Homeopathy is a non-Western oriented medical paradigm. This means that it does not ascribe to or follow the 350-year-old Cartesian scientific-philosophical idea that the mind and body are separate entities. Western medicine is based on such a model and therefore does not inherently use all the mind/body/spirit cues for treatment, whereas this is the foundation of homeopathic treatment. Homoeopathy is a system of therapeutics for treating people and animals on the basis of the simile principle. This means that agents which produce certain signs and symptoms in healthy individuals also cure those signs and symptoms in disease and that the more a drug is diluted, the more powerful it becomes. The word “homoeopathy” is derived from the Greek words homoios meaning like or similar, and pathos meaning similar, thus “Similia similibus curentur” - “Let likes be cured by likes”. The truth of this law has been verified experimentally and clinically for the last 200 years.

Let’s explain this by means of an example: If your child accidentally ingests certain poisons, you may be advised to administer Syrup of Ipecac to induce vomiting. Ipecac is derived from the root of a South American plant called Ipecacuanha. The name, in the native language, means “the plant by the road that makes you throw up”, and eating the plant causes vomiting.

When a group of healthy volunteers took the substance to determine the effect of this drug, they found that the drug induced other symptoms as well. The symptoms include: a mouth, which retained much saliva, a very clean tongue, a cough which was so severe that it lead to gagging and vomiting and incessant nausea. While it is expected that the vomiting would usually relieve the nausea, this was not the case.

Such an experiment, using healthy volunteers, is called a proving, and it is the homeopath’s source of information about the action of a drug.

Of what use could this plant be? If a person were suffering from a gagging cough after a cold, or a woman were experiencing morning sickness with incessant nausea that is not relieved by vomiting, then Ipecacuanha, administered in a minute dose, especially prepared by a homeopathic pharmacy in accordance with approved guidelines, can allay the “similar” suffering.

The origin of Homeopathy:

Homeopathy is a 200-year-old scientific medical system developed by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, a German born medical practitioner and innovator of his time.

Dr. Samuel Hahnemann was born in Meissen in 1755 and his father was a painter in porcelain. Times were bad but he was determined to be a doctor. He set off for Leipzig at the age of twenty with little money in his pocket, but with the ability to speak eight languages. By means of teaching and translating scientific articles he was able to support himself until he qualified. He then quickly rose to fame, and become known as one of the most distinguished physicians in Germany. However, he saw many faults in medicine as it was then practised and did not fear to make his views known.

He was a healer by nature and profession and had become discouraged by the barbaric medical practices used and widely held as “standard practice” of the day. Hahnemann began looking for new methods to cure his patients of their symptoms without using bloodletting or leeches. After years of experimenting with dilutions of different natural substances and a rigorous study of alchemy, Chinese medicine and Indian ayurveda, he developed a system whereby the energetically produced essences of substances found in nature could be diluted and then made harmless enough not to be toxic, and potent enough to cure the very symptoms these plants or elements would produce, if given in their molecular, undiluted form to any healthy individual.

He was asked to translate Cullen’s Materia Medica into German. Having practised in a swampy district, the prevalent “fever” (malaria) was known by Hahnemann to respond to cinchona bark (quinine). Hahnemann went on wondering how it did act and decided to take some cinchona bark himself. He was amazed to find that the developed all the symptoms of the “fever”, but without pyrexia. These symptoms disappeared when he stopped taking it. After an interval he tried it again on himself, and on some of this family. All produced the same symptoms, varying only in degree. Here was a strange phenomenon; a remedy that was effective for disease, which when given to a healthy person induced the symptoms of that disease. He went back to the ancient literature and found that Hippocrates and, after him, Paracelsus, mentioned that substances that produced symptoms could also cure them (Stanway, 1986:86).

The work of Hahnemann was similar to that of Dr. Jenner, whose concept of vaccination was developed around the same time period. A small amount of the disease is injected to produce antibodies against the same disease and boosts the body's immune system against the particular disease entity. Hahnemann's idea was much subtler though, because he diluted the disease byproduct, plant or element to a point beyond Avogadro's number (no molecular evidence of diluent in the solution.) The phrase “like cures like” describes the idea of a gentle non-molecular homeopathic “vaccination” so to speak. Jenner's work was widely accepted, but the more esoteric work of Hahnemann was met with understandable resistance: the advanced level of its basic scientific nature, which although clinically curative, would remain scientifically unprovable for the next two centuries.

Despite the adversity in the general medical community, homeopathy continued to grow in popularity as a clinical discipline. Its practice spread to the United States by the 19th century and flourished here. Toward the end of the century, some of the most renowned homeopaths in the world were practicing in America. By 1918, when the Spanish flu (filiform virus similar to hemorrhagic Ebola of today) was devastating the world population, the homeopathic cure rate ran approximately 96% as opposed to the allopathic cure rate, which was about 5%. Afterwards, the commissioners of health of five major cities were named from the homeopathic medical community.

In 1812, when the survivors of Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow drifted back across Europe, they brought the scourge of typhus fever. “Hahnemann’s fame was widespread and he achieved cures bordering on the incredible”. He healed 180 cases with only one fatality.

The cholera epidemic invaded Europe eighteen years later, and again his hypothesis was shown to work. One of Hahnemann’s pupils had only six deaths among 154 cholera patients. In the same town, of 1500 patients treated by the orthodox methods, 55% died.

Homoeopathy spread to Britain, and there was an attempt by the medical profession to have its practice forbidden by law. A cholera epidemic came to the rescue in 1854. When it was all over, the results of treatment in various hospitals were put before Parliament. Fortunately, a homoeopathic patient was there and asked why those of the homoeopathic hospitals had not been included, and demanded that they be procured. They came accompanied by a letter from the Government Inspector. The death rate was 16.4 % compared with 51.8% at other hospitals (these figures are confirmed in the British Museum’s records).

This recognition did not last for long. Within twenty years, due to political suppression and what appeared to be a conspiracy by the burgeoning pharmaceutical industry along with the American Medical Association, the six homeopathic medical schools were closed in favour of the allopathic medical approach and eventually nearly one hundred homeopathic hospitals were forced to close. By 1940, there were only a handful of homeopaths left in practice. Homeopathy did not meet this fate in Europe where it had begun nor in India where it flourished. It was not until the latter part of the 1970's that the discipline began to resurface in the U.S. once again, and it has continued to grow steadily until today.

The Methodology of Homeopathy:

Homeopathy is a medical system based on the art of observation of the individual as a whole rather than suppression of the symptoms produced by the disease. Samuel Hahnemann was one of the first westerners to link mind and body in the treatment of disease. The disease state affects the whole person and so the cause of the problem needs to be understood and addressed. Treatment of symptoms alone (allopathic) may drive the disease deeper into the “economy”-this is called suppression. The vital force has the ability to heal itself. Homeopathic remedies tap into the vital force in order to correct any energy block by removing the cause of the state of disease. The “symptoms” are the “outer reflection” of the disease and may look different in each person. Example: anger. Possible physical symptoms in different individuals: joint pain, ulcers, rash, itching. The remedy that is chosen is reflective of the whole person in their current state and not the specific symptom alone.

Homeopathic medicines:

Most homoeopathic preparations are extracts of naturally occurring substances like plants, animal material and natural chemicals.

What does Homeopathy offer ?

Many people think of homoeopathic treatment as a last resort for difficult or resistant chronic illnesses, for which many other forms of treatment have already been tried. While some dramatic cures can be achieved on occasion with homoeopathy, many cases of advanced chronic illnesses can also be modified or helped to a limited extent, for example, rheumatoid arthritis, osteo-arthritis, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, leukaemia’s, and certain forms of cancer and severe mental illness. With homoeopathy such diseases can be modified, occasionally stopped, and above the entire patient’s well being and quality of life can be improved.

References:
Stanway, A. (1986) Alternative medicine; a Guide to Natural Therapies, pp. 86

Other sites:
www.kgorneychom.com/
www.homeopathic.org/whatis.htm National Centre for Homeopathy

VEGA M-R-T is an auxiliary detoxification therapy that focuses on the matrix, the soft connective tissue which act as a conduit to the cells of every organ in the body. The matrix system provides access to the lymphatic and circulatory systems, transporting nutrients to the cells, and disposing of waste products. Proper functioning of all organs is dependent on a healthy matrix. When disease is present, the matrix must be repaired so that effective treatment can take place. Establishing normal function of the connective tissue matrix is a vital step in healing the body.

MRT is the very fundamental therapy to choose for therapy resistant cases

Like all other creatures on the planet, man is designed to ingest foreign substances, decompose them and (in part) convert them to bodily structural components. In the process, a certain amount of energy is also generated. This is the mission of the metabolic system. Since foreign substances can seldom be 100 % utilized, some residue is inevitably produced in the form of waste products. Normally, the organism is prepared for this, and excretes them into the intestines in the bile. However, the organism’s excretory capacity quickly reaches its limits if too much waste-product-rich food (e.g. animal protein) is consumed. But even this situation has been anticipated: the organisms uses its storage depots (fatty or connective tissue) as a temporary holding area.

This is normally only intended to be a stopgap solution, since early man alternated between feast and famine. Only later did a problem arise, due to the ever more reliable food supply provided by evolving social systems: the storage depots were not getting emptied out anymore. But social and cultural developments compensated for this by introducing religious fasting periods, which provided for regular purification (cleaning out the depots). But there has always been individual variation. Thus, efficient excreters differ from poor ones in that the poor ones suffer more from depot-clogging ailments such as rheumatism or gout. Therefore, early in the development of the medical arts, practices arose which were aimed at bringing the organism’s “evil humours” under control. These diversion procedures include proper diet, bloodletting, leeches, purgative measures, cupping and sweating.

Not until recently has scientific research been able to discover the relevant pathophysiological connections. These include, first of all, work on the basic system, begun by Pischinger and continued to this day, resulting in ever more significant findings. Today, we view the basic system - the matrix - as an independent organ system, with supply, protective and waste disposal functions for the highly specialized organ cells. (The matrix is the fundamental system of the organism and comprises about 80 % of the entire mass of cells. It is the supply as well as the disposal system of the tissue cells and at the same time it is the home of the defence system of the body.) All diseases, particularly those that have come to the fore in modern times, are traceable to functional disorders in this system. Besides the waste products which would be generated anyway, the “blessings” of our times now include the added burdens of heavy metals, herbicides and pesticides, as well as chemical residues, all of which likewise accumulate, mostly, in the basic system. But cleansing the organism of these in part highly toxic substances is not easy, since the body’s enzymatic systems were not designed to cope with these poisons. Our body’s enzymes were developed during the course of our evolution and were adapted to environmental conditions which used to remain very nearly constant. In a very short period of time, the chemical industry has managed to create over 7 million environmental toxins which the organism does not know how to metabolise, and so can only store.

The functional disorders that these substances cause, which range from a slight burden all the way to total blockage, provide the organic bases for severe chronic diseases. The point of departure for treating these increasingly frequent severe ailments cannot just consist of re-establishing normal organ function, without, as a top priority, getting the matrix function on its feet again. This applies to all chronic diseases, from rheumatism to MS, arthritis to cardiac insufficiency, allergy to cancer. In other words, the therapist has the obligation of thoroughly detoxifying every chronically ill patient and restoring the matrix function.

But how is this to be done ?

A therapy has been developed which works with modern options and can be integrated into any practice or clinic. The effective principle is that under pressure (a partial vacuum) mechanically loosens clogged deposits and toxins in the tissues and diverts them via the lymph capillaries. The simultaneous application of direct current causes the tissues to reverse polarity, or to charge equalization - a prerequisite for orderly cell repolarization. Since matter always exhibits two aspects, the material (physical) and the energetic, waste products cannot just be considered in their material aspect. In fact, in our body’s complexly oscillating systems, they act as “jammers” that can significantly disrupt the flow and exchange of information. This leads - among other things - to an irritation of the neuronal system, which is tightly coupled to the hormonal system. Besides hormonal disorders, then, vegetative regulatory problems can arise, starting from the pituitary gland. This leads in turn to regulatory chaos, which oftentimes creates the basis for allergies. There is good reason why our modern epidemic continues to widen in scope.

Using the MRT device extinguishes the toxins’ pathological frequencies, thereby relieving the oscillatory system. This way, both the material and the energetic aspects are fully dealt with. The three finely matched components are likewise a reason for the great effectiveness of this modern matrix detoxification and regeneration procedure:

Bioresonance Therapy / System Information Therapy: Is of great benefit in the neutralisation of pathological energy fields. The special procedure of "Subtraction Delete Therapy" according to Dr. Kohler has been realized in the VEGA MRT device.
Direct Current Treatment of the Tissue: The loading state and the hormonal situation of the matrix are essential for the therapeutic effect. Via a roller electrode, a weak current voltage is conducted into the tissue, whereby excessive currents within the affected tissues are removed. The reversed polarity of the tissue becomes alkaline again, which is a precondition for normal metabolic functioning.
Petechial Vacuum Extraction Massage: A partial vacuum is generated in the tissue. As with ventouse extraction, the toxins are drawn to the surface. Thus the vacuum extraction electrode is at the same time an ideal input electrode for recording pathological frequency patterns for Bioresonance therapy.

Indications for M-R-T therapy

All forms of allergy	Chronic diseases
Tumour illnesses (adjuvant)	Chronic intoxications
Virus strains	Weakness of the immunity system
Chronic skin ailments	Depression

Very good results can be obtained in the treatment of bronchial asthma, rheumatic illness, arthrosis, spinal distortions, cellulite and defects of the connective tissue.

Procedure

During treatment, the patient lies, relaxed, on his stomach. Four clip-on electrodes are attached to his hands and feet; in addition, the DC counter electrode is placed under the stomach. For the next 20 minutes, first the left side, then the right, will be gone over slowly with the head end of the therapeutic attachment, which consists of the suction probe and two rollers which glide over the skin.

At the end, the spinal column is gone over lengthwise. This is the standard procedure, which is performed for every patient. Depending on the indication, other body regions might be treated as well, e.g. abdomen, major joints, thighs, etc.

Reddening of the skin permits diagnostic conclusions to be drawn. The treatments are usually spaced one per week over a six-week period. In severe cases, treatment can be extended over a longer period at larger intervals. The patients usually find the treatments to by very agreeable and relaxing, even though some pain accompanies the suction. However, the suction strength can be adjusted on an individual basis. Initially, children are treated without suction, gradually intensifying the treatment over time. This is also done for hypersensitive patients.

The tissues in the treatment region become stronger and firmer with each treatment, and pain sensitivity diminishes markedly. Furthermore, one can note a very rapid diminution of the reddened skin streaks - which might, at the outset, have even been suffused with blood (petechias) and been visible for days afterwards - along the treatment path: a sign of advancing tissue regeneration. The strengthening of the connective tissue also shows up indirectly, since venous problems (varicose veins accompanied by congestive symptoms) typically abate during the course of treatment, even though these are not directly being treated.

The loosening of back musculature which accompanies every treatment session also eliminates stress-induce pain, wherefore acute lumbago or sciatica - or tension headaches, also - are welcome indications for acute treatment. The patient comes in and, after half and hour, goes home again, free of pain, without recourse to oral medications or injections!

When treating chronically ill patients, it often happens that (sometimes very) long ago complaints re-emerge. This “layers of the onion” effect, this turning back of the biological clock, and the organism’s renewed confrontation with chronic stresses is a sure sign of natural healing. This effect can be observed with the mot diverse clinical pictures, depending mainly on the individual constitution. This therefore means that, in may cases, MRT alone initiates the healing reaction, that many chronic diseases can thus heal “by the by” as a side-effect, as it were, of the application of this method.

This therapy can be used in conjunction with all other naturopathic forms of therapy, in fact increasing their effectiveness considerably.

MRT opens up the organism in a beneficial manner. Regulatory ability is dramatically improved, blockades are removed, the lymphatic system is activated and the immune system stimulated. All of these positive effects happen simultaneously during each treatment.

The origin of Naturopathy can be tracked back to the ancient healing arts of a variety of cultures. It is a formal system of complementary medicine and healing. Benjamin Lust developed it in the United States nearly one hundred years ago.

Definition:
Naturopathy is a way of treating illnesses which works on the principle that healing depends upon the action of natural healing forces present in the human body (Stanway, 1986:104)

The basic principles of Naturopathic medicine include the following:

Find and treat the cause: “Tolle Causam” This is the first and foremost principle of naturopathy is to treat the underlying cause of every illness. It is essential to work with patient to find the origin or cause of the illness. This can range from bad diet, bad habits and other aspects of lifestyle. It is in this way that the illness can be helped with long term results. Utilise the healing power of nature: “Vis Medicatrix Naturae” Nature acts powerfully through the healing mechanisms of the body and mind to maintain and restore health. Naturopathic physicians work to restore and support these inherent healing systems when they have broken down, by using methods, medicines, and techniques that are in harmony with the natural processes of the body. First do no harm: “Prinum Non Nocere” Naturopaths prefer non-invasive treatments and therefore patients don’t have to worry about any harmful side effects. These treatment protocols include: Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Phytotherapy, stress management, and nutritional counselling. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts … When treating a patient it is extremely important to see the whole picture and not just the presenting symptoms. Health or disease results from a complex interaction of physical, emotional, dietary, genetic, environmental, lifestyle and other factors. All these factors should be taken into consideration when treating a patient. For example the cause of headaches can extend past its physical attribute. There could be emotional factors involved, digestive complaints related, or the headaches could be associated with the working conditions of their occupation. The focus should be on more than just the main and presenting symptoms or health concerns. Preventative medicine: The naturopathic approach to health can prevent minor illnesses from developing into more serious, chronic or degenerative illnesses. By following the above principles, major illnesses can be prevented. The body’s natural healing power, if effectively mobilised, can destroy invading organisms, cast off toxins, as well as rebuilding strength and vitality.

Naturopathy falls under the broader heading of “Complementary Therapies”. These therapies work alongside the western medical practices. These therapies include botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, Homeopathy, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapies.

Therapies/Modalities:

Dietary counselling: This addresses what, how and when you eat. This includes: Weight loss, detoxification and longevity diets Suggesting foods to address illness or nutritional deficiencies Identifying potential food intolerances Eating to your constitutional type

Lifestyle counselling:
Addresses other factors which may affect your well-being including:
Exercise
Stress management
Environmental pollutants
Breathing techniques

Phytotherapy:
This is also known as herbal medicine, which uses remedies derived from plants to improve the functioning of body systems or organs.

Hydrotherapy:
If nutritional therapy is the first cornerstone of naturopathic medicine, then hydrotherapy is the second. Hydrotherapy improves digestive function by bringing additional blood (and all of its healing components) to the inner organs. The most common form of hydrotherapy is called the "constitutional," where two towels dipped in hot water, then squeezed, are placed on the front of the patient for five minutes. The hot towels are replaced with one cold towel for ten minutes. The same procedure is done on the back of the patient. During the hot portion of the hydrotherapy, the upper blood vessels are dilated while the deeper ones constrict. The cold portion of the treatment constricts the outer blood vessels but dilates the internal ones. The combination drives more blood to both the inner and outer systems, allowing the body to bring more healing nutrients to its organs and to carry away toxins.

Nutritional supplements: Uses concentrated nutrients to: Address nutritional deficiencies Improve bodily function Assist repair and detoxification processes

Nutraceuticals:
Uses high dose nutrients, which have the capacity to act like pharmaceuticals and affect bodily processes.

Mineral therapy:
The use of homeopathic or low dose preparations of minerals known as “Tissue salts” or “Celloids”.

Flower essences and Bach Flower essences:
Energetic remedies which vibrate at a similar level to the emotions and can help to address limiting belief systems.

Iridology:
This is also known as “iris analysis”. It is a technique used to ascertain the condition of different organs and systems. It aids the practitioner in identifying:
Areas of congestion or toxic accumulation
The functioning of metabolic or physiological systems
An individual’s inherited or acquired constitution, which may indicate current or potential weaknesses to be addressed in the course of the treatment.

Early Naturopathy

In looking at the natural healers and naturopaths of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, one can find many common points. All of them believed in healing by bringing strength to the individual rather than by curing specific diseases. All had a reverence for nature, and many of them could point to specific observations that led to the formation of theories and practices. Personal experience of illness and recovery often led them to practice natural healing. They frequently learned from each other or studied on their own, instead of, or in addition to, receiving a formal education. The medical establishment persecuted most. Those on record were highly successful, bringing good health to many people.

Some basic theories of natural healing

Whether they emphasized the use of hydrotherapy, nutrition, manipulation, herbs, or homeopathy, the goal for all practitioners of natural healing was to stimulate the body to heal itself. Vis medicatrix naturae, or the healing power of nature, remains central to naturopathic philosophy today. Rather than trying to attack specific diseases, natural healers focus on cleansing and strengthening the body. Regardless of the specific methodology, and regardless of whether the healer practiced in the last century or is active today, the approach remains basically the same.

References:

Stanway, A (1986) Alterantive Medicine; a Guide to Natural Therapies, pp. 104

Other sites:
www.backtowellness.ca/naturopathic.htm
www.members.optusnet.com.au/~lizaoates/naturopathy.htm
www.naturalhealth.org/tradnaturo/history.html
www.naturopathy-bauman.com/
www.bastyr.edu/about/natmed.asp

Nutrition is the process of supplying or receiving nourishment. It is the food we put, or do not put, into our mouths to feed the body - and the mind and soul as well. Beyond general nourishment, food and diet have been used throughout history as effective tools in preventive and therapeutic medicine.

We are now able to recognise and investigate the valuable role that nutrition can play in a comprehensive health program. Nutrition therapies, such as Orthomolecular Medicine/Psychiatry, are used to help treat diseases like schizophrenia. The term orthomolecular, which means optimum, or right (ortho), molecules, was coined in 1968 by a Stanford chemistry professor who discussed creating an optimum molecular environment in the mind by providing the right concentration of specific biochemicals such as vitamins.

Nutrition has been studied from early times and Metabolic researchers were putting together a picture of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, as well as vitamins and minerals, as being essential to life and health by the turn of the last century. By the 1940's, scientists had identified more than 40 nutrients contained in foods, including 13 vitamins. They also determined that we need minerals, such as calcium, iron and potassium, to regulate various body functions.

There are a multitude of books covering both weight-reduction and disease-prevention diets. Beyond the commercialism, competition and controversies surrounding nutrition theories, lies a growing awareness of eating disorders. Counsellors can help clients to examine their eating habits, the way in which they relate to food, and the psycho-emotional issues underlying nourishment and food abuse.

People looking for a sensible eating plan or to avoid crisis conditions, such as food allergies, have a wide range of philosophies and diets to explore. The health movement accommodates diverse outlooks. We have heard of everything from 'muscle building' diets to food combining and body cycles, from fasting to the benefits of vegetarianism. A rising popularity of Eastern tradition has also brought a new consciousness about the powers of food beyond the physical. There are traditions which have been adapted and adopted from India, China, and Japan. Most of these systems in their own way, speak about balancing the energies of food.

A Nutritionist will look at your overall health, food intake, eating patterns and life style, and work out a way of eating that improves your health and well-being. Basically, nutritional therapy entails using foods to prevent and treat ill-health. Nutritionists regard many people in today's modern world to be overfed but undernourished. Nutritional therapy attempts to correct this imbalance by advising clients about a more appropriate and healthy diet. This would involve a dietary plan designed not only to keep them healthier in the future but also to treat any symptoms existing at the current time. Some therapists would even provide recommendations about food to remedy particular medical complaints, intolerances and allergies. They may seek to flush out and eradicate 'toxic overload' caused by incorrect diet, environmental and self-induced pollution, and normal by-products of metabolism.

Most people see a Nutritionist for the following reasons,

needing help with losing weight or high cholesterol	high blood pressure, diabetes, problems with digestion
allergies	lack of energy / fatigue
sports people	gout
arthritis	vegetarians wanting to eat a balanced diet
children	anorexics
bulimics etc.

A Nutritionist will educate, guide and support you all the way until you reach your desired goal. Consultations take place weekly or fortnightly, once off or over a longer period of time. A Nutritionist studies the human body functions, what can go wrong and how with correct nutrition a lot of imbalances and symptoms can be corrected and improved.

Throughout the history of man, plants have been used to heal the sick. Some parts of plants we consume for their healing properties rather than their taste or their food value. They have been used in this way for tens of thousands of years, and they form an integral part of many of the long established and still effective systems of healing such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine. There are also European and Native American traditions of herbal medicine.

Today, plants still provide the basis for many pharmaceutical drugs. These remedies used in our Clinics, are completely safe from side effects, are supportive of the body’s own healing process, unlike drugs, which is only suppressing the symptoms.

Herbalism is the oldest form of medicine known to man and forms the cornerstone of all medicines, both traditional and orthodox, as many pharmaceutical and homoeopathic medicines are derived from plants. Herbal Medicine is the use of any plant part - leaf, seed, stem, flowers, root, bark - for the relief of certain complaints, conditions, or ailments. Modern herbalism utilises plant medicine only but often combines the philosophies of the west with those of the east.

History

The history of herbal medicine is the history of every culture which turned to local flora for food and medicine. Humans have used plants to heal since the first cavewoman gathered vegetation to feed her family, flavour the food, and heal her children. As the earliest known form of medicine, knowledge of specific plants' curative powers was passed down from generation to generation in the family and tribe. Eventually the role of healer expanded to include shamans, or priest/healers. Herbs were used in healing rituals and religious ceremonies. Modern Medicine traces its roots back to the Greek philosopher Hippocrates, who wrote about plant remedies. This century's discoveries of modern drugs, such as digitalis, curare, cocaine, and quinine, are based on native herbal wisdom. Herbalism continues to be a mainstay of many societies, as folk medicine is intimately tied to the natural environment in which we all live.

How Do Herbal Medicines Work?

The aim of herbalism is to help the body help itself, so that harmony or homeostasis may be restored and healing may take place. Herbal Medicines are said to work biochemically, triggering neurochemical responses in the body. Taken in moderate doses for long enough, these biochemical responses become automatic, even after one stops taking the herbs. Herbal formulas have three basic functions:
Elimination and detoxification: Herbs are used as diuretics, laxatives, and blood purifiers - one step in healing.
Health Management and Maintenance: Herbs are used to counteract physical symptoms and stimulate the body's own self-healing powers.
Health Building: Herbs are used to tone the organs and nourishes the tissues and blood.

Herbalism is experiencing a revival in the world, because modern medicine has failed to provide satisfactory cures for many diseases. This has prompted research into plants in an effort to find new drugs. This research benefits herbal medicine, from the point of view that the chemical constituents are identified and this results in greater understanding of the pharmacology of these plants. So instead of basing the effects of plants on hearsay, the effects can now be scientifically validated.

The modern herbalist is scientifically trained and is able to examine the patient and perform diagnostic procedures. But the treatment will address the whole person and not the disease. Each patient is different and will need different herbal medicine in their treatment, even if they have the same complaint. This is why it is important to see a professional and not treat oneself.

Herbal medicine is balanced in its constituents and is safe when prescribed by a herbal practitioner. Side effects are rare and effects are usually not cumulative. Medicines are made from any part of a plant and from any plant that has chemical constituents of medicinal value. This means that a herb may be a tree or a weed.

Herbal medicine is usually taken in tincture form (which is an alcoholic extract,) pill or powder form, or in a tea (infusion) or brew (decoction). In some countries herbs are even taken in a soup. It has to be taken regularly and consistently to achieve results. The herbalist usually gives dietary and nutritional advice to complement the treatment.

Herbalism is quite different from homoeopathy in that the medication is not diluted and shaken as in homoeopathic medicine. The medicine is also not matched up to personality types as in homoeopathy. Herbal medicine works more on the physiological systems directly, rather than on energy levels. This means that it is fast and effective if chosen correctly.