What Can Herbal Medicine Be Used For ?
Because herbal medicine looks to bring back health to a person rather than simply focusing on symptoms, it can be used for any kind of health difficulties and diseases. Professional Medical Herbalists are trained to deal with the problems which a person would normally visit his/her GP, from simple coughs, colds or stomach upsets, to more long-term problems such as rheumatism, arthritis, skin disorders, sleep problems, catarrhal problems, asthma, hay fever, menstrual difficulties and so on.
Is Herbal Medicine Safe ?
Occasionally reports crop up in the press of cases of illness or poisoning caused by taking herbs. Though most most turn out to be nothing more than 'scare stories' that do not stand up to scrutiny, some cases of poisoning from herbs have occurred when herbs have been used for self-treatment or administered by an unqualified practitioner. Herb teas etc, bought from health food shops, supermarkets and so forth are perfectly harmless, but like all medicines, herbs should always be prescribed by a qualified person who knows the particular needs of the patient. In professional hands, Herbal Medicine is a safe and effective method of healing and there have been no recorded cases of medicine-related mishap occurring to patients who have consulted members of The International Register of Consultant Herbalists and Homoeopaths of which I am a full member.
The General Council and Register of Consultant Herbalists (GCRCH), later to become known as the International Register of Consultant Herbalists and Homoeopaths (IRCH), has been training practitioner to the highest possible standards through the combination of long-distance study, workshops, seminars and intensive clinical training, thus closely following the traditions of the Open University.
The International Register of Consultant Herbalists and Homoeopaths was founded in 1960 under the name of the General Council and Register of Consultant Herbalists by the directors of the British Herbalists Union (an organisation with it's origins in the early part of this century). It was the first organisation established in the United Kingdom solely for practitioners of Medical Herbalism and founded the Register of Herbalists with the aim of ensuring that anyone consulting one of it's members would experience skilled, ethical and professional care.
Today, the IRCH is one of the largest professional register of herbalists in the UK, and trains and registers Medical Herbalists as well as Homoeopaths. All registered members have received extensive academic and practical clinical training, and passed examinations set by it's Faculty of Herbal Medicine. Members of these registers operate to a strict Code of Ethics and professional behaviour, are subject to a disciplinary procedure and are required to hold relevant liability insurance.
Members can be recognised by the initials DBTh, MIRCH - 'Registered Medical Herbalist' or DHoM, MIRCH - Homoeopathic Practitioner.
The IRCH publishes 'The Journal of Natural Medicine' and is a registered non profit-making organisation.
For further information, a register of members or a prospectus for study, please contact:
IRCH
The Registered Office
32 King Edward Road
32Swansea SA1 4LL
Phone / Fax: (0044) 01792 655 886
