Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine **

Herbal medicine involves the use of plants or plant extracts which some believe may help the body to protect and heal itself.

Overview

Herbal medicine uses plants, or mixtures of plant extracts, to treat illness and promote health. It aims to restore your body's ability to protect, regulate and heal itself. It is a whole body approach, so looks at your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Approval score:

We gave this an approval score of 2 stars.  This means there is no evidence of benefit, no good rationale for benefit but it is unlikely to be harmful.

How does this work?

The two most common types of herbal medicine used in the UK are Western herbal medicine and Chinese herbal medicine.

Western herbal medicine focuses on the whole person rather than their illness. The herbalist looks at your personal health history, family history, diet and lifestyle. Herbalists use remedies made from whole plants, or plant parts, to help your body heal itself or reduce the side effects of medical treatments.  There are many different types of herbal medicines and some of them overlap with foods. Commonly used plants include Echinacea, St John’s wort, green tea and ginger.

Chinese herbal medicine is part of a whole system of medicine called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which includes

·           Herbal remedies

·           Acupuncture

·           Massage therapy

·           Traditional breathing and movement exercises called qi gong (pronounced chee goong)

·           Movement exercises called tai chi (pronounced tie chee)

What are the benefits?

Herbal medicine has been used for centuries to treat many different health conditions. As with most types of complementary or alternative therapy, people may use it to help themselves feel better or feel more in control of their situation. Herbal medicine is often promoted as a natural way to help you relax and cope with anxiety, depression and other conditions such as hay fever, irritable bowel syndrome, menstrual (period) problems and skin conditions such as eczema.

However, there is currently no strong evidence to support the purported benefits of herbal medicine, although further trials are planned.

What is the evidence?

There is currently no strong evidence from studies in people that herbal remedies can treat, prevent or cure cancer. Some randomised clinical trials seem to show that some Chinese herbs may help people to live longer, reduce side effects, and help to prevent cancer coming back, especially when combined with conventional treatment. But many of the studies are published in Chinese, and some of them don't list the specific herbs used. Some journal articles don't describe in enough detail how the studies were done.

It is difficult to know how reliable the research is and which herbs may be helpful. But trials are looking into this – you can read more about this on the Cancer Research Uk website.

Who should be careful?

Each type of herbal remedy may have its own side effects. Some are safe to use and don’t have any noticeable side effects. But some plants are poisonous to humans and can have serious and severe side effects.

It is important to check with your doctor before taking any herbal remedies if you

·      Have any medical condition, including cancer

·      Are taking other medicines (conventional, complementary or alternative)

·      Are having radiotherapy

·      Are pregnant or breast feeding

·      Are due to have surgery in the next few weeks

How to try herbal medicine as part of your plan

If you decide you want to try herbal medicine, the first thing to do is find a therapist.  Cancer Research UK has some useful information on finding a therapist.  Currently in the UK, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and herbal medicine practitioners are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. They can give you details of registered practitioners in your area.

You can:

·      Ask the therapist how many years of training they've had and how long they've been practicing

·      Ask them if they have treated cancer patients before

·      Ask if they have indemnity insurance (in case of negligence)

The cost of an initial session with a herbal practitioner is likely to be between £40-£80.

The herbalist will then decide which remedies you need. They will usually make it while you wait. The remedy may be

·      A tincture (a diluted alcohol solution of plant parts)

·      Tablets or capsules

·      Raw herbs that you take home and boil in water to drink as a tea

·      A cream or ointment for skin problems

Setting goals and monitoring your progress

If you decide you want to try herbal medicine, or a specific herbal remedy, you will need to set yourself relevant goals, for example taking a supplement once a day, or seeing a herbalist once a month.

Keep track of how you are feeling week by week in your personal PlanBe.

Summary

·      Some people believe herbal medicine may help the body to protect and heal itself; however there is currently no strong evidence for this.

·      If you decide to try herbal medicine, it is important to find a qualified therapist.

·      Record your progress as part of your PlanBe diary.

Resources

To find out about the side effects of individual herbal remedies, and possible interactions with other drugs, you can look at a number of online resources:

·           American Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre website about herbs, botanicals and other products

·           Natural Standard Integrative Medicine

·           Medline Plus list of herbs and supplements 

Cancer Research UK also has some useful information on herbal medicine, including links to the most current research and information on specific herbal remedies including St John’s Wort, ginger, Green Tea, Essiac and others.