What can herbal medicine be used to treat?

Herbal medicine is unique because it can support the body to heal itself or while it is undergoing orthodox treatment. Herbs nourish the body, reduce stress and enable it to gain strength.

Herbalists are fortunate to have the luxury of time. A herbalist is here to listen to you and talking can be the greatest cure. Most herbalists have basic training in counselling skills but all are trained to recognise when it might be appropriate to refer a patient to a counsellor to deal with unresolved issues that may be affecting health. Any referral would only be made with the patient's express consent.

Herbal medicine has a good track record for dealing with chronic illness, often where orthodox medicine has no cure. Patients with longterm conditions such as psoriasis, arthritis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can find a new level of wellbeing using herbal medicine either alongside or in place of their orthodox treatment.

As herbs are gentle on the body and doses can easily be adapted it is a safe treatment for children, our elders and pregnant and lactating women when administered by a fully qualified medical herbalist.

Conditions often treated by herbalists include:

• Digestive: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS); constipation; diarrhoea; indigestion; Inflammatory Bowel Disease; cholecystitis; haemorrhoids

• Cardiovascular: High blood pressure; poor circulation; varicose veins

• Respiratory: Coughs and colds; chest infections; bronchitis; sinusitis; tonsilitis; hayfever; bronchiectasis

• Urinary: Urinary tract infections; prostatitis & BHP

• Reproductive: irregular and painful menstruation; PMT; fibroids; endometriosis; PCOS; infertility; menopausal problems

• Nervous system: anxiety; depression; insomnia; panic attacks; stress; headaches; migraine

• Musculo-skeletal: arthritis; rheumatism; gout

• Skin: Eczema; psoriasis; acne vulgaris; acne rosacea; pompholyx

• Multi-system: Fatigue; recurrent infections; ME; anaemia; stress