Natural Medical Herbs

Herbs have been the original sources of healing throughout the ages. Plants are valuable resources used to treat wounds, diminish scarring, relieve stomach upsets and clean wounds, for example. One of the most common medical herbs, aspirin or salicylic acid, originated from the bark of the willow tree and is still used widely today in commercial form.

Medical Herbs for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

In clinical studies, natural medical Chinese herbs were provided to subjects suffering from symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Research published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" reveals that Chinese herbs were effective in the management of symptoms related to those studied. In powdered form, the Chinese herbs used to treat symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome were dang shen, huo xiang, fang feng, yi yi ren, chai hu, yin chen, bai zhu, hou po, chen pi, pao jiang, qin pi, fu ling, bai zhi, che qian zi, huang bai, zhi gan cao, bai shao, mu xiang, huang lian and wu wei zi. The herbs were dispensed in encapsulated form.

Medical Herbs for Eczema

Clinical trials were conducted using herbs in the treatment for eczema with the most promising results from 17 adults who continued taking the herbs. The herbs used were Ledeboureilla seseloides, Potentilla chinensis, Aebia clematidis, Rehmannia glutinosa, Paeonia lactiflora, Lophatherum gracile, Dictamnus dasycarpus, Tribulus terrestris, Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Schizonepeta tenuifolia. After one year of taking the Chinese herb formula for eczema, 12 subjects displayed clinical scores with 90% improvement with the remaining five participants reported greater than 60% improvement as compared with baseline values.

Herbal Medical Creams

Some natural medical herbs are potent in cream form. Chinese herbal creams have been prescribed for dermatological conditions and patients with eczema have reported improvement after using them. However, a report published in the "British Medical Journal," or "BMJ," cautions that not all Chinese herbal creams are equal. From the medical herbs tested in cream form, a wide variation exists in quality and regulation of ingredients. Some creams contained unlisted topical steroids, which can cause severe worsening of eczema. For best results, rely on medical creams that are subject to product regulation.

Natural Medical Herbs at Home

Although herbs in the kitchen are considered garnish or flavor enhancers, there are many natural medicinal herbs found at home. Thyme and feverfew, for example, can be used as herbal medical remedies. Thyme not only contains potent antioxidants, it makes an effective medicinal cough syrup. Thyme is an ideal antiseptic expectorant and helps loosen a tight chest and restless unproductive cough.

Feverfew is a small flower that looks like a daisy. The leaves contain anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties. Medicinal uses include relief for arthritis. Combined with valerian, feverfew helps eliminate migraine headaches.

Witch hazel is a tree grown in the United States. Witch hazel soothes swellings, reduces inflammation and bleeding externally and encourages healing of bruises, sprains and bleeding hemorrhoids. Witch hazel is also an astringent used to clarify and refine pores.