Western herbal medicine is not the same as Chinese medicine nor homeopathy. It uses the actual plant material itself, and uses herbs mainly native to Europe and the American continents although more diverse herbs are continually being added. These may be Asian, Australian or New Zealand natives.
Many of the plants used are growing around us right here in Nelson and it is my aim to start harvesting and utilising these as part of my holistic approach to medicine. I aim to get more people using simple herb teas as a starting place for health maintenance.
Medical herbalists must train in anatomy, physiology, pathology, biochemistry, differential diagnosis and pharmacology as well as studying over one hundred herbs and their applications along with the philosophy of herbal medicine. The training involves 3 to 4 years fulltime study including extensive clinical experience.