Introduction to herbal medicine Home study course

Transcription

1 Introduction to herbal medicine Home study course By Laura Carpenter MNIMH

2 Introduction Introduction to herbal medicine home study course For those of you who have taken previous courses with me some of the material is repeated. Please bear with me though as others will not have seen it, and it s always good to have a refresher. This course focusses on creating a solid grounding in herbal medicine, from gathering, storing and using herbs in the home, to herbal medicine and the law, and an introduction into language and world of herbalists. Part 1 My herbal home remedy course content Part 2 Herbal actions the language of herbalists Part 3 Advanced Herbal recipes Part 4 Herbal medicine and the law Part 5 Wild harvesting and the gathering year Part 6 Five panacea herbs This course leads to a certificate of completion, but this is not a qualification. Safety It is important to remember that just because herbal medicine is natural does not mean that it is automatically safe. Some people can have reactions to herbal medicines, and although this is rare it is important to bear in mind. If you are taking any form of medication it is important to check that it is safe to take a particular herb with that medication before proceeding. Some herbs can directly interact with a drug and some can stop the drug working altogether. If you are pregnant or there is a chance you might be, you must only use herbal medicine with the supervision of a medical herbalist. If you are unsure about a herbal medicine and how you might react to it, the safest thing to do is not take it and consult a medical herbalist for more information. It is important to recognise when a condition is more serious, and to know your limits. If you become ill with something you'd normally go see the doctor about, it is important that you still go as normal. Also some more serious conditions can seem like a minor or common ailment at first, so if in doubt Reviewed 20/11/14 2

3 always go to your doctor (or phone NHS direct). Diagnosis is an in-depth art and even for those trained in diagnosis self-diagnosis is not easy or recommended. There are some things you can be fairly sure of, such as if you have a cold, or get hay fever every year, but for anything other than minor conditions you have had before and recognise as the same, get checked out. It is better to go to the doctor and be told it is something minor than to miss something more serious. How long do I have to complete the course? You will have a year to complete this course, that is to ensure you get the most out of the content. With an unlimited amount of time it is always tempting to forget about it. Will the course be marked? There will be a short quiz at the end of each part; this is just to see if you have been paying attention! I will give you your mark back but it s not a graded system so if you only get 5 out of 20 of the questions I m not going to fail you. It will just show you that you might want to read through that part again. Reviewed 20/11/14 3

4 Appendix 1 Herbs that should not be used in pregnancy If you are pregnant and would like to use herbs to treat yourself and your baby, I suggest you look for relevant literature on the subject; Anne McIntyre has a very good book that may be helpful. If you have a specific condition and you are worried about taking herbal medicine I would suggest that you consult a herbalist. These herbs should not be used in pregnancy; Achillea millefolium - Yarrow Artemisia (abrotanum, absinthium, vulgare) southern wood, wormwood and mugwort Berberis vulgaris barberry Cassia spp senna Cheldonium majus greater celandine Chincona spp Peruvian bark Colchicum autumnale autumn crocus Dryopteris felix-mas male fern Gossipium herbaceum cotton root Hydrastris canadensis golden seal Juniperus communis juniper Mentha pulegium pennyroyal Myristica officinalis nutmeg Podophyllum peltatum American mandrake Phytolacca spp pokeroot Rhamnus spp alder buckthorn Ruta graveolens rue Sanguinaria canadensis blood root Sarothamnus scoparius broom Tanacetum parthenium feverfew Tanacetum vulgare tansy Thuja occidentalis abor vitae Salvia officinalis sage (The above were from a New Zealand book so these are herbs from all over the world) These are herbs that I was taught not to prescribe during pregnancy; Achillea millefolium yarrow Commiphora molmol myrrh Inula helenium elecampane Mentha piperita peppermint Rosmarinus officinalis rosemary Zingiber officinalis ginger (there is some debate about this among herbalists as this is often prescribed for morning sickness but I would advise against using it for home use in this situation.) For those of you who may feel this is irrelevant to you, there may be a time when your friend is pregnant or a family member and this information could prove very helpful. I thought I d include it as it s something that can be filed away and looked at whenever it is needed. Reviewed 20/11/14 4

5 Please excuse my Latin spelling, my spell check doesn t run to Latin. It is also important to note that Latin names of plants do change from time to time, for example, chamomile has been called many names, it used to be Chamomilla but now it is Matricaria recutita. Reviewed 20/11/14 5

6 Recommended further reading Women s Herbal by Anne McIntyre Herbal medicine by David Hoffmann Hedgerow medicine by Julie and Matthew Seal The herbal medicine makers handbook by James Green The complete illustrated holistic herbal by David Hoffmann Suppliers Herbs and sundries Essential oils Reviewed 20/11/14 6