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INTEGRATING HERBALISM INTO
OUR
CURRENT HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Article by herbalist Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
Working as a clinical herbalist and holistic educator for
over 30 years, my perspective with the integration of
herbal medicine into the mainstream has many concerns. I
was trained as a classical herbalist first with teachers
like Jethro
Kloss, Dr. John Christopher, Ma
Grieves, Michael Tierra, David Hoffman, David Winston, and
currently I am studying the work of the turn-of-century
eclectic physicians. I began learning
about an energetic model of how to use food and herbs to
bring about balance in the body.
Traditional healing systems around the world
such as Ayurveda, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine),
Native American, and others have taught me to work with the
innate healing power of the body, to assess imbalances, and
to work in harmony with all the aspects of body, mind, and
soul to restore balance.
I am glad that we are seeing
a change in how we look at health care.
People are tired of the same old system that does not
deliver positive results. Many are
seeking therapies that are less invasive and damaging to
the body. Adverse drug reactions (being
the sixth leading cause of death in the
US
alone), currently estimated at close to 200,000, are an
indication that we need to incorporate a preventive side to
medicine. Looking at the statistics
from the CDC (Center for Disease Control), the number of
deaths due to herbs is very small to none.
With the development of
phytopharmeceutical basically
in the form of standardized herbal extracts, the reporting
of adverse reactions is increasing.
Most side effects are allergic reactions and minor
discomfort, but not death. I believe
that standardized preparations have their place; but if we
think of them in the same manner as a drug medication, we
are missing an important part of the healing process.
I think it is time to
question our methods and motivations when we look at the
new millennia and our current health care system.
Research is driven by profit
dollars not the reality of finding cures. This is
particularly evident with current nutritional and herbal
approaches that show promise by working with the total
body, but these approaches are being overlooked.
One area I am talking about is in cancer research.
We are not winning the war, folks, and I know from the many
workshops I have attended over the last two years that a
new idea is emerging about how to treat cancer. That will
be a topic of another article I am working on.
Over the last 20 years the
herbal marketplace has seen a huge growth. In the early
1970s it was a $400,000 industry. In
the 1990s it is now an industry to the tune of over $5
billion in the
US, and that is on the
increase. The awareness of the quote
"designer herbs" has helped people to know about
plant-based products, but there is a lack of true
understanding of how to use them.
Ginkgo
Biloba is not just the memory herb; nor is St.
John’s Wort just the depression
herb, Saw Palmetto the male herb, and Black
Cohosh the women's herb.
Herbalism goes much deeper than treating symptoms
alone. One concern is that people
approach the use of herbs like the way they think of drugs
– looking for the quick fix. Herbalism
is a system where protocols are developed based on
individual circumstances.
Recently I was invited to
speak to a group of doctors at our local hospital. They
wanted a program on "alternative medicine."
I prefer the working model called “integrative
medicine” and was pleasantly surprised to find a curious
and receptive audience. My presentation was centered
around integrating conventional
medicine with holistic modalities. We
need to build bridges instead of widening gaps that already
exist. Because so many people are using
holistic therapies, many physicians are seeing results in
their patients without understanding why.
Because of lack of training
in this particular field, how these modalities can be
incorporated needs to be looked into. The major concern
that was voiced to me from the doctors at this lecture was
inadequate studies and research with the use of botanicals.
There is a wealth of good practical, clinical, and
cutting edge information available, not always from our
country or funded by pharmaceutical interests.
You have to know where to find it.
It is encouraging to me to
see the field of natural medicine growing.
More research, the initiation of clinical trials,
and universities teaching classes are all indicators that
change is happening. I always speak
about self-responsibility when it comes to our health.
Each of us has to support our beliefs and help
bridge the gaps so that we can have a health care system we
can live with.
In this new millennium it is
important to be active, voice our concerns, and stand up
for our rights. There is a lot of hope
for the future.
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