Herbal Medicine
What is Herbal Medicine & Ethnomedicine?
Herbal medicine and Ethnomedicine both look at the natural world for guidance and healing. It’s the study and practice of traditional, sometimes ancient, medicinal and therapeutic uses of herbs, where the latter also includes the use of animals/insects. Various traditions exist throughout the world like Chinese (TCM), Ayurvedic, Western Herbalism, Native American, and African. Herbal medicine traditions, or herbalism, focus on the use of plants and fungi, with a few exceptions of animal bi-products being used, such as beeswax in ointments, for example.
It’s informed by historical and empirical sources, such as ancient writings from herbal practitioners over the centuries, naturopathic principles (dating back to Hippocrates), iridology i.e. the study of the iris for diagnostic purposes, energetics i.e. the idea of “life force” (similar to Qi in TCM, and Prana in Ayurveda), as well as the evidence base of scientific enquiry.
So it is a system that applies both art and science in honouring the uniqueness of the individual, and taking a holistic approach in helping the human body restore balance, health and well-being naturally.
How Did It Start?
Knowledge of plants was passed down mostly through word of mouth for thousands of years. The earliest writings of the Ayurvedic tradition were recorded in the Rig Vedas around 2500 BCE. Ancient medicine systems of Greece, the Middle East, the Far East and North America were discovered by the European explorers and incorporated into their medical systems. Subsequently, the modern scientific era brings with it the understanding of chemistry and the pharmacology of herbs, which is now starting to provide support for these natural treatments.
Africa, and South Africa more specifically, has its own rich heritage dating back thousands of years. The Khoi-Khoi and San, and other indigenous tribes were deeply connected to the Earth and the healthful plants available. Ethnomedicine honours these traditions and presents them anew in a modern world.
How Does It Work?
Herbs perform different actions on the body tissues. Some are used for cleansing, elimination and detoxification, while others tone and nourish. Some have direct effects on pathogens while others modulate or stimulate the immune response.
“The primary focus of holistic herbalism is to support the body’s inherent healing capacity. The primary action of the herbs is less to provide substantive nourishment, as in the case of vitamin supplements, than to stimulate and increase the body’s inherent ability to synthesise, extract and utilise the special nutrients that are available.” (Michael Tierra)
Is It For Me?
According to the Ethnomedicine Practitioners Association of South Africa (EPASA), “Ethnomedicine practitioners treat the individual holistically and will consult the root cause of their illness. Different herbal remedies are prescribed for each patient’s specific needs.”
Due to the gentle yet powerful action of herbs used in the right way, they can be an especially good treatment for chronic conditions affecting both body and mind.
And as Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Herbs can certainly be both.
If you’ve been looking for an alternative treatment for weeks or even years of discomfort, let Mother Nature show herself to you in a new and profound way.
“We are on a quest, individually and collectively, to create wholeness within ourselves and all of our life…”
DAVID SPANGLER