I'll discuss each modality throughout the month of December.
Medicinal plants have been used for as long as humans have hunted and foraged. Historically, they were used to reduce fevers, eliminate infection, promote balance in the body, and so much more. When plants are used in their whole form, each component works together to promote a more harmonious effect on the entire body. However, when constituents are isolated from the rest of the plant, as in some of today's pharmaceuticals (Aspirin and Digoxin for instance), they lose the harmonizing effects, and they have a very narrow range of action with a wide spectrum of side effects. There are hundreds of herbs that we can choose from to treat a variety of diseases. Naturopathic doctors will select the appropriate herbs for every patient on an individual manner, based upon the cause of disease, the patient's vitality, and the degree of disharmony.