Herbal medicine is the therapeutic use of plants to treat disease and enhance general health and wellbeing. Its use in healing pre-dates recorded history with origins throughout many cultures and civilisations.
In recent years, interest in herbal medicine has sky-rocketed, leading to greater scientific interest in its medicinal use. Many international studies have shown that plants are capable of treating disease and improving health while reducing the risk of the side effects often attributed to many pharmaceutical medicines.
How herbal medicine is used
Herbal medicine can be used in various forms to suit the needs of the patient.
It can be tailored to address the specific needs of the very young through to the needs of our aging population. It may be prescribed as a sole treatment or used in conjunction with other treatments.
As a combined treatment, it can support or help other treatments achieve their goal or it may be selected to aid the well-being and general health of an individual without interfering with the treatment goals of their current therapies.
Treatment using herbal medicine may be in the form of liquids, powders, teas, capsules or tablets and is prescribed in doses designed to meet the needs of the individual and the presentation of their condition.
All herbal medicines prescribed through this clinic have been approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA).
How are these herbal medicines different to what can be purchased over-the-counter?
This is an important question. There are many good herbal medicine products available over-the-counter and likewise there are many products that for various reasons do not offer effective therapeutic benefit. Caution must always be exercised when using herbal medicines as they can potentially interact with prescription medications or be harmful if used improperly. They should always be treated with the same care and respect as pharmaceutical drugs. It is important to speak with a health practitioner before commencing any herbal treatment.
As with any treatment, herbal medicine's success lies in identifying the root cause and understanding the process of the ‘disease’ or ill-health then matching the best herbal treatment to the individual and their presentation of the condition.
