Bill Gottlieb
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 The practitioner should provide extensive lifestyle recommendations along with herbal treatments.
WHAT CAN IT DO FOR YOU?
Ayurveda can be used for any health problem, but it seems to be uniquely effective for treating problems that Western medicine has difficulty solving. Conditions that may be effectively treated with this healing system include diabetes, arthritis, anemia, allergies, and other problems involving the immune system.
IS IT SAFE?
Since it's a natural approach to health, Ayurveda is generally safe. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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 Principles of herbal treatment
First principles of traditional herbal treatment 80 Approaches to using herbs 83 Phytotherapy as a component of other healing strategies 84
FIRST PRINCIPLES OF TRADITIONAL HERBAL TREATMENT
The history of herbal treatments is marked by the enormous diversity of local traditions, with much more variety than consistency. However, themes are apparent. These emerge most clearly where local folk practices were systematized in the great written traditions in history, reviewed in Chapter 1. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Herbal treatments should not be used to treat acute asthma attacks. See a physician promptly if you experience an acute attack.
Unless otherwise specified, the herb dosages recommended here are for adults. Children under age six should be given one-quarter of the adult dosage. Children between the ages of six and twelve should be given one-half of the adult dosage. Formula dosages for children should be discussed with a knowledgeable health-care practitioner.
BENEFICIAL HERBS herb form and dosage comments
Asmatica1
Tylophora indica capsules. |
| Prescription for Herbal Healing is a collection of herbal treatments that are reliable and understood in scientific terms. It offers precise herbal "prescriptions" that can be used to treat an array of health conditions. It lists herbs and formulas that can amplify the benefits of a healthy diet, nutritional supplementation, and natural healing techniques. It presents clear information on the compatibility of herbs with conventional medication in the treatment of health conditions. |
| Herbal treatments are capable of healing all kinds of disorders and all parts of the body. Many countries, especially the European countries and China, are ahead of the United States in using natural products such as herbs, but even in North America, many doctors now blend the best of conventional medicine with alternative healing and have found powerful new treatments that work.
Part One of this book defines the principles and materials of herbal healing. Then it lists over 200 of the plants used in traditional herbal healing and the scientific evidence for their use in extending health. |
| This book has been written to provide the easiest way of choosing the most effective herbal treatments. It is divided into three parts. Part One offers an overview of the principles and materials used in herbal healing, and describes the herbs and herbal formulas recommended in this book. Each entry gives a description of the herb or formula and a brief review of how it is understood in terms of sciencebased medicine. The entries describe how each herb and formula can be used by itself, and how it can be used with other herbs, nutritional supplements, and prescription medications. |
| These herbal treatments do not induce drowsiness, tremors, or fatigue. Nor do they trigger nightmares, hallucinations, or manic behavior.
• Subjective symptoms. Herbs can be used to treat familiar symptoms of known conditions that are not quite severe enough to justify expensive medical treatment. Herbs also can be used to treat symptoms that don't quite fit the symptom pattern of diagnosed disease. Some conditions, such as menopausal discomforts and chronic fatigue syndrome, cause very different symptoms in different individuals. |
| Use herbal treatments after receiving a definitive diagnosis, especially if there is a preexisting condition.
Unless otherwise specified, the herb dosages recommended here are for adults. Children under age six should be given one-quarter of the adult dosage. Children between the ages of six and twelve should be given one-half of the adult dosage. Formula dosages for children should be discussed with a knowledgeable health-care practitioner.
BENEFICIAL HERBS herb form and dosage comments
American ginseng1 and
Siberian ginseng2
Panax quinquefolium tincture. Take as directed on the label. |
Bill Gottlieb
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| Keep in mind that herbal treatments should be used by women who have a menstrual flow that's somewhat heavier than usual, says Dr. Lark. Women who have excessive blood flow need to see a doctor.
Dr. Lark recommends the following herbs in tincture form. Begin with one-quarter to one-half dropper and slowly work up to a full dropper if you need it. You may find that you feel best with slightly more or less of certain herbs, she says.
The herb goldenseal contains berberine, a compound that can help calm the muscles of the uterus. Another herb, shepherd's purse, aids in blood clotting. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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 The suggestions for herbal treatments in this book are not intended to substitute for consultation with a qualified health-care practitioner, but rather to support and assist you in understanding and working with your physician's advice.
There are over 750,000 plants on earth. Only relatively few of the healing herbs have been studied scientifically. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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 Here are some herbal treatments to try.
Calendula and Comfrey
Apply a thin coat of cream to scaly patches twice a day. "Externally, I'd recommend very simple, cooling creams," says Robbins. He advises using a cream rather than an ointment because the latter has a tendency to heat up the skin. Calendula and comfrey, he says, are a good combination because they calm down the skin, keep it from drying out, and help soothe the inflammation and repair the damaged tissues. |
| For the most part, herbal treatments for skin focus on keeping it healthy and vibrant rather than on reversing the signs of aging. Herbalists tend to accept wrinkles and the gray hair and wisdom that go along with them. That's not bad advice.
Flaxseed
Each day, mix 1 tablespoon of oil into something you eat.
Flaxseed oil has compounds that will help keep your skin moist, says Dr. Edelberg. Cooking destroys its healing properties, so use it straight from the bottle. You can add it to cereal, stir it into juice, or drizzle it over pasta or vegetables. |
| As you experiment with different herbal treatments, remember to write them down. It will eliminate the element of mystery the next time around. their formula for weight loss can be summed up simply. "Eat less. Exercise more," says Wulff-Tilford.
How can you tell if your pet is overweight? The best rule of thumb is to feel around his ribs. If you look down on a standing cat, his body should look like a straight line from shoulder to tail. A dog viewed from the same angle should curve at his midsection to form a waist. You should be able to feel the animal's shoulders as well. |
The Complete Book of Alternative NutritionSelene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sari Harrar and the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
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| That goes along with acupressure, applying pressure with the fingertips to specific points on the body to provide relief or promote healing. herbal treatments also come with the territory: A Chinese doctor or practitioner will help restore the proper balance of yin and yang by preparing decoctions (adding herbs to water and then boiling them until a concentrated liquid is left) with large amounts of potent herbs.
Ideally, all of the other healing treatments and procedures in Chinese medicine tie in with dietary recommendations. |
| Grandmother Medicine" for What Ails You
Generations ago, before the advent of over-the-counter medicines and 24-hour drugstores, herbs were the treatment of choice for everyday health problems from headaches to upset stomachs and from head colds to menstrual cramps. herbal treatments were shared among friends and families, exchanged by neighbors and taught by one generation to the next. In many parts of the world, herbal remedies are still the chosen way for people who tend to their families' health without the aid of medical doctors. |
Michael Tierra, L.Ac, O.M.D.
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 Coughs
General Herbal Treatments:
• For cough with yellow mucus caused by damp heat in the lungs, combine 9 grams each of plantain seeds, trichosanthes, bamboo shavings, Scutellaria, and fritillary.
• For unproductive cough with yin deficiency, make a powder of equal parts processed fritillary bulb, ophiopogon, and elecampane root. Take 3 grams of the mixture with warm water.
• For phlegm-heat cough with thick yellow mucus and a full feeling in the chest, combine 9 grams each trichosanthes fruit and pinellia and
1 crushed clove of garlic. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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| Conventional prescription drugs may be necessary, although these most often work well with herbal treatments. It is theoretically possible to argue that the frequent use of daily aspirin can be replaced by high phenol and polyphenolic consumption from fruit and vegetables (see Chapter 2) but without firm evidence it is unwise to interfere with a strategy that has good clinical evidence of efficacy. |
James S. Gordon, M.D.
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 Still, we have begun, in our own careful way, in our laboratories and our clinics, to establish some of the means of action of acupuncture and to document the effectiveness of specific needling and herbal treatments.
The most consistent findings may provide a part of the scientific explanation for those remarkable pictures of tea-sipping surgical patients. Acupuncture points are areas of increased electrical conductance. They have higher concentrations of several different kinds of nerve fibers and a more abundant blood flow than the immediately surrounding tissue. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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| It is for these reasons that in herbal treatments urinary antiseptics are often combined with other agents with an apparent benefit on the bladder wall (e.g. Equisetum, Crataeva nurvula and Althaea).
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
Another popular application of herbal remedies is to the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The early association of the symptoms of prostatic enlargement (urinary frequency, retention and diminished flow) with ageing in men led to the inevitable association of remedies that reduced these symptoms with rejuvenating male tonics and promoters of male potency. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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| From a "scientific" perspective, many herbal treatments are considered experimental. The reality is, however, that herbal medicine has a long and respected history. Many familiar medications of the twentieth century were developed from ancient healing traditions that treated health problems with specific plants. Today, science has isolated the medicinal properties of a large number of botanicals, and their healing components have been extracted and analyzed. Many plant components are now synthesized in large laboratories for use in pharmaceutical preparations. |
| The entries in this section will explain and show how to prepare the various types of herbal treatments, design an elimination diet, apply acupressure, and more. There are also entries that will show such conventional diagnostic procedures as taking your pulse or temperature.
When you become familiar with the techniques and procedures described here, you will be better able to choose and implement health care that combines the best of conventional and natural approaches.
Administering an Acupressure Treatment
The gentle art of acupressure is something you can do at home. |
| HERBAL TREATMENT
The herbal treatments outlined below are aimed at supporting recovery from a puncture wound. They are not intended as substitutes for appropriate tetanus immunization or professional wound treatment.
¦ Apply calendula ointment or collagen gel as neded.
¦ Echinacea and goldenseal boost the immune system. Take one dose of an echinacea and goldenseal combination formula supplying 500 milligrams of echinacea and 350 milligrams of goldenseal three to four times daily for three days.
¦ Garlic has antibacterial properties. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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| Anticatarrhals
There are a range of popular herbal treatments for a range of respiratory mucosal conditions whose action still remains mysterious. Indications for their use range from catarrhal congestion to some types of mucosal hypersensitivity such as hayfever and allergic rhinitis.
Antitussives
Antitussives are remedies that allay coughing. Some may work through soothing irritability (respiratory demulcents); others are claimed to relieve coughs at source, by removing congestive mucus or other mobile provocations (expectorants). |
| Such activity is not completely dismissed in scientific society either: plants are also appreciated in pharmaceutical research as the major resource for new medicines and a growing body of medical literature supports the clinical efficacy of herbal treatments. Even where traditional use has largely died out in developed countries, there is an increasing yearning for a new deal in healthcare in which the old remedies feature strongly. To meet this demand, there is a growing number of well-educated herbalists and phytotherapists. |
| In particular, the bowel flora characteristics which can optimize the efficacy of many herbal treatments need to be better understood. This bowel factor probably underlines the importance of a wholesome diet and
References
1. Munson PL, Muller RA, Beese GR. Principles of pharmacology. Basic concepts and clinical applications. Chapman and Hall, New York, 1995, pp 1-5.
2. Baker ME. Endocrine activity of plant-derived compounds: an evolutionary perspective. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 1995; 208:131-138.
3. Eder M, Mehnert W. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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| If caught early enough, they respond well to herbal treatments," she says. Try these herbal remedies to naturally relieve the itch and promote healing.
Calendula, Grindelia, Plantain, and Comfrey
Spritz the spot with tea made with these herbs every 3 to 4 hours.
Your canine will breathe a sigh of relief as this cooling spray instantly relieves itching, says Dr. Cannizzaro. And while he is relishing the respite, the antiseptic and healing properties of the herbs will go to work to speed the repair of red, inflamed skin. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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| When taking herbal remedies, use your judgment and common sense. The herbal treatments recommended in this book are gentle. It is still possible, however, for any herb to cause adverse reactions. If you develop a rash, a stomachache, a headache, or any other new symptom after treatment with an herbal remedy, discontinue using the herb and consult with your health-care provider.
Adverse reactions are unusual if herbal remedies are used in recommended doses. Problems are more likely to occur if an herb is overused—if the dosage is too high or if the herb is taken continuously for too long. |
Larry Trivieri, Jr.
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 Rather than consider herbal treatments as alternatives for early or follow-up cancer care, cancer researchers are more likely to investigate the use of herbs as an adjunct conventional treatment. Botanicals have been shown to directly counteract the dangerous effects of chemotherapy and radiation, which are toxic to the body, suppress the immune system, and can cause serious damage to cells. Certain botanicals enhance immunity whereas others stimulate the body's detoxification and antioxidant systems. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 And there are several other herbal treatments that can help as well.
Bladd er
Bladder infection, also called cystitis and urinary tract infection (UTI), is a bacterial infection that causes painful urination and a feeling that the bladder never completely empties. It can also cause fever and low back pain. Urine from an infected bladder may smell strong and contain tinges of blood. (If you develop any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor for treatment. |
Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D.
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 Of course we've also discovered that many traditional healing methods, like herbal treatments, have a scientific basis in plant chemistry. While we don't want to eschew high-tech medicine, there are valuable lessons we can learn from traditional societies. Despite curious and "nonrational" belief systems, many societies have adapted to their environments in remarkable ways, and in some ways they have sustained qualities of life that we seem to have lost. In the use of herbs and in the respect for nature, there are values that may still be of benefit to us. |
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