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Why should I come to your rather than my Doctor?
There is no reason why it has to be an either or decision. As a qualified herbalist I am trained to take into account the medications that your GP has prescribed. There may be unpleasant side effects from your prescription medications. With the support of herbal medicine you may be able to reduce the amount of prescription medication you may need to take and hence reduce the adverse effects.
How do you ensure the quality of your herbs?
Where possible I always use organically produced tinctures (& in some instances biodynamically) & organic dried herbs for my teas. I have personally met many of my suppliers and I trust their knowledge of herbs and expertise in the process of tincture making. Most of my suppliers are qualified herbalists themselves.
What evidence is there that herbal medicines is effective.
Unlike allopathic medicince, where a single drug is used to treat a condition, herbal medicine is tailored to the individual and a combination of herbs may be used. It is thus difficult to conduct clinical trials of a herb for a condition. However evidence is emerging that herbal medicine is effective. For instance an article in the BMJ entitled Herbal medicines: where is the evidence? (BMJ 2000;321:395) concluded that an increasing body of evidence is now emerging from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised clinical trials. These suggest that some herbal medicines are efficacious.
Is herbal medicine safe?
Yes in the hands of a qualifed herbalist herbal medicine is safe. A qualified medical herbalist will always prescribe herbal medicines that are appropriate for the patient and at correct doses that will be both safe and effective. They will also obtain herbal medicines from reputable manufacturers where there is complete traceability, standardisation of production and quality systems that ensure correct species identification. Qualified Herbalists will develop individual formulations for their patients, often liaising with other health care providers
What is the difference between other forms of Herbal Medicine &Western Herbal Medicine?
Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM), Ayurveda and Western Herbal Medicine have different paradigms to describe and treat ill health. However Western Herbal medicine, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda have much in common, in that they all seek to restore harmony and vitality to the body.
How does herbal medicine differ from homeopathy?
Although many Homeopathic remedies originate from herbs they differ from herbal remedies in that they are so diluted that they contain no discernable phytochemical constituents.
Have I treated a particular condition? As a herbal practitioner I treat people not diseases as not everyone experiences a disease in the same way. To say I treated a particular condition suggests that for each condition one should follow a particular protocol. As a herbalist I instead follow a set of guiding principles that are tailored to each patient. |