Alternative medicine is a term that encompasses a whole lot of different types of treatments.
Herbal remedies are one group of remedies within this larger category, and is the group I know the best.
There's an unfortunate tendency for traditional medical professionals to scoff at herbs and herbalism.
They should not.
Many of the medicines they prescribe come from herbs.
This unfortunate bias is starting to shift.
A new model, termed complementary care, is becoming more common.
This is when a doctor works together with alternative medicine practitioners for the best interests of the patient.
Complementary care has a number of important benefits, especially with regards to herbal remedies.
While herbal remedies can be very useful, they are not inert.
Herbal remedies can make some conditions worse rather than better, can have side effects, and can interact with some medications.
I know many of these complicating factors, though not all of them, but I can find more information on the ones I don't know by heart.
This is why complementary care is beneficial to the patient.
I can provide knowledge that most doctors simply don't have.
Some doctors have a very basic knowledge of herbs and herbalism but most do not.
In some instances, a doctor is nervous to allow a patient to take herbs because they don't know exactly what the effects will be.
I do.
The benefit is reciprocal.
I can't diagnose or prescribe.
Doctors can, because they have training sufficient for this.
If it were left to me, all I could do would be to make an educated guess.
That's not something that would be in the best interest of the patient, needless to say.
With complementary care, patients also get benefit from traditional medication.
There are many helpful medicines that are quite valuable in the treatment of disease and illness.
Sometimes traditional drugs will work when no herbs can get the job done.
One such example would be a heart attack.
If you have a heart attack and you get to a hospital, they can use traditional medicine to help save heart tissue.
I cannot.
I know which herbs will help lower cholesterol or blood pressure, or thin the blood, but that's about the limit of my knowledge.
Complementary care is in the best interests of the patient.
Doctors and herbalists also benefit from working together.
With complementary care, the best practices of all available treatments can be used.
Herbal remedies are one group of remedies within this larger category, and is the group I know the best.
There's an unfortunate tendency for traditional medical professionals to scoff at herbs and herbalism.
They should not.
Many of the medicines they prescribe come from herbs.
This unfortunate bias is starting to shift.
A new model, termed complementary care, is becoming more common.
This is when a doctor works together with alternative medicine practitioners for the best interests of the patient.
Complementary care has a number of important benefits, especially with regards to herbal remedies.
While herbal remedies can be very useful, they are not inert.
Herbal remedies can make some conditions worse rather than better, can have side effects, and can interact with some medications.
I know many of these complicating factors, though not all of them, but I can find more information on the ones I don't know by heart.
This is why complementary care is beneficial to the patient.
I can provide knowledge that most doctors simply don't have.
Some doctors have a very basic knowledge of herbs and herbalism but most do not.
In some instances, a doctor is nervous to allow a patient to take herbs because they don't know exactly what the effects will be.
I do.
The benefit is reciprocal.
I can't diagnose or prescribe.
Doctors can, because they have training sufficient for this.
If it were left to me, all I could do would be to make an educated guess.
That's not something that would be in the best interest of the patient, needless to say.
With complementary care, patients also get benefit from traditional medication.
There are many helpful medicines that are quite valuable in the treatment of disease and illness.
Sometimes traditional drugs will work when no herbs can get the job done.
One such example would be a heart attack.
If you have a heart attack and you get to a hospital, they can use traditional medicine to help save heart tissue.
I cannot.
I know which herbs will help lower cholesterol or blood pressure, or thin the blood, but that's about the limit of my knowledge.
Complementary care is in the best interests of the patient.
Doctors and herbalists also benefit from working together.
With complementary care, the best practices of all available treatments can be used.