Herbology – an Alternative to Allopathic Pharmaceutical Dependence

There were seemingly various other healthcare modalities in existence in the US in the late 1800’s, such as homeopathy, osteopathy, herbology and chiropractic, which the American Medical Association (AMA) later would attempt to either assimilate or eliminate.

Samuel Thomson (1769-1843) was a self-taught botanist and herbalist best known as the founder of Thomsonian Medicine. His method seems to center around the concept of regulating heat within the human body in order to manage instead of eliminate fever or more simply stated as “heat is life, disease and death are degrees of cold” (Bone & Mills, 2013). This is very similar to the concept balancing heat and cold within the body, by regulating the 5 phases or elements from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Similar concepts are recognized with Ayurveda.

The documentary The Power of Herbs https://youtu.be/NmPi87lndzo is very informative, albeit somewhat dated from almost 6 years ago, as herbology studies and consumer awareness has increased in recent years. Professor Kathy Sykes offers some good examples of how herbs can help various conditions such as eczema, depression, HIV, and intermittent claudication. I am fairly confident that there have been many more studies in recent years proving the efficacy of herbs for many other conditions.

What will it take and when will the medical community more fully embrace the benefits of many of these herbs that have proven the test of time for many cultures, sometimes over thousands of years? I thoroughly understand that much of this issue comes down to funding of the research to have allopathic medicine’s endorsement, and consequently the FDA’s approval of the efficacy and safety of such herbs. However, I think most would agree that there is little profit for pharmaceutical companies to make only millions in profits, when compared to the billions of dollars that are generated through synthetic drugs sales. While more people today in the US may be more open-minded than ever before to trying herbs such as garlic, basil and others, to manage high blood pressure, the majority of people would rather take pharmaceuticals. ACE inhibitors like lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), is very popular for high blood pressure in spite of known side effects of cough, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, depression, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach, and mild skin itching or rash.

References:

Bone, Kerry; Mills, Simon. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy, 2013 (Kindle Locations 1066-1068). Elsevier Health Sciences. Kindle Edition.

Flannery M. A. (2002). The early botanical medical movement as a reflection of life, liberty, and literacy in Jacksonian America. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA, 90(4), 442–454.

The Power Of Herbs – AWESOME BBC Herbal Medicine Documentary. (2016, August 27). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmPi87lndzo

https://www.rxlist.com/zestril-side-effects-drug-center.htm

https://steemit.com/health/@flomingo/herbs-vs-pharmaceutical-drugs

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I am currently offering wellness lectures and tai chi/fitness classes for group, small group & private instruction in Wekiva, Longwood and Winter Park. I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures and seminars available onmy YouTube channel at:

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Jim Moltzan

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10-90% of the Efficacy of Prescriptions Comes Down to the Placebo Effect

Our society seems to rely heavily upon interpretation of scientific data, when it comes to healthcare and guidance, relative pharmaceuticals, procedures, etc. However, it is ironic that the US healthcare system relies quite heavily on this perception that medical pharmaceuticals can fix many ailments. The power of suggestion can play a significant role in alleviating pain and suffering. Somewhere between 10-90% of the efficacy of prescriptions comes down to the placebo effect.

Factors such as trust in the doctor prescribing the medication, specific details regarding the medicine, like its brand, price, name, and place of origin can all affect the patient’s potential belief in the medicine improving their aliment. So, while we keep hearing “follow the science”, the science seems to show that the placebo effect is indeed real and part of the US healthcare system.

References:

Colloca L. (2019). The Placebo Effect in Pain Therapies. Annual review of pharmacology and toxicology, 59, 191–211. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010818-021542

The Pharmaceutical Journal, PJ, 19 September 2015, Vol 295, No 7880;295(7880):DOI:10.1211/PJ.2015.20069282

https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3976

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https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

Address the Root Causes of Pain and Illness

Allopathic, biomedicine or Western medicine are based upon treating illness through pharmaceuticals, surgery, and other invasive treatments. This approach works well for traumatic injuries and some life-threatening diseases but often falls quite short in treating chronic illnesses due to choices in diet and lifestyle. Allopathic medicine basically puts the healthcare provider in the role of maintaining the health of the individual instead of the individual being responsible for the consequences of their own actions, whether deemed as good or bad for that individual. This is one of the main reasons why healthcare in the US is so expensive, while at the same time our standard of health and wellness rates far below the best when compared to other countries in the world. The US does not really provide healthcare, but rather encourages “sick care” over self-care.

Find and research the root cause of your disease, pain or discomfort to help become empowered to make your own educated decisions that affect your health and well-being. It is often very difficult to live a comfortable life, when someone has so much pain and suffering within it. The keys to happiness are truly in our own hands. Self-discipline is the master key to do what we know needs to be done:

– maintain a nutritional diet

– consistently exercise and/or be active

– prioritize sleep quality- nurture healthy social interactions

– get fresh air and some sunlight everyday

– be more positive than negative in your outlook and input

Naturopathic medicine does a fantastic job of outlining how to maintain health and well-being, without 1st jumping to pharmaceutical, surgery and other invasive treatments, before accessing what is appropriate and best for the individual and their particular circumstances. Other medical modalities such as chiropractic and Traditional Chinese Medicine often follow these same principles.

The Seven-Level Naturopathic
1- Establish the Conditions for Health
2- Stimulate the Vis Medicatrix Naturae and Self-Healing Processes
3- Support and Balance Physiologic and Bioenergetic Systems
4 – Address or Correct Structural Integrity
5 – Address Pathology using Specific Natural Substances or Interventions
6 – Address Pathology using Pharmaceutical or Synthetic Substances
7 – Suppress or Surgically Remove Pathology