First, herbal medicine is not just about taking a remedy to get rid of symptoms you may be experiencing. This is only a tiny part of a much bigger picture. A medical herbalist may well give you a mix to tackle a troublesome cough or recommend a nutritional supplement for your aching joints, but s/he will first and foremost try to get to the root of the problem and identify a strategy to deal with it. This is likely to involve a multifaceted approach. But even this is only a part of the picture. Ultimately herbal medicine is about giving you an understanding of your own body, and of how you need to treat it in order to help it to do its job of regulating and maintaining your health as efficiently as possible.

Second, herbs and herbal extracts are biochemically and pharmacologically active compounds; many are only licenced for use by qualified, registered practitioner. The use of over-the-counter or online herbal remedies without professional guidance is not likely to be very effective. This is not only because quality and content will vary considerably - you only need to search for a supplement online to see the huge variability of products available; it is also because the formulation and dose will not take into account your individual needs (medical history, build, state of health, etc.). And if you are taking prescribed medications or suffer from other medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, asthma, or heart disease), or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, self-prescribing herbal remedies may pose serious risks. Qualified medical herbalists are trained to understand all of these risks and prescribe safely, as well as to liaise with other health professionals where appropriate, and to monitor your progress rigorously. Find out more about medical herbalists' training here.