Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

68 Alternative and Complementary Approaches
migraines, though may provide a level of relief for
menstrual discomforts. Results become evident
after taking feverfew for eight weeks or longer.
Feverfew inhibits PLATELET AGGREGATION, slowing
the initiation of COAGULATION (the formation of
blood clots). People who take feverfew should let
their surgeons know of this, if they are planning
surgery, and stop taking the herb for the time
period the surgeon recommends. People should
not take feverfew with prescribed anticoagulant
medications such as warfarin or enoxaparin.
FEVERFEW (Tanacetum parthenium)
Uses Risks/Side Effects Interactions
migraine HEADACHE excessive bleeding anticoagulants
menstrual discomfort
aspirin, NSAIDs
See also ANALGESIC
MEDICATIONS; BIOFEEDBACK;
BIOFEEDBACK AND PAIN RELIEF.
flower essences Remedies that capture the
energy and HEALING qualities of plants and flowers
and impart them to alter emotional responses that
might be causing physical disease. The most
widely use flower essence formulas are the Bach
flower essences, named for the Dr. Edward Bach,
who developed and popularized flower essence
therapy in the 1930s. Bach, a homeopathic physician,
observed the correlations between emotion
and physical illness. He surmised that plants and
flowers could alter emotional responses, freeing
the body to return to a state of health. In the tradition
of HOMEOPATHY, Bach created mixtures that
started with parts of plants in solutions of water
and ALCOHOL. He repeatedly diluted the solutions
until virtually no plant particle remained. The
residual solution retained the energy of the
flower, however, which could influence the emotions
of people who used the solution.
No clinical studies support the effectiveness of
flower essences, though people who use them
typically report improvement in their symptoms.
From the homeopathic perspective the flower
essences influence health in the fashion of “like
cures like,” the underlying philosophy of homeopathy.
From the conventional medicine perspective,
flower essences may improve the emotional wellbeing
of people who take them through the
PLACEBO effect. Most health experts agree that with
remedies, such as flower essences, that have no
potential side effects, there is no harm in using the
remedies. It is important to remember, however,
that some emotional states may reflect potentially
serious conditions such as GENERALIZED ANXIETY DIS-
ORDER (GAD) and DEPRESSION. There are conventional
medicine therapies for these conditions that
are likely to provide more rapid and effective
intervention. Flower essences are widely used in
an integrative manner in many European countries.
See also ANTIANXIETY MEDICATIONS; ANTIDEPRESSANT
MEDICATIONS; AROMATHERAPY.