New to using custom herbal remedies? Read on to see what to expect following a custom remedy consultation - how long will it take, which extraction method is best, and when is it time to stop?
How long will it take to see a difference?
This is a question I get asked a lot, and for good reason! I know when I go to a practitioner I always want to know, will I see change within a week, or a month, or will I always need intervention?Â
As a herbalist we were told a good general estimate to give was, for every year a client has had a condition expect at least one month for resolution. However, I think we can be a bit more specific…
How long has the condition persisted?
This is a valid question providing valuable information - it tells us the current healing capacity, how deeply affected the body and mind have become, and informs which herbs are most indicated for where this person is at -Â in this condition.Â
For example, a client comes in experiencing a condition for over eight years. Since this has persisted over such a long period of time I am curious: are any factors impeding the body's ability to heal (stress, lack of sleep, poor digestion, etc.) and how has the person compensated (stopped activities, loss of connection, less fulfillment, etc.). This information, along with the period of time, will help determine which herb or herbal combination is appropriate for this individual.
Is it acute or adaptive?
Generally, if a condition has become chronic, persisting over many years it is likely that an adaptive system has become involved. The psycho-neuro-endocrine-immune (PNEI) systems are known as the adaptive systems of the body, this is because they involve back-and-forth communication between each other (1). These systems experience our environment and send information back to the processing center of the brain, providing it with feedback necessary to make minor changes to better adjust to our external environment - this is the process of homeostasis.Â
Adaptive processes are governed at the higher levels of brain function, the hypothalamus specifically. Thus, in order to see improvement within the adaptive systems we must ensure we choose herbs that will have an impact at the brain level and not act simply to aid symptoms peripherally. Since adaptive processes are governed by many small changes over time you can expect a condition that affects the PNEI systems such as mental wellness, nerve pain, hormones, auto-immunity, etc., to take longer to resolve than digestive concerns, for example.
Are tinctures stronger than teas?
So now we have selected the herbs, so which is faster - teas or tinctures? Well, that depends on what we are measuring for. Once the herbs are selected, a trained herbalist will know the compounds responsible for their medicinal action and choose the best extraction method for that specific herb - as some constituents (active compounds) are better extracted in water, alcohol, or oil.Â
Water is a good solvent when looking for sugars, proteins, gums, mucilage, pectin, tannins, acids, coloring matter, mineral salts, glycosides, some alkaloids, most alkaloidal salts, and some essential oil very well (2). Oils are better at extracting resins, essential oils, and flavonoids (2). Whereas alcohol is considered the most universal solvent and is best at extracting essential oils, resins, alkaloids, glycosides, organic acids, chlorophyll, acrid and bitter constituents but is very poor at extracting minerals, gums, or mucilage (2).
As you can see, no one solvent is stronger than the other, it is all relative to the constituent profile we are intending to extract. However, alkaloids are compounds that create strong reactions (ex. nicotine, morphine, caffeine), and since alcohol is the best at extracting alkaloids, tinctures tend to create stronger responses.
When is it time to stop?
When it's over, is it really over? That depends on you!Â
Some people feel happy in their recovery and are confident to maintain their health on their own. In some cases, it can be nice to have an ‘as needed’ formula on hand for when life gets beyond the threshold of what we can tolerate. These formulas can be a great relief to know you have something that will work for you when you need the tender support from mother nature.Â
Interested in trying a custom formulation?
If you have been using pre-blended formulas and you want more support it may be worth trying a custom formula. Custom formulas are available with either a completed mini-consultation or herbal consultation. To see which is right for you go to the dispensary page below.
References
França, K., & Lotti, T. M. (2017). Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology: A Psychobiological Concept. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 996, 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56017-5_11
The Herbal Medicine –Maker’s Handbook, A Home Manual. James Green. 2000.
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