The Healing Power of Herbal Medicine

Herbal Medicine has been a fundamental part of my healing protocol for the last seven years. It has helped me in so many ways, gently supporting me physically, emotionally and spiritually too.

Before I ventured into the world of Herbal Medicine, I didn’t know much about it at all. Yet, since that very first appointment with my incredibly gifted Herbalist, I haven’t looked back and have been on quite a journey. The depth and power of Herbal Medicine is profound and it something I am so grateful to have discovered.

In this post I am going to share my experience with Herbal Medicine as well as share some of the basics about what it is and how it works for those of you who, like me seven years ago, are new to this area of healing.

At the time I was introduced to Herbal Medicine, I was suffering deeply. My physical health wasn’t good, I was extremely anxious and my father was nearing the end of his life after a two year battle with cancer. A lot was going on. My boyfriend at the time kept asking me to go and see the local medical herbalist, as he had been helped by him in the past, but I was resistant. I was in survival mode I guess, afraid to let anything or anyone new in to my life. The thought of trying yet another healing approach overwhelmed me.

One day in the middle of a particularly horrible panic attack, yet again my boyfriend pleaded with me ‘Please just give A a chance Em, he could really help you’. As usual, I hesitated, resisted, said ‘I can’t’, but eventually I agreed. I was desperate, weak and afraid.

Later that day we went into A the Herbalist’s office. I remember feeling so anxious and totally dissociated, as if everything was a dream and I was floating above my body. I was exhausted on every level and felt like I was falling apart physically and emotionally, with no sense of security or ground beneath me. I didn’t dare to go into the appointment alone, my boyfriend had to come into the consulting room with me.

A was a kind, gentle man who put me at ease immediately. He listened patiently as I blurted out a jumbled account of my medical history, my experience, my symptoms and my current emotions. I can’t recall any of the specific herbs that made up my first medicine blend, but I do remember that I was given a concoction that I was told would support me on all levels, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

This day was to be a pivotal point in my healing journey.

My Experience 

I quickly gained trust in A. From starting that first bottle of medicine I began to notice subtle, but definite, shifts in how I was feeling. The anxiety began to settle a little and I just had a sense of the medicine doing me good. It’s very hard to describe how my initial months with Herbal Medicine were, as there was still a huge amount of suffering, but I instinctively knew the medicine was supporting and gently nourishing me.

As the months and years have progressed, my Herbalist has gotten to know more about me and my individual case. Together, we have worked through a lot, peeling back and piecing together the many layers of my healing puzzle. This healing modality certainly hasn’t been a quick fix, but it remains a fundamental part of my protocol due to the results I have had over the years. Herbal Medicine has helped me process grief, work through letting go of the past, heal generational wounds, soothe anxiety, provide a sense of ground and support, as well as physically helped to repair the many things that have been out of balance in my body.

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal Insufficiency is a massive underlying issue for me and due to the length of time this went untreated, it has had a knock on effect on different parts of my body such as my thyroid, female hormones and pineal gland. Over the years we have focused on this area a lot, providing my adrenal glands and endocrine system with plenty of support and nourishment via Herbal Tinctures. We have had to proceed gently due to extreme sensitivities and the complexity of my case, there have been some herbs I haven’t been able to tolerate. It has been a matter of building slowly over a number of months and years.

A couple of personal examples where Herbal Medicine has worked quickly for me…

Alongside the slow and steady healing treatment, there have been occasions where I have experienced quick results from Herbal Medicine. I will share a couple of examples with you so you can see that the effects of Herbal Medicine can be quite fast depending on what you are treating and your personal case.

Hormones and PCOS

A few years ago I was diagnosed with PCOS and my periods had become irregular as a result of this. I was often missing periods and sometimes having 60 – 80 day cycles. Within one month of taking a prescribed herbal tincture to support this area of imbalance in my body, my periods resumed a normal 29 day cycle. I was so happy and it was one of the many experiences that have built my faith in this area of Medicine.

Anxiety

Another thing Herbal Medicine has been amazing for is Anxiety. As I have shared before on this Blog, Anxiety is something that has been prevalent in my life through my childhood, teens, 20’s and parts of my 30’s. However, Herbal Medicine has helped SO much with this and for much of the time now I actually feel a sense of peace. It is of course, a mix of things that have helped me get to this point, including therapy, meditation and other things I have done over the years. But Herbal Medicine has definitely helped too.  There have been times I have gone into A’s office highly anxious and after he adjusts my medicine, within 24-48 hours (or sometimes even sooner) it settles down.

Dandelion Root and the Energetic Level of Herbal Medicine

I feel blessed that my Herbalist works very much holistically and doesn’t only prescribe herbs based on what they can do for physical ailments but takes his practice deeper and works on an emotional and spiritual level too.

An example of this being, one of my central herbs for many years has been Dandelion Root (Taraxacum Radix.) Dandelion Root is known to be a blood purifier, excellent in supporting the liver and boosting the immune system. All of which are beneficial to my health case.

However, when A first introduced this healing plant to my Medicine he explained that Dandelion’s are known for their strong roots and bright yellow flower heads. Therefore, the energetic offering of the Dandelion is it’s grounding strong roots (leading to that cultivating that feeling in the person taking it) and it’s bright yellow colour, representing energy and the third chakra being supported and nourished.

One of the things I have struggled with over the years is a feeling of being ungrounded, with a very busy, overactive mind. I’ve found it hard to be present in my body and have experienced many periods of severe depersonalisation/dissociation throughout my life. Dandelion Root has really helped me to become more rooted and present in my body.

Alongside taking Dandelion Root in my daily Tinctures, I also love to drink Dandelion Root Coffee. A beautiful caffeine free alternative to coffee that is made purely from dandelion root. If you’d like to try this, just buy some 100% Dandelion Root Coffee (available online), pop a heaped teaspoon into a cafetière, leave for 3-5 minutes and then enjoy with or without milk. I love to have it with Oat Milk.

A little bit about How Herbal Medicine Works

I won’t attempt to go deeply into the science behind Herbal Medicine here because I’m not a Herbalist, but I will share a little bit of what I do know! Herbal Medicine works by assessing the patients individual constitution, then uses  specific herbs and plants to help heal the body. Herbs have a wide range of Medicinal properties.

This practise has been around for thousands of years, way before Western Medicine was born. In Herbalism, different parts of the Herb or Plant can be used. My herbalist works primarily with Tinctures, which are concentrated extracts of Herbs or Plants, taken in a liquid form. One of the benefits of Herbal Tincture’s is that the dosage can be taken drop by drop, allowing you to titrate the correct dose and build up gently if you are sensitive. Some herbalists choose to use teas, capsules or ointments.

One thing I love about TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is that your practitioner focuses on the patient and the cause of their illness rather than symptoms alone.

The different systems of our body are intrinsically linked, meaning that depletion or disease in one part of our body affects the functioning of another part. This is why Western Medicine is limited in what it can offer for Chronic Illness Patients. A Holistic approach to healing also acknowledges the great role of the mind and spirit too. Everything is interconnected. Herbal Medicine supports us as a whole; mind, body and spirit.

Qi, Deficiency and Excess 

When you enter your Herbalists office, along with asking questions about your symptoms, current situation and medical history, a physical examination will also also be carried out. My Herbalist always checks my blood pressure, pulse and also my tongue.

A lot can be told by these indicators. For example, a scanty, jittery pulse, indicates stress in the system, where as a weak, faint pulse can indicate deficiency and low qi (energy) in the body. This can help your Herbalist determine the correct couse of treatment for you.

Your Herbalist will assess your constitution and prescribe a herbal remedy to balance out whatever is lacking or in excess. If you have excess Dampness in your body for example, warming, drier herbs and foods will be beneficial to you. If you have excess heat, cooling herbs and foods will suit. If you have deficiency of Qi, which I do, then nourishing, supportive tonics will be helpful to you.

Herbalist’s are very skilled, with an in depth knowledge of various herbs and plants and their medicinal properties along with extensive knowledge of the human anatomy.

Tongue Analysis

Tongue analysis is extremely interesting, a lot can be told by simply looking at your tongue. My personal experience is that I often have scalloped (wavy) edges to my tongue, with a pale colour and slight overall swelling. This is a clear indicator of deficiency in my body and low Qi (Qi means life force energy). Given that I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and one of my main symptoms is extreme fatigue,  this is very accurate for me.  Interestingly, I notice that during my better weeks, the scalloping is less and my tongue has a pinker colour, where as during crashes and weeks where my energy is extremely low, my tongue is always very pale, swollen and scalloped.

Below are photos of my tongue so you can see what I mean. Do scroll past this part of the post if you don’t wish to see my tongue!

Photo 1. A very low energy week. Scalloping, pale colour.

Photo 2. A better energy week, smooth edges, pinker colour.

(Note, as the years are progressing and I am now a number of years into Herbal Medicine Treatment, I am noticing more days where my tongue looks like the second photo. This is evidence of healing. )

In Closing

I could never even begin to cover my whole experience with Herbal Medicine here, but hopefully this article has given you an idea of how it works and how my personal experience with this ancient healing practise has unfolded so far.

If you decide to try Herbal Medicine yourself, I strongly recommend you find yourself an experienced Medical Herbalist. Herbal Remedies are sold online and in health shops, but I advise against just buying off the shelf in this way. Herbal Medicine is a gentle, beautiful way of supporting the body, but can also be potent and have adverse affects if not administered in the correct way. A trained Medical Herbalist will be able to assess your case and your unique needs, they will also have extensive knowledge around the herbs and possible interactions between any medication or supplements you may be taking.

The websites below are where I would begin when starting your search for a Herbalist.

www.nimh.org.uk – The National Institute of Medicinal Herbalists

www.ehtpa.eu –  The European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association

Emma x 

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Disclaimer: This Website and all the information which it contains is based on my own personal experience and health journey which I am sharing for educational and informational purposes only. Please consult your own doctor or healthcare provider to determine the best course of treatment for you.