The Past, Present and Future of Herbal Medicine Orthodox versus Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Herbal medicines are well sought by the general public worldwide. Since these products have significant pharmacological activity, and thus potential adverse effects and drug interactions, healthcare professionals must be familiar with this therapeutic modality. This article gives an account of the origins of herbal medicines and their transformation into modern medicine. It also highlights what knowledge should be required by the healthcare professional to deal with the ever increasing number of interested consumers.

Orthodox versus Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Medical herbalism is the practice of healing with medicinal plants. Modern orthodox (western, allopathic) treatment is different from medical herbalism (alternative therapy), but at some instances these two merge. Such examples include the use of Friar’s balsam or benzoin tincture (mainly from Styrax benzoin) for the treatment of colds, the use of Aloe vera gel for the treatment of inflammatory conditions1 and the use of cascara or senna (Rhamnus purshiana and Cassia spp.) in the treatment of constipation.

Most complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies, tend to suffer from a lack of research and critical evaluation.2 In fact, both supporters and critics point out that there are difficulties in the conceptual and practical scientific evaluation of alternative therapies, such as the case with homeopathy, reflexology, acupuncture, and other forms of therapies. However, herbal medicine fits well with the standard scientific evaluations used to assess modern medicine. So much so, that certain natural products derived from plants, have been used to describe pharmacological action of drugs even at the receptor level. For instance, the opioid receptors are named after the effects of opium alkaloids (from Papaver somniferum) at these receptors,3 while the division of acetylcholine receptors as muscarinic and nicotinic subtypes is derived from the effects of muscarine found in the Inocybe and Clitocybe mushroom species and nicotine found in the tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum).4

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE