Herbal Medicine
Rooted in Science
What is Herbal Medicine?
Western Herbal Medicine combines a scientific understanding of plant constituents with conventional clinical training. Plants contain a large range of active phytochemicals and their medicinal use goes back centuries, working with the body's own adaptive and corrective capacity rather than overriding it. Whole-plant preparations preserve the full range of a plant's constituents in their natural balance, which is partly why, when used knowledgeably, they are both effective and well tolerated.
Plant medicine remains part of mainstream practice across much of Europe, and modern research increasingly confirms why particular plants have long been used. Even today many synthetic drugs take their structural blueprint from medicinal plants — Goat's Rue, for example, is the template for the diabetic drug Metformin.
Our medical herbalist practises Functional Herbal Medicine — a modern, investigative approach that looks beyond a diagnosis to the reasons the body is no longer coping and is a registered member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, with formal training in pathology, physiology, pharmacology, diagnostics and physical examination — including the recognition of red flags that require referral back to your GP.
The body is constantly adapting, and when its capacity to do so is exceeded, ill health tends to follow. The task is to understand where that has happened and to support the body's own ability to recover, using plant medicine, targeted nutrition and functional testing. The aim is not to suppress symptoms but to understand the imbalances underlying them, and to support the body's own corrective capacity through plant medicine, nutrition and considered changes to daily life to so that the symptoms naturally resolve themselves.
How a consultation works
The first consultation lasts around an hour — enough time to take a full history and properly understand the circumstances surrounding your health concerns. Conventional medical diagnosis is used and a physical examination carried out when required, including checking blood pressure and any visible manifestation of your condition. Your current medication, diet and lifestyle are all taken into account, with dietary and lifestyle advice forming part of your treatment plan.
Rather than simply focus on the diagnosis alone, our aim is to dig deeper to incorporate an understanding of your unique set of circumstances and how they are impacting upon your health, and from this an individual treatment plan, including a bespoke herbal formulation checked for compatibility with any prescribed medication, is drawn up. Every prescription is worked up specifically for you at the time of consultation because what shapes the formulation is not the diagnosis alone but how your unique history and context is affecting your physiology.
The main prescription is usually a tincture — a concentrated plant extract in liquid form, diluted in a small amount of water. Tinctures hold the full complement of a plant's constituents and are readily absorbed. Other preparations used where the case calls for them include teas, capsules, creams, lotions or syrups.
The pattern of follow-ups depends on the case, but a follow-up consultation is usually four weeks later — enough time for the initial changes to have had an effect, and to adjust the prescription in light of what is happening and to carefully monitor progress. Most meaningful change is worked over a three- to six-month period.
Herbal medicine can be prescribed alongside conventional treatment in most cases. Every formulation dispensed is thoroughly cross-checked against any medication, upcoming clinical tests or interventions you have scheduled at each appointment. We share our clinical reasoning throughout the consultation process, so you can play an informed part in your own care.
Conditions we work with
Conditions We Work With
We see patients of all ages, with many of the concerns you might otherwise take to a GP.
Hormonal health
- Perimenopause and menopause
- PMS and irregular cycles
- PMOS (formerly PCOS)
- Endometriosis
- Fibroids
- Male hormonal concerns
Stress, energy and fatigue
- Chronic and post-viral fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic stress and burnout
- Sleep disruption
- Anxiety
- Low mood
Digestive health
- IBS and IBD — Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease such as Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis
- SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth)
- Food intolerances
- Bloating and constipation
- Diverticulitis
Immune and inflammation
- Autoimmune conditions
- Chronic inflammation
- Recurrent infections, including UTIs
- Skin complaints
Respiratory health
- Bronchitis
- Hayfever and allergies
- Recurrent respiratory tract infections
Complex or unexplained symptoms
- Multiple overlapping concerns
- Symptoms without a clear diagnosis
Children's health
Functional Testing
Where it adds clarity, advanced testing through accredited laboratories can be arranged. An accurate diagnosis is the starting point for any effective treatment plan and is gleaned by applying clinical knowledge and experience to your presenting symptoms and exploring the context to your health challenges to identify root causes.
The tests most often used include:
- DUTCH comprehensive hormone profiles — male and female
- Full thyroid panel
- Adrenal stress profile
- Comprehensive gastrointestinal analysis
- SIBO breath testing
- Faecal calprotectin
- IgG food-intolerance testing (59 foods)
Testing is used selectively — to direct treatment more accurately. It is not routine for every patient, and our practitioner will explain the reasoning if a test is recommended for you.
Food Intolerance Testing
Food Intolerance Testing
The Food Detective Test is an IgG-based food intolerance panel covering 59 foods. IgG antibodies are a slower-acting arm of the immune response, distinct from the IgE antibodies that drive true food allergy — which is why a food intolerance can produce persistent, low-grade symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, joint aches, digestive discomfort or skin flares, without any of the acute signs of an allergic reaction. A persistently raised IgG response to particular foods can point to low-level immune activation contributing to the wider clinical picture.
The test itself uses a finger-prick blood sample. The test detects for an antibody reaction to the 59 most common trigger foods known to cause intolerances. The test results are available after 40 minutes and will be used to guide a structured elimination diet, before eventually working towards a carefully staged reintroduction — because the aim is not to keep foods out of the diet indefinitely, but to lower the reactivity by addressing the drivers underneath it.
A Note on Self-Treatment
It is advisable to consult a professional medical herbalist rather than self-diagnose and treat with herbs. This is especially true in the case of more complex, chronic or serious illnesses. Registered Medical Herbalists are trained to a high level in medical disciplines such as pathology, physiology, differential diagnostics, nutrition, pharmacology, and physical examination and can recognise clinical red flags and conditions that require urgent referral to your primary health care provider. If you are struggling to get the help you feel you need with an unresolving health problem, a professional, fully-trained, registered medical herbalist may be just what you are looking for.
Plants (or “herbs”) containing active phytochemicals have been used for centuries to mobilise natural healing processes and restore balance to poorly functioning areas of health. Phytotherapy identifies and combines these powerful, yet natural, healing properties into a bespoke medicine for the individual patient to address specific conditions and to optimise general health. When applied in this way, herbs can be used to help patients of all ages and with most medical conditions, either alone or to supplement medicines prescribed by your Doctor.
During an unhurried and comprehensive first consultation, the wider aspects of your health are fully considered in addition to the specific condition or ailment. This will also take into account any conventional medication you may be taking, your diet and lifestyle, upon which advice is given.
Helen Shardlow
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