Western Herbalists treat people who are suffering from disease or imbalances with herbal medicines. The basis of how we practice and the preparations that we use has been used by herbalists in Europe for hundreds of years. Herbal Medicine is the oldest form of medicine known to man and is still the most widely practised type of medicine in the world.

Western Herbalists aim to treat the cause of the problem and not just the symptoms. Through consultation we build a picture of your health, we ask lots of questions but just as importantly we listen, your health is dependant on you as a whole and not just a part of you. Examination techniques maybe used, (mostly these are the same as those used by your GP), checking peoples blood pressure and urine. Advice maybe given about diet or lifestyle changes that would be beneficial and a prescription if needed, will be drawn up specifically for you.

Herbal medicines can be prepared in many different forms e.g. tinctures, creams, teas or oils. These preparations often contain a number of herbs, we believe that when mixed together, herbs have a synergistic effect, buffering and enhancing each others action.

Where possible my medicines are organic, either home grown or bought from reputable British producers. I avoid the use of wild endangered species and standardised extracts of these also, as they are not traditional preparations. The increasing popularity of Herbal Medicine has led to a vast amount of medicines available in shops. These are often sold in the same manner as pharmaceutical drugs, being recommended as symptomatic relief for everyone with this particular disorder. Herbalist, although able to treat symptomatically, work from a different standpoint and aim to cure the cause, the results are often better and longer lasting.

Herbal medicine can be used at home for treatment of mild illness like colds, sore throats, bruises and minor burns but it is not advisable to treat yourself at home if you are suffering from a more serious complaint, are taking any pharmaceutical drugs, are pregnant or lactating.

Herbalist can treat both acute and chronic illness but most of our patients tend to be those people suffering from chronic illness. Diseases commonly treated by herbalists include, arthritis, menstruation irregularities, menopausal symptoms, CFS, prostate problems, eczema, hayfever, asthma, psoriasis, mild depression, gastric ulcers, Crohns disease, colitis, IBS etc. In practice you tend to find that herbal medicine can help with the great majority of health problems but we always refer a patient to their GP, hospital or other health care practitioner if this is needed.

The National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) is the oldest body of practising medical herbalists in the world, established in 1864, in the UK for Western Herbalists. Only herbalists who have qualified through an accredited course can become members, all members have undergone a rigorous four year training and adhere to a strict code of ethics. Members carry the initials MNIMH or FNIMH after their names.