Herbal Medicine & Homeopathy
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is a system of medicine that is entirely plant-based, deriving from the combinations of various plant parts–anything from flowers and leaves to roots. Extraction methods will vary based on the medicinal use, but both fresh and dried plant matter can be effective for patients.
Herbalists will often source plants from natural or reputable sources to maintain high quality ingredients for their treatments. Herbal medicine is a very sustainable platform, and can consist of syrups, infusions, lotions, tinctures, compresses, poultices, decoction, and alcohol or water-based preparations.
Other common herbal medicine can take the form of oils, powders, juices, steam inhalation, gargles and creams. You can find individuals who use herbal medicine for kidney problems and others who use herbal medicine for arthritis, and many other types of discomfort.
The possibilities are endless as herbal medicine addresses a host of medical conditions and discomforts such as, but not limited to: hormonal and emotional health, digestion, allergies, skin conditions, joint and bone conditions, heart health and circulation, fertility and pregnancy, fatigue, and your immune system.
During a consultation, medical herbalists such as Dr. Roxie Strand at Creative Healing Solutions will take inventory of your medical history, ask questions about you and your immediate family’s health, discuss your current diet and lifestyle habits and see if you are currently taking medicine or supplements.
It’s important for us to understand what might be causing your illness so that the right herb mixtures can be created for your health needs and goals. Testing for blood pressure and other elements may be a part of our initial consultation.
Once an individual is given an herbal treatment plan, you will receive personalized herbal applications in combination with dietary changes and nutritional supplements. There may be additional follow-up visits to complete the formulations and assess your progress and reactions to the plan. Herbal medicine benefits are subtle and will not work as quickly as traditional medications, however, they offer none to few side effects and produce results that last.
You should use your personalized herbal medicine as directed and tell any relevant healthcare providers such as specialists and primary care physicians that you are using herbal medicine to treat your given condition or concern. Your personal biology will determine exactly how much of a given plant you will need and in what combinations.
Dr Strand provides herbal medicine in Scottsdale that can work in tandem with other services offered here such as Naturopathic medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, and more. You may want to ask about plants such as ginkgo, turmeric, primrose oil, flax seed, tea tree oil, lavender and grapeseed extract.
These are just a few of the plants that can help you to gain strength and address your body’s ailments. If you are currently dealing with the effects of anxiety, migraines, high blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer, flu or common cold, acne, inflammation or more, then herbal medicine may be a good option for you. Those who are sensitive to medications, foods and other forms of treatment may find that herbal medicine is a safer and more satisfying alternative. At Creative Healing Solutions, we believe herbal medicine can be your first choice.
If you think you might benefit from the powerful health benefits of herbal medicine, schedule a time to speak with Dr. Strand about herbal medicine.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a natural, scientific system of medicine, which is based on the application of the Law of Similars. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician, pursued a deep philosophical and scientific quest, bringing together countless discoveries and reflections throughout the history of medicine, until he developed what he called an “ideal system of therapeutics”. This ideal system was described by using the Latin phrase “Similia similibus curentur,” which translates as “Let likes cure likes”…the Law of Similars. This principle had been known for centuries but Hahnemann developed the principle into a system of medicine he called homeopathy.
Homeopathy uses various plant, mineral, and/or animal substances in very dilute doses to stimulate a sick person’s natural defense systems. It is accepted knowledge that plants, minerals, and chemicals can cause in overdose its own unique set of physical, emotional, and mental symptoms. It is also readily acknowledged that individuals, when ill, have their own idiosyncratic physical, emotional, and mental symptom patterns, even when different people have the same disease. The way of similars, the homeopathic way, is to find a substance that would cause an overdose similar symptoms to those a sick person is experiencing. An example of this is homeopathically prepared coffee (coffea tosta) being used to treat certain types of sleeplessness which resemble the sleeplessness caused by drinking coffee.
Homeopathic physicians recognize that symptoms are the body’s efforts to adapt to and defend against various imbalances, stresses, and/or infections. Since the body is not always successful in dealing with every imbalance, stress or infection, it only makes sense to find a substance in nature that is able to copy or to mimic the symptoms that the patient is experiencing so that it can aid the body in its efforts to defend and ultimately heal itself. Therefore, specific homeopathic remedies are chosen for their ability to match and mimic the particular symptoms of a sick person and thereby go with rather than against the body’s own effort to heal itself.
There are currently 3000+ remedies listed in the homeopathic materia medica. The actual homeopathic remedies are prepared by a standardized process of potentisation involving repeated serial steps of dilution and vigorous shaking (succussion) between each dilution. This precise process (recorded in the homeopathic pharmacopoeia) brings out the medicinal properties of the original plant, mineral or animal substance. The degree of dilution is referred to as the “potency” of the remedy, with the higher dilutions corresponding to higher potencies. These remedies are extremely safe to take because of their highly diluted form, and the small doses used by homeopaths only have an effect when the remedy is indicated based on the totality of symptoms the patient is experiencing. If the wrong remedy is given to a person, nothing happens. If the correct remedy is given, the medicine respects the body’s healing wisdom and acts as a catalyst to the person’s natural defenses. Homeopathy makes the most of the organism’s capacity to heal itself. The limits of homeopathy are in fact those of the organism to heal itself.
In short, homeopathy is a system of medicine that displays common sense, respects and treats the whole person, treats the cause of imbalance, utilizes natural substances, and optimizes the extraordinary innate self-healing powers of each individual.
It is important that you receive homeopathic treatment from an experienced homeopathic doctor to ensure proper dosage for optimum effectiveness.
Homeopathy is a natural, trusted way to treat your body’s imbalances without introducing harmful chemicals and substances. Try homeopathy for your medical concerns at Creative Healing Solutions in Scottsdale. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at (480) 689-4200.