What Is Herbal Medicine?
Herbal Medicine is the use of remedies derived from plants to treat disease. It is the oldest and still the most widely practiced form of medicine in the world today.
Western Herbal Medicine is based on our traditional medicinal heritage using native plants, although throughout the years, medicinal plants have been introduced from around the world for their particular and valuable therapeutic effects. The balance of active constituents contained in each plant has been found to impart specific and individual actions on the body. Some plants have a particular affinity to certain organs or systems and a herbalist will use this knowledge to help to restore the body back to its optimum balance and health. Why Choose Herbal Medicine? Medical Herbalist learn to treat the body, mind and emotional wellbeing as a whole. They recognise that each person is an individual with varying constitiutional differences. For example, some people tend to suffer from dry and hot, irritable conditions, others from cold, damp congested conditions. The treament that each person recieves will be based upon the recognition of those differences. To illustrate, the treatment of a condition such as hay fever may be treated by different herbs for different individuals depending on the requirements of a persons constitution and how the condition is affecting them. Although many herbs are recognised for their abilities to treat a particular condition, a herbalist knows the subtle differences between the medicinal properties and actions of each one and is able to choose the herbs that will be the most effective for the individual person. 
Please make sure that you consult a registered Medical Herbalist before taking any over the counter Herbal preparations. An usuitable preparation could be ineffective or at worse, hazardous to your health
| What Can Herbal Medicine Do For You?
Herbal medicines can be used to help almost any condition that a patient may take to a General Practitioner including; chronic and acute conditions, stress and anxiety, respiratory conditions, digestive problems, muscle and joint aches and pains, childhood complaints, skin conditions, urinary conditions, menopausal menstrual and fertility problems. What Can You Expect When You Visit a Medical Herbalist? A practitioner of herbal medicine is trained in the same diagnostic skills as orthodox doctors, but take a more holistic approach to illness. A typical treatment plan will follow an initial consultation that will last approximately an hour, in which the herbalist will take a thorough medical history from the patient to enable a full understanding of the person as a whole. Clinical examination may be carried out to establish a working diagnosis. The treatment plan will be discussed with the patient and may include diet and lifestyle advice with herbal medicines, which is typically a combination of several herbs prescribed and combined for the individual person.
Medicines may be in the form of liquid fluid extracts or tinctures, syrups, dried herbs to make teas or decoctions, creams, ointments, oils or lotions as appropriate, depending on the individual circumstances.
A follow up appointment is usually carried out two to three weeks later, with subsequent appointments if required, at two to six week intervals as appropriate to the individual
circumstances.
Janet Hall BSc (Hons) MNIMH
Member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists www.nimh.org.uk   
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