Alternative Herbal Medicine

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to replace any medical treatment. It is offered here as a service only. Use this information at your own risk and only with qualified supervision. No guarantee is made towards the validity of the information presented here.

In this day and age some people have lost a lot of the trust that we used to place in the medical establishment.  The number of people who have gotten sick, often with serious long-term illnesses, from overaggressive treatments with strong antibiotics is staggering. For example, certain antibiotics will destroy the healthy bacteria that live in the gut.

Even in areas like cancer treatment, which are traditionally places where Western medicine is favored, many people are seeking alternative herbal medicine as a way to have hope in some of the most hopeless situations.  Although there are many alternative herbal medical treatments, and some are definitely a whole lot better than the others, it might be worth trying some out before subjecting yourself to traditional medicine. Make sure you talk to someone skilled in the subject, such as a certified Doctor of Chinese Medicine.

Some people that I've know have had pretty weak immune systems since childhood, so they have more than their fair share of illnesses over the years. You might know some of these people. They never go through a year without getting several bad colds, the flu, or even worse.

As a result of their poor health they become very familiar with both over-the-counter and prescription medications. Most never never give the medications a second thought, but some have read published reports that said these drugs might be doing more harm than good in some cases. That's when I decided to look into alternative herbal medicine.

Some people believe that an advantage of alternative herbal medicine is that it's all natural and chemical-free. They feel that this means that there's zero chance of becoming addicted to the medication, which is definitely not the case with prescription drugs. This is false. The active substances in medicinal herbs are, in fact, drugs and are, of course, chemicals.

Some of the most potent drugs known to man are plant based and some of those are highly addictive (eg: heroin.) While various herbs have been used in medicine for thousands of years don't make the mistake of thinking that just because they're natural they can't hurt you.

In fact, Consumer Reports has a list of twelve supplements, most are herbal, that they recommend avoiding. Here it is.

Another advantage, which is actually true, is that alternative herbal medicine is often much cheaper than the products put out by major pharmaceutical companies. With prescription costs rising all over the country (prompting thousands of people to cross the border to Canada to buy their medications andprompting Canada to change its prescription laws,) this low cost makes alternative herbal medicine even more attractive.

A third reason that someone might choose alternative herbal medicine is because of allergies. For example, some people are allergic to acetaminophen, which is a common pain reliever and fever reducer in over-the-counter medications, so need to find a different way to treat those problems. These people need to be very careful making the switch, though. Many herbs will cause major allergic problems. If this is a concern you should defintely seek qualified help before trying an herbal program.

Many times when people mention that they prefer alternative herbal medicine they are met with puzzled looks. The most common question is if taking the herbal medicine is because of religious reasons. While it's true that some people might be doing so, it's not the case for others. People would just rather treat their illnesses as naturally as possible rather than infusing their body with man made chemicals.

Another common question is whether or not herbal medicine actually works. Many people believe that alternative herbal medicine is just a sham. Of course, since herbal treatments have been around for thousands of years, and since much of modern medicine is based off herbal chamicals, we can probalby conclude that it works. People have successfully alternative herbal treatments to successfully treat colds, the flu, headaches, digestive disorders, and even a mild case of arthritis.

Alternative health care comes in all forms,of course.  There is Chinese medicine, consisting, in part, of acupuncture and herbal treatments.  There is also a Western herbal tradition.  There are even mystics who claim that they can heal you with nearly a touch.  Crystal healing is a form of treatment that many people belive in very strongly.

It can be very hard to find your way through the baffling variety of alternative herbal medicine to the one think that might just work for whatever condition you suffer from, but it can be a search that is well worth your time.  After all, the most important thing that you have is your health, so why not do everything in your power to protect it. 

If alternative herbal medicine works and does the trick as it should, then you have everything to gain by trying.  If, on the other hand, it does not work, you have not lost very much by giving it a shot.  After all, what is a few hundred dollars when used in pursuit of health?