Herbal medicine can be defined as the use of herbs for the medicinal or therapeutic values. The parts used vary from plant to plant but can include the plants seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flowers. Herbal medicine, which has been around longer than conventional medicine, is becoming a mainstream alternative. Almost 80% of the world population today uses herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care according to the World Health Organization. The popularity of herbal medicine has made some doctor’s today decide to use a combination of both conventional and alternative medicine to treat their patient’s ailments.
Alternative medicine through the ages
Herbs have been used throughout history, even before records of their use existed. This fact has been proven during archaeological digs where human bones were found with herbs carefully tucked around them. Practically every culture has used herbs to heal various ailments, from physical to psychological. Many of the drugs that are available today are of herbal origin. An estimated 25% of the prescription drugs that are currently dispensed in the United States contain at least one active ingredient that has been derived from plant material. When plant extracts are not used in drugs there is a good chance that at least one ingredient has been chemically synthesized to mimic the properties of natural plant compounds. Modern medicine is so intertwined with herbal medicine that using the two together just makes sense.
Choosing herbs
Farm grown herbs are favored over wild-crafted herbs, which are herbs that grow naturally without human intervention, because farm grown herbs can be certified organic. With herbs that grow wild there is no way to know if the herbs have been sprayed with chemicals or other contaminants. Once the decision has been made between wild-crafted and farm raised herbs, the next decision is choosing what form of herbs suits your needs the best. The main forms that herbs are available in are fresh, dried, tablets, capsules and bottled as a liquid. The quality of the herbs is more important than the form the herbs are in. The higher quality the herbs are, the more potent the medicinal values will be.
The role of herbal medicine today
There is no doubt that alternative medicine is gaining popularity today. The role that traditional medicine typically plays is being changed as more people look for a natural approach to healing. It is easier today than ever before to find health care providers that use both alternative and traditional treatments. This makes it possible for people who want to use a combination of herbal medicine and prescription drugs to get sound advice from their medical care provider.
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With the gaining popularity of alternative medicine, herbal medicine schools are becoming more important and are finally being accepted as legitimate places to study. However, in the United States there is still not a legal recognition of the degrees offered. However, there are still job opportunities available for graduates of herbal medicine schools. Working with a licensed doctor as a consultant that can offer advice or solutions for herbal alternatives is one way that a certification in herbal medicine can be used.
Job opportunities for herbal medicine schools graduates
As herbal medicine becomes more popular the need for health care providers to know about the uses of herbs, the possible drug interactions that can occur when the patient is using pharmaceutical medications as well as how to properly prescribe alternative herbal medications increases. With almost 80% of the population using alternative herbal medicine for some aspect of their primary health care, traditional medical doctors need the knowledge that is learned in herbal medicine schools. With their busy professional life, it is not always possible for them to attend herbal medicine schools, even though many of them do have online classes, making the need to hire someone who has a certification or degree in alternative herbal medicine a necessity.
Definition of an herbalist
Not all herbalists have gone through herbal medicine schools, although training at an accredited school gives more creditability, especially if you intend to work with traditional health care providers. An herbalist in the United States is a self-defined professional. Sometimes when members of professional groups reach a certain level of training they are granted certification as an herbalist. The job that an herbalist does can very from growing or wild crafting herbs to manufacturing herbal formulas to teaching or counselling people about the use of herbs as medicine.
Requirements for attending an herbal medicine school
As with any traditional school, requirements exist. Many herbalists begin their training through one of many correspondence courses which then leads them to a more traditional one-on-one approach where they will work with and learn from professional herbalists. Most correspondence courses do not have any specific eligibility requirements. If you are looking for a certification or degree than it is wise to check into acupuncture schools, chiropractic colleges or naturopathic colleges, some of which offer special classes or workshops that focus on a particular aspect of alternative herbal medicine. If you are looking for a traditional medical college instead, but want one that offers alternative medicine classes, the eligibility requirements will be stricter. There are a few of these in the United States, however, it is wise to note that the herbal medicine schools are the only place where the alternative medicine courses are not still considered electives.
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