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A SERIES OF ESSAYS ON
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE.
BY JOSEPH CHOE, B.Sc., D.Ac.

Herbal Therapy

Goals and Philosophy of Herbal Therapy

Eliminate discomfort and remove disease by connecting with nature using common sense, good judgment, and healthy living.

In light of the erratic, constantly changing forces we may encounter today, we utilize herbs in conjunction with other holistic modalities to smoothly flow with the perturbances of life. Valuable lessons should be observed from the way nature exists around us. For example, the way in which branches sway in accordance to the wind, or the way in which water flows over and around rocks and other obstacles.

Originally, western drugs seemed to replace herbs partly due to the increasing demands of the modern world, but have recently been associated with erratic and unpredictable outcomes. Drugs and herbs should not be seen as complete therapies. If they take away pain, inflammation, and other symptoms for a time, they provide us with an opportunity to identify and change the parts of our environment that may be causing our symptoms. If we fail to take advantage of this opportunity, we minimize the therapeutic effectiveness of drugs and herbs. Herbs allow us to identify problems and make changes more safely than drugs.

Modern life appears to have hampered our capacity to listen to our bodies and consequently, we look towards therapies and remedies for simple, quick cures. We are complex beings with complex physiology's and we are not uniform in our symptoms and the factors we expose ourselves to that cause our symptoms. Properly prepared and administered herbal therapy will reconnect us with nature and our unique physiology's in order to cope with our condition more fruitfully.

Actions of Herbs

The skilled use of herbs balance our physiology by exploiting 6 fundamental actions:

• Dispersing Consolidating
• Purging Tonifying
• Removing Dissolving
• Dispersing Herbs
  • Disperse congestion of energy (Chi), blood, or moisture anywhere in the body.
  • Most of these herbs are quite aromatic and produce a hot and / or burning taste.
  • They Penetrate into congested areas and restore normal circulation by breaking up stagnancy and stimulating movement.

Consolidating Herbs

• Help prevent excessive movement or loss by focusing / retaining energy and substance within the body.
• Most of these herbs produce an overtly sour taste.
• These herbs have an astringent property, preventing excessive loss of body fluids and retaining nervous energy.

Purging Herbs

• Eliminate harmful substances by removing excess energy, moisture, and blood (e.g.. congealed blood resulting from bruise)
• Most of these herbs have a very bitter taste.
• Purging herbs do not necessarily have a laxative effect.

Tonifying Herbs

• Improve the quality , integrity and quantity of energy and substance of the body.
• Most of these herbs have a sweet taste which is associated with their nourishing effect.

Removal of Parasites

• These herbs directly influence amoebas, bacteria, worms, fungi, and other pathogenic organisms.
• Aids the body's defensive systems when the pathogenic organisms are too resilient and tenacious to be fought off by the body alone.

Dissolving the Masses

• Help to break up and remove accumulated undigested substances or mucous.
• Also helps to reduce tumors and drain abcesses.
• Most of these herbs have a salty taste.
• These herbs are aimed at targeting byproducts from body reactions to foreign organisms, toxins, and harmful foods.
• Purging and disposing herbs are commonly combined with dissolving herbs.

Due to the complexities of the signs and symptoms resulting from the pathogens we are exposed to, herbs are frequently mixed to combine therapeutic actions.

Herbal remedies are designed to be safe and effective for a wide range of individuals, but it is always recommended that competent health care professionals in the field of herbal and other holistic medicine be consulted before addressing your individual needs.