Tucson Clinic of Botanical Medicine

How do plant (herbal) medicines work?
By chemical compounds plants naturally produce, when ingested or used topically, they stimulate certain physical responses. Organs, hormones, neurochemistry, and certainly the body’s own healing response are influenced with herbs and their chemical compounds. Plants create many of these naturally occurring chemicals in order to make themselves less palatable to predators or to protect themselves from the elements. By using plants therapeutically we take advantage of the mechanisms they use to survive.

In what context are medicinal plants used?
Coherent western anatomy and physiology are the bedrocks upon which these herbal medicines are used. Disease/illness and your physiological tendencies are used as a base in deciding what herbs are dispensed. Many herbal medicines are “good” for arthritis pain, or used to lower blood pressure, for example, but some are better choices than others; here it takes a skilled practitioner to make a qualified choice. Unlike conventional drugs, herbal medicines are best used to increase the body’s own innate vitality and associated ability to heal. Geared towards an ailment or disease, acquiring symptomatic relief is often slower, but ultimately is more thorough at resolving the problem.

But plant medicines are not fully tested.
Many herbs, in fact are. Among "first-tier" herbal medicines (St. john's wort, Garlic, Saw palmetto, etc.) the amount of research (and human studies) bluntly indicating their effectiveness and often superiority over conventional medications is voluminous. Anyone making blanket statements to the contrary, saying that herbs are just all hocus-pocus or untested, is completely uninformed or is as prejudiced as the cure-all herbal nut-job.

But my doctor says….
Fact: MDs are not trained in herbal medicine, let alone nutrition. If they know anything about the subject its through personal interest. Their training, scope of practice, and choice of therapeutics are based in drugs and surgery.

What problems are best treated naturally with plant medicines?
Almost any problem or condition can be addressed with herbal medicines. The severity of the problem and therapy compliance are the two main factors that influence relief.

Herbs can not, and should not take the place of necessary conventional care and therapy. Where herbal medicines do excel though, is in the treatment of non-emergency issues with a history of conventional medicine over-kill (causing symptoms worse than the original problem) or for low-level problems that do not necessitate a doctor's visit anyway, i.e. colds, indigestion, arthritis, insomnia, etc.

When should I expect relief?
Most problems respond quickly to plant medicines – 1 day to 1 week. There are some exceptions: organic disease, severe illness, and problems dependant on lifestyle habits that are not changed.

Integrating with conventional medicine/care and complimentary modalities.
A touchy subject. It is common (but certainly not necessary) for clients to be under the care of MDs. This can either be a source of conflict or enhancement, depending on the attitude of the physician. Some are tolerant of herbal medicine, some are not.

Combining herbal medicines with pharmaceuticals must be evaluated on a case by case basis. If taking one or two drugs, usually herbs can be selected and arranged properly as not to cause adverse reactions. If prescribed a list of drugs, there is absolutely no way to determine short/long-term interactions they have with each other, let alone with extra herbal medicines.

Bodywork, massage, and acupuncture, usually combine well with herbal/nutritional therapies. If involved in a preexisting naturopathic or TCM herbal/supplement program these will need to be evaluated case by case.

Fee schedule
Initial Consultations are $75.00. This first meeting is from 45 minutes to an hour. Follow-up consults are $40.00 and are generally a ½ hour. All herbs, supplements, and tests are extra. Checks and cash are accepted forms of payment - insurance plans are not accepted.

Meeting times
The frequencies of our meetings depend on the acuity of the health complaint. Meeting times can vary from weekly to monthly to bi-monthly. We will agree upon follow-up meetings, their frequency, and date at the end of each consult.

Cancellations
If an appointment is missed for any reason, with the exception of emergencies, without rescheduling or canceling 24 hours before the appointment a cancellation fee of $50.00 will be charged for an initial appointment, or $25.00 for follow-up appointments. If you need to reschedule an appointment within the 24-hour period and there is an available opening that same day then the cancellation fee will be waived.

Confidentiality
Our client/herbalist relationship is completely confidential. Information about you will not be shared without your written permission.

Progress
You will be given an assessment of the situation, information on suggested herbs, and what effect they have on the condition. This is detailed in the recommendation handout that is given to you after the initial consult or if a major therapy change occurs. It is important you keep me informed of physical changes or lack thereof throughout the course of treatment. Since as an herbalist I rely heavily on physical observation and verbal interview, communication and self-awareness on your part are important.