Phytotherapy or professional medical herbalism is synthesis of age old wisdom of traditional use medicinal plants from around the world as well as modern medical biosciences and phytochemistry.
Phytotherapists use whole plants and their extracts for the prevention and treatment of disease as well as the promotion of optimum well-being. Every prescription is tailor made to fit the particular patient. Lifestyle and dietary counselling are also critical to meeting therapeutic goals.
Herbal Pharmacology – Medicinal plants have an effect on body functions because of the various chemical constituents they have. For example the opium poppy has sedative and analgesic effects because it contains alkaloid constituents morphine and papaverine, and the white willow has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects because it contains an aspirin precursor. In herbal pharmacology the constituents of medicinal plants, their biological effects and mechanisms of action are studied.