Herbal Therapy - Help Your Body Heal Itself
"In medicine one must pay attention not to plausible theorizing, but to experience and reason altogether."
This quote from the famous Greek physician and herbalist from the fourth century B.C. was written over 2,500 years ago. Hippocrates - considered the father of Western medicine - believed in treating the whole person, rather than merely isolating and treating symptoms. Recognizing the innate capacity of the body to heal itself, Hippocrates recommended simple herbal remedies to assist the body in restoring health.
Art and science of using plants
"Herbalism is the art and science of using plants and plant extracts to support health and to heal," according to Matthew Alfs, M.H., A.H.G., a clinical herbalist, educator and writer in the field of herbal therapy.
"Herbalism can assist the body in resolving acute conditions like colds more quickly and also help to manage chronic conditions most effectively. In other words, herbs can help the body to heal itself and achieve homeostatis," says Alfs, herbal therapy instructor at Normandale Community College Continuing Health Education and Integrative Health and Healing, Bloomington; director, Midwest School of Herbal Studies in Minneapolis; and author of the book "300 Herbs: Their Indications and Contraindications".
Oldest form of healing
While you might think that "herbalism" is a new fad or a somewhat untested and questionable form of healing, think again! Herbalism is one of the oldest, most time-tested and most widespread form of healing on planet earth. In fact, it has been used almost since the dawn of time. Recently, herbs have become more popular in the U.S.
"Herbalism has been used for centuries in many different cultures throughout the world, including the ancient Egyptians, ancient Chinese, Native Americans and Neanderthal man," says Alfs. "Herbs are time-tested because they have been used for many years in a variety of cultures. Not only is herbalism much older than orthodox medicine, it is also less likely to cause adverse reactions in the body because it doesn't prescribe drugs. The most commonly used herbs are actually traditional foods or spices like dandelion, garlic, cayenne, thyme, cinnamon, turmeric, and chickweed," he explains.
Alfs points out however, that herbalism is not the same thing as homeopathic medicine, which emerged in the nineteenth century.
Using herbs effectively, however, requires knowledge. That's why Normandale is offering a series of six herbalism classes that run from April 6 - May 11, 2009. The classes are designed for both the general public and for health practitioners.
According to Alfs, five to ten percent of prescription drugs are pulled from the market due to safety concerns. "Adverse drug reactions are one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. If you use herbs correctly, they don't cause deaths or adverse reactions,"he says.
Western herbalism and pharmocognosy
Western herbalism is a form of the healing arts that draws from herbal traditions of Europe and the Americas, and that emphasizes the study and use of European and Native American herbs in the treatment and prevention of illness, according to Answers.com.
There is some relationship between Western herbalism and "pharmocognosy," the study of natural products. Pharmocognosy includes the identification, extraction methods, and applications of specific plant constituents responsible for specific therapeutic actions, such as the use of digoxin from Digitalis for left-heart failure, according to Answers.com.
Benefits of herbalism
The benefits of botanical medicine may be subtle or dramatic, depending on the remedy used and the symptom or problem being addressed. Herbal remedies usually have a much slower effect than pharmaceutical drugs. Alfs notes that many chronic conditions, such as colds, are better treated with herbalism than orthodox medicine.
Herbal remedies:Detoxify and nourish the body to achieve balance
- Stimulate the immune processes
- Are generally less expensive and safer than pharmaceutical drugs
- Rarely cause side effects and adverse reactions
The bottom line? "Herbs stimulate the body's immune processes, thus helping the body work at a more optimal level" says Alfs.
Series of Herbalism Classes to be Offered in April/May 2009
Herbalism " the oldest and most widespread form of healing " is a science and art that can be successfully learned and used by lay people. Medical pioneers like Hippocrates and Galen were expert herbalists and used herbs as their primary form of medicine.
Normandale will offer a series of six classes on herbalism taught by Matthew Alfs to be held Monday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. from April 6 through May 11, 2009. Classes can be taken individually or as a series. Students who take the entire series will receive a "Certificate in Herbal Therapy".
Following is a list of dates and topics:
- Class 1: April 6 - The Development, Forms and Energetics of Herbal Therapy
- Class 2: April 13 - The Constituents and Properties of Herbs, and Their Impact on the Indications and Contraindications for Herbal Use
- Class 3: April 20 - Herbs for the Respiratory Systems
- Class 4: April 27 - Herbs for Liver Function & Detoxification
- Class 5: May 4 - Herbs for the Lymphatic and Urinary Systems
- Class 6: May 11 - Herbs for Women's Reproductive Health
Fees and registration
The fee for the series is $240or $45per session. You can register in-person, online or by mail, phone or fax. For more information, visit http://normandale.augusoft.net. Or, please contact us via email at ncal@normandale.edu or via phone at 952-487-8343.
