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20.11.2014 Feature Article

ARE WE TIRED OF SYNTHETIC DRUGS? AFTER SEVERAL DRUG RESISTANCES, ONCE MORE NATURE HAS AN ANSWER? GOING BACK TO NATURE II

ARE WE TIRED OF SYNTHETIC DRUGS? AFTER SEVERAL DRUG RESISTANCES, ONCE MORE NATURE HAS AN ANSWER? GOING BACK TO NATURE II
20.11.2014 LISTEN

People all around the world have started demanding for herbal alternative medicine to synthetic drugs. Many medical schools all around the world have started reintroduction of traditional or complementary medicine into their curricula something they phased out of the system. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology started a four year degree program in Herbal Medicine in 2001 with a year of service with a health facility and another year of clinical internship at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital and Centre for Research into Plant medicine.

Herbal medicine once considered off-beat is now gaining worldwide recognition not because of the easy accessibility and affordability but the very fact that most people get the desired results with fewer side effects. It is not an unfounded claim as you might think.

The very difference between orthodox medicine and herbal medicine is their approach. Herbalism looks at the whole person and treats with the whole herb whilst on the other hand as it has always been debated, modern medicine treat symptoms and not consider the whole person. This is still a debate because modern medicine also looks at social history and considers most of the persons' personal life.

I would rather lay that to rest till the appropriate time. The question still remains “where do herbal medicines come in? Can modern or orthodox medicine alone solve our healthcare problems?

No wrong question, let me erase it and put it this way “has orthodox medicine being able to solve ALL our healthcare problems”?

The answer is obvious and with the WHO's report of 80% of the world's population using alternative medicine in one way or other we can't run away from the importance of traditional medicine in healthcare systems.

I say it this way; whether we like it or not, whether we call it unscientific, fringe, botanical, alternative or not, people will still resort to it and are still resorting to it. The herbal medicine business in Ghana is a lucrative one because those who use it get results. So if the problem is lack of standard in the manufacture of products and the practice itself, why then are we not channeling resources into it to make it standardize, can we continue to despise it and look down on it when we all aware that even the so-called “big-men” when orthodox medicine fails them “nicodemously” run to herbal clinics or even local herbal practitioners for solution to their problems.

We are all going back to nature; nature has always been and will always be the solution to our problems. An alternative doesn't mean it plays second fiddle, it means it has the quality to replace the existing one. It is not as if there is no alternative healthcare apart from orthodox medicine.

Medical advancement is of no doubt the reason for the high rate of survival these days. The discovery of new drugs resulted in the treatment of invariably fatal conditions we encountered some years ago. Certain forms of fatal cancers are now treatable, most infections, either common or life-threatening ones are now treated with all new powerful antibiotics. Chemical synthesis of drugs has brought about advancement and most people thought it is the answer to every problem we face and might face when it comes to treating diseases.

In the late 1980's and the early 1990's we saw widespread recurring problems which came with treating diseases with chemically manufactured drugs. For example, it was widely believed that the side effects of chemotherapy for cancer was much more than the potential benefits. Novel drugs for diabetes carried the risk of liver failure. The issue of resistance came up with new strains of infectious diseases appearing.

Today, majority of the people rely on alternative medicine and most people the complementary form, combining the orthodox medication with herbal medicine. Other rely solely on herbal medicines for relieve but more and more people are turning to a more natural approach to healthcare.

LETS ORTHODOX/CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE DEAL WITH EMERGENCIES

Traditional medicine mostly is effective in managing chronic conditions and other cases treating not very life threatening situations. When a health condition is an immediate threat to life, always resort to treatment by a physician unless you are in the capacity to do so*.

I can't tell the patient admitted at the emergency room with severe anaemia to eat Solanum torvum or take Khaya senegalensis bark decoction. Rudolph(2014)

This is the reason why the two should work hand in hand. One cannot exist alone, all am trying to put across is; we should find a common platform where they will complement each other in providing quality healthcare to the people of Ghana and beyond.

HERBALISM IN NO FREE RANGE
Most people think since natural means natural, they can use every herbal product with absolute safety. The question then is “how natural is natural?” successful use of herbs for proper healing requires a few common sense rules.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT HERB
How do I know which herb to choose? Many practitioners as well as inidividuals who use herbal medicines ask. But the question first should be, “how do I make the right diagnosis?”

Most people when they have symptoms go right away for herbal medicines they know. It is usually better for a qualified practitioner or doctor to do the diagnosis.

Refer to the Physicians' desk reference for herbal medicine” . The German's have The complete German Commission E monographs, which is a tremendous scholarly information available for the safe use of herbal medicines.

Most people believe that, the more herbs you use, the better. It's not always right and almost always not the case. The right dosage is very important here. You don't any amount because it is an herb. The therapeutic effect of any medicine whether herbal or orthodox depends greatly on the dose. The measure of safety depends on the therapeutic range which is a measure of safety. Most herbs have a wide therapeutic range. There are still reports of adverse reactions and some death with the use of herbal medicines. The dose is therefore important even though most of these adverse effects are theoretical because of how herbs work. it is possible to take a toxic dose but extremely unlikely. Herbs may be safe even in higher doses but unnecessary. Seek medical advice from medical herbalists or other trained professionals in herbalism.

Herbs works gently and slowly, pharmacologically they say “they have long onset of action”. This explains how quickly the herbs starts to achieve it desired effect. Herbs come with a broad therapeutic range and a slow onset of action.

When one herb is not yielding results, reconfirm your diagnosis. The only way to establish an herb lowers high blood pressure is to take blood pressure readings, the only way to know an herb works to control diabetes is to take blood sugar readings. To know an herb helps to reduce weight, you need to step on a scale. If these measurements are taken and the herb seems not be working, go back to the diagnosis and reconfirm. “We are going back to nature, because nature takes care of us best”.

NANABANYIN RUDOLPH
CLINICAL INTERN
HEALTH FOR ALL HERBAL RESEARCH CLINIC
ASAMANKESE, EASTERN REGION
Follow on twitter @dolphmedics; @fitilinherbs

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