Herbal Medicine - Does It Work?

Herbal Medicine is sometimes labeled as miraculous, yet at other times dismissed as quackery. So, which is it? If Herbal Medicine is applied with expertise, using the correct dosage, the appropriate strength of herbs, and the right timing and duration of treatment, then it absolutely works and sometimes so effectively as to be called miraculous!

“I read a study that said herbs don’t work,” and "I've tried herbs, vitamins, supplements and they don't work for me," are not uncommon to hear. I wonder about those studies because from my personal and clinical experience, as well as historically, herbs work. They work so well that some pharmaceuticals were originally created from the constituents of herbs. And, the majority do so without harmful side effects and at a reasonable cost (sometimes you can even grow the herbal medicine you need).

For example, the bark of willow tree, Salix alba, contains a compound called salicin. Salicin is converted into salicylic acid in the body and salicylic acid is the active ingredient in aspirin.

Here are some things to keep in mind when using herbs or reading studies:

1. The quality of the herbs

2. The dosage

3. Frequency of doses

4. First Aid vs. Constitutional Treatment

5. The Herbalist

QUALITY

All products are not created equal. Once while driving across the country after attending Herbal Medicine School, I felt a cold coming on. I was in a box store (unaware of a local health food store and before Amazon) and saw a one-ounce plastic bottle of an unfamiliar brand of echinacea tincture for $5. Wow, I thought, what deal! I usually paid double that (for a glass bottle).

Soon, I realized I got what I paid for.  The echinacea that I was accustomed to taking made my mouth and tongue tingle to the point of being prickly. The tingle from the $5 bottle was barely perceptible. I could immediately sense that I was comparing apples to baseballs. The two products were nothing alike, and worked nothing alike.

DOSAGE 

Different people at varying stages of illness need distinct amounts of medicine, as do people of different sizes and constitutional tendencies. Unlike the dispensing of most pharmaceuticals, the dosage needed to be effective will vary from person to person and from symptom to symptom. Should a 250-pound man be given the same dosage as a petite woman? I think you are smart enough to know that the answer is no. Do they eat the same amount of food or need the same amount of liquids?

At the onset of a cold or illness, higher doses of herbs may be needed. The patient's size, vitality, lifestyle, diet and health history, as well as the aggressiveness of the illness should be taken into account.

FREQUENCY

The timing of doses can vary depending on the stage of illness that you are facing. Continuing with echinacea, you’ve heard that echinacea is good for colds and flus, but did you know the best time to take it is at the very first signs of coming down with something? That is because it increases white blood cells needed to fight infections, it gives a big boost when it is needed. Waiting until you are already sick, or taking echinacea long term, will diminish its effectiveness.

Additionally, you will want to take more frequent and higher dosages during the early stages, and continuing with lower frequency and dosage even after your initial symptoms have passed. When I am working with a patient on a deep rooted, long-term imbalance or illness, the duration of an herbal regime can last for months, or even a year with careful monitoring and revising along the way.

First Aid vs. Constitutional Treatment

I consider using echinacea for colds a first aid treatment. This means that the duration of the illness is short lived. Constitutional Treatment, practiced in Asian Medicine, is where the underlying imbalance - that which is causing the symptoms of a non-acute situation - is considered. For example, with headaches one can take the more western herbal medicine approach of taking fever few to relieve symptoms, but with Asian Medicine, I am looking at what is the underlying imbalance that is causing the headaches. That becomes the focus of a long-term herbal regime. This is often referred to as the root and branch symptoms. Acupuncture treatments work in the same way. Refer to this blog post for more information.

HERBALIST

It is wonderful when patients are interested and engaged in their healthcare process. It is, however, important to understand the value of seeking out an educated, experienced practitioner who is able to make decisions about quality, timing, dosage so that the herbs can work. If you have been self-prescribing and not seeing the results that you had hoped for, now might be the time to take your healing journey to the next level and get the support that might help you best.

If you absolutely can’t find anyone, educate yourself.  Reading a small article on a remedy really isn’t enough. If an herb piques your interest, learn all that you can about it and how it relates to your unique situation before self-prescribing. If you are serious about treating yourself and your family with herbs, consider attending classes offered by your local herbalist, or enrolling in Herbal Medicine School.

Know the cautions and contraindications.  One argument I’ve heard from patients is that they are afraid that herbal medicine isn’t safe. Keep in mind there are tens of thousands of legal (over the counter and prescription) drug related deaths per year in the United States. Deaths related to herbs are rare, but you should understand the proper usage of an herb or supplement. The person to ask is not your medical doctor as this is not their field of expertise, but someone trained and experienced in the field.

In closing, when you hear that Herbal Medicine is quackery, or you have yet to feel any benefit from the herbs or supplements that you are self-prescribing, please take a moment to honestly contemplate the contents of this article.

In my opinion, arguments for taking herbal medicine far outweigh those that oppose it. The vast majority of illnesses that I’ve had (almost all) have been treated naturally with the use of herbs, supplements, diet, lifestyle, and home remedies. This is done less expensively than prescription pharmaceuticals and without creating harm elsewhere in my body. I encourage you to abandon fear and take advantage of what nature has to offer!