Practitioners at Gillingham Clinic
Therapy Introduction
Herbal medicine is the oldest form of medicine known to man,
it is common to all races and peoples, dating as far back
as 2500 BC when a Chinese herbal was written listing 365 herbs.
The philosophy of herbal medicine looks at the disease in
its literal sense as disease.
The herbalist treats the whole person and not just the symptons.
If the underlying cause is eradicated and reistance increased
then the body can heal itself by elminating toxins and clearing
the symptoms. This in turn further increases the body's resistance.
Conditions that may benefit from herbal medicine include:
high blood pressure, angina, water retention, varicose veins,
irritable bowel disease, liver and gall bladder disorders,
indigestion, joint and muscle disorders, asthma, eczema, anxiety,
stress, insomina, headaches and depression.
Herbal remedies will often correct the problem quickly. However,
in cronic cases whilst the patient may note a degree of improvement
within a few weeks, one or two months for every year of the
illness may be necessary. Herbal practitioners disagree with
the pharmaceutical approach of isolating and synthesising
an active ingrediant and instead use the whole plant. This
approach ensures that there are no side effects as the plants
provide the necessary trace elements, vitamins and medicinal
substances in an homogeneous whole and do not have the aggressive
invasive action of modern drugs.
The diagnostic techniques of members of the Institue resemble
those of the General Practitioner, but as well as assessing
present symptoms, the practioner looks beyond these to evaluare
the overall balance of the body's systems. The herbalist will
also discuss diet, exercise and life-style. Good nutrition
is of vital imporatnce and many patients benefit almost immediately
from a change of diet. The herbalist always seeks to complement
treatment given by the individual's General Practitioner.
|
