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Herbal Medicine, Its Difference from Pharmaceutical Medicine

Herbal medicine was used to be connoted with medical myths, an old wives tale. And the use of it was discouraged as it was said that there was no known proof that these could help in the treatment and control of diseases. But nowadays, more and more people are resorting to it. In fact even medical experts are encouraging people to use herbal medicine in supplement and even in lieu of pharmaceutical medicines. Why the change of mind of these experts? What can herbal medicine really do to our health? What are its differences from that of pharmaceutical medicine?

Pharmaceutical medicine unknown to many is mostly for symptomatic relief. It does not really treat the underlying disease causing this symptom or discomfort. While herbal medicine on the other hand doesn’t only relieve the discomfort brought about by the illness, but the cure the illness itself. I have proven this when I came across a man afflicted with a burger gangrene in his hand. He was given antibiotics and pain reliever, but the doctor told him that these medicines could not stop the decaying of his hand. Amputation is necessary to stop the gangrene. Because of the cost of the amputation and the thought of having his hand cut, he did not agree. Instead he resorted to herbal medicine. You would not believe but he used guava leaves, ginger, garlic, chili (the very small ones), and drank aloevera juice (he bought it from herbal medicine dealers) and bee products. After almost three months his hands were healed! The only part he lost was half of one of his point finger because it was completely decayed when he started the herbal treatment.

Another difference is, pharmaceutical unlike herbal medicine, has side effects and possible over dosages. This is because it is manufactured in pure form and stabilizers and preservatives were added. These substances that were added could react reversely with the body. And because pharmaceuticals are in pure form, they are prescribed in specific dosage and taken only in a specific period of time.

Am not saying though that Pharmaceutical medicine is bad, and we should not use it. There also times when it’s the only remedy a patient could resort to for the relief of grave symptoms of advanced and irreversible diseases, which healing is no longer possible.

But there is something we should understand about our health and diseases. We get sick because of one thing, malnutrition. Our body needs energy, vitamins and minerals. It needs the proper and balanced amount of these substances to keep it working properly. An imbalance or lack of one of these would cause jeopardy to the body’s processes. This would result to possible mutations and degenerations which would cause diseases and leaving us at risk to infections. And when we get sick, pharmaceuticals treat our body, but doesn’t repair and restore what has been damaged, therefore there is no healing, the disease only controlled. We are still sick. This is what makes herbal medicine different. Herbal medicines are holistic medicine. They play a key role, not only to treat diseases and alleviate symptoms but nourish, maintain processes, and balance the over-all mechanism of our body, encouraging self-repair and healing. And this is the explanation unto how come a gangrene, which is clinically considered an irreversible damage, was cured and healed through herbal medicine. Our body, when maintained and nourished properly heals itself thus thwarting diseases and infections.

By Angel

Labels: basis herbal medicine pharmocodynamic, history of herbal medicine, philippine herbal medicine

# posted by Leo @ 8:11 PM