Herbal medicine is based on utilising the phytochemicals naturally occurring in plants as an alternative or adjunctive treatment for disease. Historically, herbs were the source of all medicine until the recent developments in the pharmaceutical industry. Unlike the pharmaceutical industry that isolates an active ingredient eg morphine from poppies or aspirin from willow bark, naturopathic prescribing of herbal medicine is based on the whole plant or the whole part of the plant (eg berry, root, bark, leaf, flower). Generally, when using a whole extract of a plant, the side effects are reduced compared to isolated compounds in pharmacy. Herbs can, and historically have been, used in the treatment of diseases ranging from acute conditions to chronic conditions.
Each herb acts like a drug in different areas of the body, depending on its chemical makeup. As such the modern media associated conception that “natural” means safe, is a fallacy. Self prescription of herbal medications available from health foods, chemists and supermarkets can be dangerous.
Amanda Flower has a Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) and operates a liquid and tablet dispensary.
Liquid dispensing allows a practitioner to make up a treatment plan based uniquely on an individual’s presenting health symptoms. Each formula is carefully calculated depending on a person’s signs and symptoms, co existing diseases and current medications. Each herb has a both a minimum and a maximum dosage range and each herb has a different length of time for safe prescription. When these principles are not followed, as in the case of self prescribing, patients run the risk of either not using enough to get a therapeutic effect, thus wasting their money, or else using too much which can cause a toxic response.
If a patient cannot handle the taste of liquid herbs, then Amanda Flower can prescribe herbs in tablet forms, but absorption and the ability for individual prescribing is reduced. Good results can still be achieved in tablet form, but better results are usually achieved with liquid herbs.
Information for Practitioners
Amanda Flower can make up liquid herbs prescribed by local naturopaths who may not have access to a liquid dispensary.
Please email scripts through to: amanda@coastalnaturaltherapies.com.au
