Herbal Medicine

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The history of herbal medicine is the history of every culture. Plants have been used since antiquity, then with the advent of the pharmaceutical industry in the last century the popularity of herbal medicine has declined (although 25% of all prescription drugs contain ingredient isolated from plants).

Technology now exists which allows for greater understanding of the manner in which herbs promote health and restore balance. Naturopaths are professionally trained herbalists and know both the historical as well as the modern pharmacological mechanisms. Practitioners mainly prescribe liquid concentrated extracts of European and north American herbs or tabletted extracts. Increasingly Australian grown herbs are now being used.

A herbal preparation may contain one or a combination of herbs prescribed to address the individual patients needs. The use of botanical medicine, or preparations derived from the whole plant is usually safer but slower in action than orthodox drug therapy. By utilising not only the so-called "active principle" but also the "associated factors" which naturally occur in the plant, the practitioner of Herbal medicine has been spared most the problems of drug related diseases.