Heartsease Herbal Practice
Treatment  The prescription may be made up of several herbs
in the form of a tea or tincture. In general, teas can be
pleasant to take, while tinctures have strong flavours,
but many people find them more convenient. It may be
that one or the other is better suited to treat a
patient’s condition.Herbal medicines are produced from the whole plant or from parts of the plant such as root, leaf, flower or berry. Different ways of preparing the herbs are best suited to extracting specific constituents, depending on whether they are alcohol or water soluble. A 90% alcohol extraction in tincture form, for example, is necessary to obtain the antifungal action of the resin in Calendula officinalis. A 25% alcohol tincture or a tea of Calendula will contain antiviral properties from the essential oil. With compound tinctures, many patients take 5 ml three times a day or 7½ ml twice a day at their convenience. Herbs are also prescribed as inhalations, foot or hand baths, or poultices as the need arises. Distilled aromatic waters, herb juices, syrups, capsules, cough sweets, creams, lotions, infused oils and ointments are other possibilities. Most herbal medicine items come from a supplier in West Wales whose premises Christina has visited and has confidence in. Some herbs are grown there, others come from other countries for preparation. A management plan for recovery may include suggestions for helpful leisure activities such as swimming for asthma or arthritic patients, breathing exercises for respiratory problems, meditation, yoga or tai chi where stress is involved. With herbal medicine, you will find you are expected to take an active part in improving your health. Most patients like to feel more in charge of what happens to them and respond positively. If there is a possibility that dietary or other changes in lifestyle are all that is necessary to restore health, this will be tried before prescribing. Sometimes Christina may ask a patient to keep a record of diet and symptoms in order to identify problem foods. Sheets of dietary and other advice are often given for specific conditions. |