your treatment elsewhere and are looking for an alternative.

Like many people you may feel it is not you but a disease that is being treated. You may have a nervous, hormonal or allergic complaint; you may feel misunderstood and need some time to talk. Listening is an important part of a herbalist’s job. A first consultation lasts one hour, during which time the herbalist gathers as much information from you as is necessary to formulate a working diagnosis and treatment plan.

You may be worried about, or be suffering from, side effects of a treatment; or you may have a minor problem and are concerned about using a powerful medicine. Perhaps you are faced with the prospect of long term medication and would prefer to try something natural, safe and gentle, without side effects.

You are free to self treat by purchasing herbal remedies over the counter, but a Medical Herbalist has access to a wider range of medicinal quality herbs and is qualified to diagnose, prescribe and dispense mixtures of herbs specifically to treat you. So you get better quicker and it costs less.

This naturopathic approach to health takes account of diet and lifestyle factors
and your herbalist will develop a holistic treatment plan to remedy imbalances
in your health.

What can herbal medicine treat?

In qualified hands Herbal Medicine can be used safely alongside or instead of conventional treatment for a wide range of common health problems.

The following is just a short list of the many common complaints for which herbal medicine may be used:

Allergies, asthma, acne, anxiety, arthritis, bronchitis, candida, catarrh, circulatory problems, colitis, constipation, cystitis, dermatitis, eczema, headache, heavy or painful periods, high blood pressure, indigestion, insomnia, irritable bowel, low fertility, low libido, menopause, migraine, neuroses, PMS, polycystic ovaries, prostatitis, psoriasis, recurring colds, thrush, tinnitus,  varicose veins

Modern life with increased stress and less exercise, poor nutrition from processed and lifeless foods, inadequate sleep and constant exposure to man made environmental chemicals are just some of the factors which disrupt our harmonious balance of health and let disease take over. These are a few of the factors which may need to be worked with to ensure progress on the road to recovery. A qualified medical herbalist will help you consider all these factors when working out a treatment plan.

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