Herbal medicine has been practiced for thousands of years and is still the primary source of medicine for 80% of the world. Because herbal medicine is found all over the world, it is as varied as there are practitioners. Keeping this in mind there is really is no one description of what herbal medicine is. What follows is my personal definition of how I practice herbal medicine. 

Planetary Herbology

I learned herbal medicine from a planetary perspective. Both my personal studies and the work I have done with mentors have led to a unique blend of different herbal theories found throughout the world. There is not a day that goes by that I do not depend heavily on philosophies from western herbalism, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. While each of these have small differences the overall goal is to create balance in the body. To do this I look at who the person is as well as what they are presently dealing with. From now on I will refer to this blend of philosophies as traditional herbal medicine. 

Most of us are raised within a western medical system. We are familiar with having a complaint, going to the doctor, getting a diagnosis and then getting a pill or series of pills to alleviate the problem. If you have heartburn you get a pill to reduce your stomach acid. If you get headaches you get pain pills. If you have fibromyalgia you get the corresponding pill for that as well. 

The Downside of Health Store Marketing

Health store marketing has given the illusion that traditional herbal medicine has the same philosophy as western medicine but uses herbs in place of pharmaceutical drugs. 

This is absolutely not true. 

To learn and practice herbal medicine I have had to completely rearrange how I view health, disease and the healing process. Herbalism is far more than simply using herbs; it's a completely different paradigm.  

Certainly there are people who use herbs as substitutes for drugs. However, in my experience this is not the most beneficial way to use herbs. Typically herbs used in this manner only work part of the time and in an unpredictable fashion. For instance, one herb that works well for one person’s allergies is not going to work well for another person’s allergies. 

What is Traditional Herbal Medicine?

Traditional herbal medicine strives to create balance in a person so that their own innate healing systems can be employed in the healing process. Traditional herbal medicine asks the question WHY ?. So, instead of giving a person a pill to stop the pain of heartburn, we ask "does this person have too much HCL or too little?" (Surprisingly, it is often too little!) Is this person eating foods that are inappropriate for that person? Is this person eating too fast? 

This is seldom the same for anyone as we are all unique beings with unique manifestations. Not everyone gets the purple herb in my practice. 

What does this mean in the real world?

Let’s look at two different people who are given the same western medical diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. (Note these are real case studies, but I have simplified them for clarity; many people have multiple patterns manifesting at the same time.)

Case Study #1

Female aged 65

Main complaint: 

Been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 

Has had urgent diarrhea at 4:00 am every day for the past eight years. Occasionally has one more BM throughout the day. Always loose stools, never firm.  Has excessive gas. Bloating. Does not digest fats well. She admits to feeling anxious and depressed a lot of the time. 

Tongue is swollen, pale in color with a thin white coat. 

Analysis: Deficient Spleen Qi (A Traditional Chinese Medicine term. In the west this correlates to not having strong digestion.)

Treatment Strategy: Nourish Spleen Qi and strengthen digestion

Suggestions: 

Try an elimination diet to determine if any foods are causing these symptoms

A warming bitters blend with meals

Loading dose of probiotics

Warming spices added to each meal

Avoid cold foods and eat warm foods

Results:

Within two weeks of these suggestions she was able to ascertain that a gluten sensitivity was causing her diarrhea. Within three weeks of following the suggestions she was having regular bowel movements. She also reportedly felt more energetic and “had a brighter outlook.” 

Case Study #2

Male age 42

Main complaint: 

Been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Has diarrhea after most meals. Occasionally will be constipated for days. Frequently has heartburn. Urination is scanty and often burns, is dark in color. Has hemorrhoids. Very intense personality and quick to anger. 

Last blood pressure reading at the pharmacy was 140/90

Stomach size is not in proportion compared to the rest of his body. 

Tongue is red with a yellow coating at the root. 

Analysis: Stagnant Liver Qi, Excess heat

Treatment Strategy: Harmonize Liver Qi, Cool Excess Heat

Suggestions: 

Take a bitters formula with each meal

Drink a tea blend each day including hawthorne berries and hawthorne flowers

Drink Sage tea frequently

Accentuate cooling foods high in antioxidants

Follow an insulin resistant diet. 

Results:

This client initially had a difficult time drinking the various teas. We switched the hawthorne tea to a tincture formula and he continued with the sage tea. Within two weeks his bowels were normalized. Within a month his blood pressure was in normal range. He reported feeling “less explosive” and calmer throughout his day. 

Conclusion

I hope these summarized case studies shows how one western diagnosis is not particularly revealing to the person’s actual imbalances. I also hope it gives you an idea of how herbalists use herbs by matching them to the person and not to the named disease. 

I began to learn about herbs because of my own personal health journey but I continue to practice herbalism today because I see it work so profoundly for a large number of people. 

Western culture has often taught us that herbalism is a cute hobby or antiquated. After intensively studying herbal philosophies and herbs themselves for almost a decade I can assure you that traditional herbalism is diverse and complex. For thousands of years humans have collected information about health and healing and passed those gems down to us so that we can continue these effective healing traditions. 

Read the article: What to expect from an herbal consultation with Rosalee