Herbal medicine, also called botanical medicine or phytomedicine,
refers to using a plant's seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or
flowers for medicinal purposes. Plants have been used for medicinal
purposes long before recorded history. Ancient Chinese and Egyptian
papyrus writings describe medicinal uses for plants as early as 3,000
BC. Indigenous cultures (such as African and Native American) used herbs
in their healing rituals, while others developed traditional medical
systems (such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine) in which
herbal therapies were used. Researchers found that people in different
parts of the world tended to use the same or similar plants for the same
purposes.
Herbal medicine is used to treat many conditions, such as
allergies, asthma, eczema, premenstrual syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis,
fibromyalgia, migraine, menopausal symptoms, chronic fatigue, irritable
bowel syndrome, and cancer, among others. It is best to take herbal
supplements under the guidance of a trained provider. For example, one
study found that 90% of people with arthritic use alternative therapies,
such as herbal medicine.