The Practical Herbalist

Herbal Treatment Strategy

Herbal medicine, when applied properly is about a strategy of treatment. Marketing companies and supplement makers often fool the public into thinking that a particular herb is for a particular medical condition. This unfortunately is not the case and can lead to some serious problems.

Herbal medicine is less about a particular disease, but rather is about how to help the body cope with particular situations. Herbal medicines are prescribed based on what are the signs and symptoms of the patient, rather than a marketing or biomedical disease definition. Properly prescribed herbal medicines need to be re-evaluated and altered as the condition of the patient changes. There is no one size fits all mentality in proper herbal medicine.

An example is the treatment of cancer. There are instances where cancer patients are hurting themselves with herbs. What is often not understood is how herbs should be applied based on where the patient is in the progression of the disease. Many classic herbs that are marketed for cancer are really herbs that cool the fire of cancer growth, disperse energy and pain out of the system as a way to help the body to overcome the cancer. Sometimes this can help, sometimes the body is not strong enough to clear the cancer even with help. Unfortunately patients will often turn to these harsh herbs after chemotherapy or radiation when their systems are weak and failing. At this point, the patient needs nourishing and supportive herbs to help the system recover, not harsh herbs that disperse more energy out of an already weakened system.

As with all medicine, learn, and understand where you are getting your information from. A marketing company should not be the source of medical information, especially when your health is at stake.