The Practice of Plant Medicine
Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, Naturopathy and Aromatherapy
Jun 10, 2009
Plant medicine has been practiced by native tribes for centuries; ancient Egyptians were amongst for the first to record their use of plants in medicinal practices and the Ebers Papyrus of ancient Egypt records many uses of plant medicine. Other ancient civilizations, such as the Chinese and Indians, still practice ancient plant medicine today in the form of Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine.
Ancient use of plant medicine has progressed to evolve into many different plant disciplines; today, in addition to the traditional plant medicine of the ancient world, 'new' practices of naturopathy, homeopathy, aromatherapy and modern herbal medicine have developed with the help of modern day science. There is often confusion between the differences between these various practices of plant medicine.
The Definition of Herbal Medicine
The practice of herbal medicine uses the flowers, seeds, roots, bark, leaves or berries of the plant for medicinal purposes; herbal medicine can also be referred to as botanical medicine, herbalism or phytomedicine. Today, the modern practice of herbal medicine is becoming more accepted in the conventional medicine world as clinical research, analysis and quality control is capable of demonstrating the treatment value of herbal medicine.
The Definition of Naturopathy
The practice of naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is used by doctors who teach the patient to improve the body's ability to fight disease through a number of natural solutions; these solutions include diet, lifestyle, exercise and use of natural therapies. Naturopathy merges together traditional therapies with conventional scientific methods; natural and traditional therapies may include the use herbal extracts and homeopathy.
The Definition of Homeopathy
The practice of homeopathy works on the premise of treating 'like with like', that is, ingesting natural preparations that will cause a similar effect to the symptoms presented. Homeopathic remedies are heavily diluted and contain little, if any, pharmacologically active ingredients; a homeopathic doctor will also assess a patient's mental and physical state before prescribing a remedy.
The Definition of Aromatherapy
The practice of modern day aromatherapy is relatively new; Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist, is accredited with 'discovering' modern day aromatherapy in 1928. Although ancient Egyptians and other ancient civilizations used aromatic oils made from plant substances for medicinal and cosmetic purposes, the oils used were not distilled by the same methods in which essential oils are used today.
Modern day aromatherapy uses essential oils of plants to treat a number of medicinal problems; essential oils are basically the 'life blood' of the plant and are extracted from the roots, flowers, leaves, berries and seeds in a variety of ways. Essential oils are chemically complex in their make-up; a qualified aromatherapist will have had substantial training in the use of essential oils.
The Effectiveness of Plant Medicine
Although there is much debate in the conventional scientific world as to whether the practices of herbal medicine, naturopathy, homeopathy and aromatherapy work, there are an increasing number of people returning to the practice of plant medicine. Indigenous people such as the Native Americans, the Maori and the Aborigines have used plants medicinally for centuries and are still using them today.
However plant medicine is used or practiced, and in whatever form, it is evident that the practice of plant medicine is increasing into today's modern world; with relevant research, both conventional scientific medicine practices and traditional plant medicine have the opportunity to be used either together or exclusively of each other.
