Can Herbal Treatments Help You Heal?

While modern medicine is quite effective at targeting and treating a wide range of health ailments, some people have concerns about long-term side effects associated with pharmaceutical medications. For this group, shifting to natural remedies, or even supplementing traditional care with those methods, is a popular choice. Beyond concerns about how medications can impact health, natural remedies can often be more affordable, have fewer side effects, and be easier to integrate into daily life. Still, people want to know if herbal treatments can be used along with traditional Western medicine.

Herbal medicines are very common

Over 80% of the world’s population is already using some form of herbal or natural treatment methods to manage medical conditions. Options like herbal medicines, acupuncture and acupressure all qualify as natural therapies. In many cases, these methodologies are rooted in traditions and history that is thousands of years old. However, these practices are far more common in other parts of the world than in the US. Over the past five decades, this has begun to change, as many Americans are seeking complementary therapies to address medical concerns.

Creating a lifeline

One of the biggest drivers of complementary medicine exploration is people being told that a health condition can’t improve. Being told that a person must just learn to live with a diagnosis can be incredibly discouraging. More importantly, when a diagnosis negatively impacts quality of life, such as with chronic pain, expecting a patient to just endure that life is unrealistic. When modern medicine doesn’t have the answers, people turn to natural remedies.

A patient-led process

In most cases, the choice to pursue herbal or natural-based therapies is usually led by patients. Physicians view this move as a patient-centered treatment plan, especially when used in conjunction with traditional medical practices. When herbal or natural solutions are incorporated, this method is known as integrative medicine and isn’t quite the same as a person randomly taking herbal supplements. Instead, integrative medicine focuses on evidence-based practices that have a proven track record of providing relief. The long-term goal is to develop a treatment plan that supports the body’s self-healing capabilities.

A holistic approach

Integrative medicine that incorporates herbal treatments is based on the idea of a holistic approach. Rather than simply focusing on the specific symptoms a patient mentions, the goal is to treat the whole body, along with supporting well-being for mental, emotional, and even spiritual health. Because of this, treatment is customized, taking into account the specific needs of each individual patient. Meanwhile, preventative care is also a key tenet of this methodology. Integrative medicine has become so popular in the US that therapies are often covered by insurance.

Don’t be afraid to ask

As natural treatments become increasingly popular, patients shouldn’t be afraid to ask physicians about integrative medicine and how it can support overall health goals. Many of these treatments are supported by peer-reviewed studies, showing proven efficacy in helping to control or even reduce symptoms, especially for chronic conditions.