Janet Hall MNIMH Consultant Medical Herbalist, Aromatherapist, Reflexolologist.

Janet Hall BSc (Hons) MNIMH Consultant Medical Herbalist, Clinical Aromatherapist and Reflexologist In Ayrshire and Glasgow Member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists

What Is Herbal Medicine? Herbal Medicine is the use of remedies derived from plants to help in the management of disease. It is the oldest and still the most widely practiced form of medicine in the world today. Herbal Medicine, is based on our traditional medicinal heritage. 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 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 constitution will govern how a condition affects them and the treament that each person recieves will be based upon the recognition of these differences. For example, the treatment of a condition such as hay fever may mean runny eyes and nose and dry itchy skin for some, while in others, there may be congested sinuses and hot, throbbing headaches. Although the condition may be medically recognised as the same, in herbal medicine it will be treated by prescribing herbs based on the requirements of a persons constitution and the symptoms that they experience. Although many herbs are recognised for their abilities to treat particular conditions, a herbalist knows thesubtle differences between the medicinal properties and actions of each and will choose the herbs that will be the most effective for the individual person. Enquiries for any medical condition or treaments are welcome and can be submitted by using the form found under the 'contact us' tab at the top of this page. Looking forward to hearing from you. Janet See the newsletter link for informaton on specific disorders, including; Hay fever and allergies, Female menstrual difficulties and Managing Cholesterol.     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 manage 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. It is the aim of the herbalist to treat the whole person and not a list of symptoms. What Can You Expect When You Visit a Medical Herbalist? Medical herbalists, believe that it is important to assess and treat the body and mind as a whole to enable the healing process to be more effective and long term. Therefore, 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 look for signs of underlying conditions or to help to establish a working diagnosis. A practitioner of herbal medicine is trained in the same diagnostic and clinical examination skills as orthodox doctors, taking the same exams (OSCE). 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 The Natural Health Service 123 High St Glasgow G1 1PH 0141 552 4420 www.nimh.org.uk