Herbal medicine falls into one of the five general categories established by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, called "Biologically Based Therapies." With roots in traditional folk healing, there are areas of stronger scientific and empirical support, as well as areas of weaker support. It is a very broad area which includes the individual consumption of over-the-counter vitamins and supplements, as well as very carefully designed compound formulae selected from Asian formularies thousands of years old.

Herbal medicine is best used for low-grade, chronic conditions. Examples include fatigue, PMS complaints, menopausal complaints, digestive complaints, inhibited sexual desire, sleep difficulties, etc.

Research has blossomed since the 1970s, from which time thousands of chemical, test-tube, and clinical studies have taken place with reference to herbs. Matt Alfs, MH, AHG, herbal consultant for The Natural Care Center at Woodwinds lists over 800 scientific studies for 100 different plants in his book, Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants of Minnesota & Wisconsin.

Training of Herbal Medicine Practitioners

The training of herbal medicine practitioners varies widely, depending on where a person lives, what stream of herbal medicine they are pursuing, whether they already have a health care degree or certification, etc. For example, you can obtain herbal training as one component of a Naturopathic degree program or Oriental Medicine degree program or Ayurvedic Medicine degree program. Or you can train separately to be an herbalist. The latter is sometimes done by apprenticing with a skilled herbalist, through any number of college diploma programs in herbal medicine, through self-study, or by any combination of the above.

Some people may choose to study only one stream of herbalism, or some may study more than one. (Examples of herbal "streams" include modern Western phytotherapy, Appalachian folk herbalism, Latino folk herbalism, American Eclectic herbal therapy, Thomsonianism, and many others.)

Regulation of Herbal Medicine Practitioners

In many countries, there is a professional body of herbal practitioners, whose membership is usually voluntary, which establishes guidelines for its members. In America, this is the American Herbalists Guild, which confers a peer-reviewed professional status on practitioners who, through a rigorous application process, can demonstrate their clinical skill. These practitioners are then required to meet certain ethical and professional standards and to continuously meet C.E.U. requirements. The various national guilds may also offer to adjudicate complaints from clients or even discipline their members to a certain degree.