About Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine is a type of healing using plants and plant sources to treat illness and injury rather than using modern pharmaceutical drugs. Considered an alternative healing method in the United States today, herbal medicine has been in use throughout the world for thousands of years.

Significance

• Herbal medicine and alternative healing have become more popular because of the concern over immediate and long-term side effects of using pharmaceutical drugs. In recent years, many studies have been conducted to validate traditional uses of herbal medicine.

Types

• The two most popular types are Western herbal medicine and Chinese herbal medicine. While the various herbs and plants used in these types of herbal medicine are very different, the basic principles of using plant constituents to assist in and speed up the body's natural healing processes are the same.

Benefits

• Many herbs contain vitamins and minerals and are used not only as a source of medical treatment but also as a source of nutrition and a preventive of many common ailments. Herbal medicine is often packaged as nutritional supplements that can supply valuable nutrients needed for healthy organ function.

Features

• Herbal medicine encompasses a large number of plant parts such as flowers, leaves and roots to produce a wide range of effects, from overall body effects such as relaxing or energizing, to localized effects such as disinfecting wounds or relieving pain and inflammation.

Warning

• Some herbs can have strong effects on the body and organ systems or cause reactions in some people with sensitivity to plant allergens. Check with your doctor if you have any concerns over the safety of an herbal medicine or if you plan to take a specific herb over an extended period of time.