What is herbal medicine?
Herbal or botanical medicine is the use of plants for therapeutic purposes.  Western, Native American, Ayurvedic, Tibetan and Chinese herbal therapies are among the many traditions that have systems for prescribing healing plants. 

 How can it help?
Herbal medicine can be used to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation, decrease side effects from conventional care, and stimulate the body’s natural anticancer defenses.

 What happens in an appointment?
Because herbal medicine is used by so many different alternative medicine practitioners, what happens in an appointment depends on who you see. The way a naturopath uses herbs will be different than the way a classical Chinese medicine practitioner uses them. Often herbs are prescribed as part of an overall treatment plan. For example, a Chinese medicine doctor may prescribe herbs, acupuncture, and Qi Gong as a complete program for healing. A naturopath may use herbs, homeopathy, nutritional counseling, and massage.

 Because botanicals can have a wide range of effects, it’s important that you work with a trained professional who knows which plants should and which plants shouldn’t be combined with conventional treatments.