What does a Medical Herbalist do?
The same as a family physician — similar books, similar training, similar tests — except that we use herbs and natural therapies instead of drugs and surgeries. The Medical Herbalist is a Healer, meaning that he works through natural means to improve health and well-being while they, the medicos, typically suppress symptoms. We are at completely opposite ends of the health-care spectrum. Further, herbalists have moral constraints: no animal experimentation; only health-promoting treatments; tried & true practices proven over hundreds of years; and the use of simple, natural (not exotic) substances. So, the same but different. The Medical Herbalist is not in the medical paradigm but the Alternative-health paradigm.
Medical herbalists undergo a 4yr science degree training which includes similar diagnostic training as doctors. They try to have an holistic approach by identifying the underlying cause or weakness. Symptoms may be treated to ease pain or discomfort but the treatment will also be aimed at the cause and helping the body to restore it’s own health and vitality. As our food supplies us with the nourishment we need, herbs can be used to ‘fine-tune’ the body helping to support and restore its balance and harmony. A Western Medical Herbalist should have the following letters after their name – MIIMH (Member of the Irish Institute of Medical Herbalist) and /or MNIMH (Member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists). These professional bodies ensure that their members have undergone adequate training and follow a strict code of professional ethics. In my practice I try to use herbs that are organically cultivated or harvested in a sustainable manner. I also try to encourage people to re
The body has tremendous powers of self-healing, rather than using this herb for that condition, the art of herbalism involves using plant medicines to improve health by helping the body to heal itself, perhaps by providing nutrients, or removing the obstacles to healing. Even mild herbs, particularly when carefully combined, can have powerful effects when used appropriately, improving health and resistance to disease. Therefore, during a consultation the herbalist aims to find the underlying causes of ill-health. Current health concerns will be discussed in detail, and past medical history, family history, diet and lifestyle and current medications will all be considered before an individualised prescription of plant medicines is produced. A first consultation may last about one hour. A prescription produced in this way means that the medicine can be prepared in a form suitable for anyone of any age. Herbal medicines are usually prescribed in the form of alcohol extracts (tinctures), b
