Herbal Medicine
The most ancient of all complementary medicines going back thousands of years. Herbal medicine remains the primary form of medicine for 80% of the world population.
Many conventional drugs are derived from plants: Valium (originally from Valeriane), Digoxin (from the foxglove plant), Aspirin from the willow bark etc.
A number of other complementary disciplines use plants as remedies: Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, Ayurveda. Registered herbalists are well versed in the biochemistry of herbs and their potential interaction with pharmaceutical drugs.
Herbalists prepare individual formulas, usually at the end of a consultation. Up until recently,
many 'off the shelf' formulas were available in healthfood stores. The EU
directive which came into effect in the Spring of 2011 will, in time, severely
restrict access to many herbal remedies. However, these remedies will still be
accessible through private consultations with professional
herbalists.
Statutory regulation of medical herbalists has been promised
by the government for 2012 which will be a great help.