Herbal Medicine gets to the core of the 'Imbalance or Disharmony'
The practise of herbal medicine offers the sufferer not just relief from symptoms but an improved standard of general health and vitality.
Dis-ease is simply a reflection of the fact that the body is out of balance. Symptoms of a disease occur as an attempt by the body to restore that balance.
It is therefore important to discover where the underlying disharmony has arisen in the body e.g. digestive system, cardiovascular system etc. When one sees a patient suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure), the root of the problem may be the liver which, when congested, will cause impedance to blood flowing through this region resulting in back pressure. As this pressure builds up there is increasingly a strain on the heart leading to inefficient functioning. Another common cause of hypertension is tension and stress. When stress occurs there is general contraction occurring all over the body. A similar impedance to blood flow will occur.
Commonly in herbal medicine, a practitioner will use a herb or herbs to relax normal striated muscle which is under conscious control together with a herb to relax smooth muscle which lines blood vessels, the intestine, uterus, respiratory bronchi, urinary bladder and the eye and is not normally under conscious control.
Since herbs are, by definition plants, they should be looked at as an extension or refinement of a healthy diet. It is also important to realise that they will not work in a vacuum. Good nutrition is paramount. So much of today’s food in the west is refined, processed and preserved leading to a loss of vitamins, minerals and trace elements and many other enzymes and important components that make food nutritious. Then to add insult to injury chemical colourings, preservatives and other additives are thrown in for good measure. Did you know, for example, that bread can contain up to 38 permitted additives including bleach to make it nice and white.
Works on all levels of well-being: Emotional, Physical and Spiritual
Some of the many conditions that can be helped using herbs together with appropriate changes to lifestyle and diet are: Anxiety/Stress, Depression, Emotional issues, Immunity, Women’s problems, Arthritis/Gout, Irritable bowel, Skin conditions, Candida, Allergies, Asthma and Bronchitis
Herbal remedies do not have the aggressive and invasive action of modern drugs. Instead, they provide the necessary trace elements, vitamins and medicinal substances in a harmonious whole to return a sick person to full health.
I find it very reassuring that the majority of herbs used today have been in use for centuries or even thousands of years. No modern clinical trial of a new drug can match this.
Furthermore, scientific research into the action of plants confirms many of the ancient beliefs concerning the medicinal properties of many herbs.