What is Herbal Medicine?

Herbal medicine is as old as mankind. As the oldest healing method still in use, herbal medicine has been practised by people for millennia. Traces of plants used for ceremonial purposes have been found in graves of Neanderthal people. Same plants analyzed with powerful modern instruments are still in use 60000 years later. From Neanderthal grave sites, to the Eber papyrus of the 16^th century BC; from Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, to the pioneers of North America; every culture of every era has, until recently, depended on plants for healing.

Plant medicines are still the primary healing modality for much of the world’s population, and a large number of pharmaceutical drugs available in the western world, are extracts from plant material. While there are still relatively few clinical trials on herbal medicines, there are thousands of years of empirical testing that prove the efficacy and safety of these remedies. Western Herbal Medicine is a long-established healing art using medicinal herbs, born from the marriage of the European and North American Natives traditions. Today the practice of Western Herbal Medicine still draws from the traditional knowledge of the past. Our understanding of the human body, although still incomplete, has made huge advances in the last century. By applying the knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacognosy we can better understand the way human beings interact with plants.

Read More