Western herbal medicine involves using plants and plant material to create medicines to help prevent or treat various illnesses. These materials may use some or all parts of a plant, such as flowers, roots, fruits, leaves, and bark.
This system of medicine evolved mostly from the ancient Greeks, who were strongly influenced by Egyptian and Middle Eastern civilizations. Western herbal medicine also has roots in the indigenous practices of the British Isles and ancient Roman traditions. Well-known historical physicians including Hippocrates and Galen are thought to have used herbal medicine in their practices. The use of various herbal formulas is one of the oldest and possibly the most widespread form of medicine.
There are many different “types” of herbal medicine that spring from different cultures around the world. All these have the use of medicinal plants in common, but they vary in the plants they use, the way they are prepared or applied, and the philosophy of their treatment approaches.
In Australia the most commonly found cultural types of herbal medicine are Western, Aboriginal, Chinese and Ayurvedic (Indian).
Medicinal plants contain a large number of naturally occurring chemicals (constituents) that have some type of biological activity. Herbs work in a similar fashion to many pharmaceutical preparations. In fact, some pharmaceutical medicines are still obtained from plants, examples being the heart medication digoxin derived from foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), the malaria medicine quinine , which is extracted from the bark of the cinchona tree, and the pain medicine morphine produced from the opium poppy.
Indeed, herbs of the Western herbal medicine tradition are the subject of increasing interest in the medical community. Research is currently being conducted in the use of medicinal herbs for various medical conditions and is increasingly being validated by scientific investigation which seeks to understand the active chemistry of the plant. Two well-researched herb are garlic for the potential treatment for high blood pressure, and turmeric, as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and gall bladder support.
Despite research often using single active constituents of the herb, Western herbalists, however, believe that herbs should be used in their complete form to ensure the balance of constituents contained in the plant is utilised. They consider that herbal remedies are of most benefit when used to treat chronic, ongoing conditions, mostly without the unwanted side effects that are often seen in conventional pharmaceutical treatments. Nevertheless, it should be realised that herbs can be very potent and, if used incorrectly, can cause serious adverse effects. They are also generally no quick-fix.
Furthermore, some herbs can affect how your body responds to your prescription or over-the-counter medication, by either increasing or decreasing their effect. For example, St John’s wort can interfere with birth control pills, and gingko biloba can increase your risk of bleeding with anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medicines. It is therefore paramount that you go to see a qualified naturopath or herbalist like Celia, and not self-prescribe.
Some of the suggested purposes of herbal medicines are to improve or as a general support of digestive, respiratory, circulatory, immune, endocrine, and nervous system processes, as well as purportedly removing waste and toxins from bodily cells or topically to promote healing of the skin.
