Siouxland Magazine - Volume 1 Issue 3

Siouxland Magazine | BALANCE / 50
Brian David Gilbert finds relief from soft tissue injury with a comfrey cast.
Herbal Medicine for All Seasons
By Kathy Jensen
Herbs have been used as a medicine since the
dawn of time with a written history of more than
5,000 years. Medicinally, an herb is any plant or part of
a plant used for its therapeutic value. Herbal medicine is
the art and science of using herbs for promoting health
and preventing and treating illness.
The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic from the 3rd century
BC shows China had the earliest known written record of
a medical system. This system included herbs, animals
and minerals as medicine.
The Native Americans also had extensive knowledge
of many plants for treating disease. They shared this
knowledge with the early pioneers.
American housewives were acquainted with the
medicinal properties of herbs. Young girls assisted their
mothers in the fields to gather plants and use them
therapeutically.
Modern medicine has come a long way as has the
acceptance and resurgence of tradition herbalism.
The philosophical difference between herbalists and
conventional physicians has profound significance.
Western acute emergency medicine is absolutely the
best in the world, but in regards to stress related illnesses,
healing from unhealthy lifestyles, and living in an increased
toxic world, these healings belong to the trained herbalist
and natural healers.
Pharmaceuticals can have many side effects, some worse
than the illness. Most herbs sold as dietary supplements
are very safe. When used appropriately, the majority of
herbs used by practitioners have no adverse side effects.
According to Norman Farnsworth, “Based on published
reports, side effects or toxic reactions associated with
herbal medicines in any form are rare. In fact, of all classes
of substances reported to cause toxicities of sufficient
magnitude to be reported in the United States, plants are
the least problematic.”
According to the oldest practicing medical system,
Traditional Chinese Medicine, plants adapt to the different
growing seasons, just like our bodies adapt to seasonal
changes. Home gardens, farmers’ markets, open fields
and wooded areas organically grown, untouched by toxic
chemicals, offer the body the perfect food and medicine
for each season associated with an organ system. Seasonal