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Treatment

The treatment of most ailments begins at home. Many people are almost unwittingly using herbal medicine in common household remedies like salt gargles for sore throats, hot lemon and honey drinks for colds and catarrh, chamomile tea for sleep, peppermint to settle the stomach, vinegar for wasp stings and dock leaves for nettle stings.

The more you can learn about simple remedies for minor ailments, which could be sitting in your larder, growing in your garden or wild in the hedgerows, the more opportunity you will have to treat the first signs of acute infections and minor ailments without the necessity of drugs such as antibiotics, and thereby help to prevent the development of more serious disorders.

Herbs used in this way make excellent preventive medicines and can enhance general well-being when taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and lifestyle. For more chronic or serious disorders it is advisable to consult a professional herbalist who uses herbs in the context of a holistic approach to healing, where physical symptoms are viewed in relation to other factors, including temperament, stress, social, domestic and working environment, relationships, diet, relaxation and exercise. All play a part in the emergence of an individual pattern of symptoms.

Who Consults a Herbalist?

Most people who consult a herbalist present with chronic disorders rather than acute symptoms. They may be seeking a more natural alternative or complement to allopathic drugs from their doctor for their disorder, that addresses causes rather than symptoms or they may have been treated unsuccessfully elsewhere. Frequently it is those whose symptoms do not fit into a classical “disease” picture or who have symptoms for which there is little in the way of allopathic medicine to remedy their situation. Allergies such as eczema, urticaria and conjunctivitis, and hormonal, nervous and immune problems are good examples of these. Often people come after years of coping with health problems, in which case it may take some time to return completely to health.

Plenty of exercise, rest and good food enhances wellbeing and makes preventive remedies more effective.

As people are becoming more health aware in the holistic sense, they are looking to “alternative” or “complementary” health models as a first line of treatment rather than a last resort. They may simply feel under the weather, tired or run down with vague symptoms, which they would like to understand and resolve before they progress further. In many cases they may just need to have time to talk, to be heard and understood, and to activate their own self-healing mechanisms with the support of a herbal practitioner. The role of the herbalist is often that of counsellor.

Herbal treatment can be taken alongside allopathic drugs in many instances and a herbalist will check for any possible herb-drug interactions before prescribing. For those with long term problems, such as cardiovascular and auto-immune disease, working with a herbalist will help improve general health, energy and “joie de vivre” so that the patient is better able to cope with their problems.

Scheduling Visits

Generally, medical herbalists do not hold open surgery, since appointments tend to be lengthy and so need to be booked in advance. First appointments are likely to last about an hour and follow up visits are thirty to forty-five minutes. Many herbalists operate a sliding scale of charges for the consultation and the herbal medicines prescribed, and for students, pensioners, the unemployed or those experiencing hard financial times fees may be reduced.

To illustrate, a patient who presents with chronic ear infections may not require antibiotics to provide an effective and lasting cure. Examination of past medical history may show that there is a history of digestive problems, eczema, asthma, or hay fever, and several courses of antibiotics that have been prescribed in the past. Further questioning may reveal chronically sluggish bowels, a tendency to bloating and abdominal discomfort, a high intake of milk products, white bread, sugary foods and drinks and not enough fruit and vegetables. It may be that stress has also played its part in compromising digestion and liver function. It is likely that the underlying problem here lies in the gut. Poor digestion and elimination suggested by the sluggish bowels and wind indicate that food is not being digested adequately, resulting in poor absorption, a low nutritional profile and some degree of dysbiosis (disturbance of the gut flora) leading to leaky gut syndrome and toxicity. A diet high in gluten, dairy produce, refined carbohydrates and sugar, tends to disturb the gut, lower immunity and cause accumulation of mucous and chronic congestion in the eustachian tube that leads from the throat to the ear, predisposing to ear infections. Courses of antibiotics further aggravate the disturbance of the gut flora and lower immunity, and the cycle continues.

Herbal teas may be prescribed as part of dietary changes, replacing caffeinated drinks that may aggravate health problems.

The herbalist would take time to make detailed dietary changes, recommending that the patient avoid dairy products and gluten, as well as refined sugar and carbohydrates, and eats more fresh fruit and vegetables (organic wherever possible) combined with culinary herbs and spices that help combat intestinal dysbiosis, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic, ginger, turmeric and pepper. The importance of regular aerobic exercise and the right balance of activity and rest would be discussed. Mental pressures and emotional difficulties would also be gently brought into the open as these play a large role in the digestive system and immunity. Then, the herbal prescription would be made. This could consist of herbs in the form of tinctures, teas, capsules or powders for internal use or creams, lotions, or oils for external application. A follow up appointment would be made to review progress, and the treatment may then be modified if necessary. It is always preferable if a patient continues treatment until they feel better or the herbalist has taught them how to continue caring for themselves adequately at home. The role of the herbalist is definitely one of educator.

Including garlic in a diet is one of the first steps towards combating intestinal dysbiosis.