Herbal Medicine In Native American Medicine

Professionals say there are many side effects of herbal medicine however there are some alleged purposes: It can be used to treat migraines, eczema, migraines and chronic fatigue.

Many traditional Native medicines and healing practices were discouraged with the advent of Western medicine, but now there is a movement to return to traditional ways (Zubek, 1994, p. 1924). Modern Western medicine treats the symptoms to cure a diseased state when the body is out of homeostasis. Native American healing traditions do this as well with herbs and plants suited to the purpose. These Native healing traditions also include sacred rituals, chants, and purification rites to help bring the spirit and mind of the afflicted back into balance. In effect, treating the whole person, not only the disease. A blending of these two healing practices could bring about better prognoses for today's patients. The purpose of this paper is

An increasing number of medical schools are now offering courses in alternative medicine for their students, and some hospitals already have alternative medicine departments. The availability of healers and doctors practicing holistic medicine has also increased in recent years, and more and more people are educating themselves in these new fields. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that between 65 and 80 percent of the world’s population (about 3 billion people) rely on traditional medicine as their primary form of health care.

If you were in the desert or woods and bitten by a snake, where you go for help? A call to the local ambulance and a fast ride to the emergency room are not available to you. How would you know what potions to use and what would heal your wounds? This was the dilemma of the Native American People hundreds of years ago. How did they handle it? The medical traditions and customs have remained a mystery to us for hundreds of years. This paper will try to explore some of these customs and possibly uncover some of the mystery.

Native American traditional medicine and spiritual healing rituals go back for thousands of years, these traditions often focus on different variations of alternative medicine. This knowledge is passed on throughout generations, many of the tribes learn that by mixing natural plants such as herbs and roots they can make remedies with healing properties. It is believed that being healthy is when people reach a state of harmony not only spiritually, mentally but physically. To be able to overcome the forces that cause illness people must “operate in the context of relationship to four constructs —namely, spirituality (Creator, Mother Earth, Great Father); community (family, clan, tribe/nation); environment (daily life, nature, balance); and self (inner passions and peace, thoughts, and values)” (Portman & Garret, 2006, p.453). In this research paper I am going to show evidence of the tremendous influence that Native American medicine and spiritual healing have over modern medicine in the course of healing

Many Alaskan Natives and Native Indians, also known as American Indians, share the same or similar views on health and medicine. Their definition of “traditional medicine” incorporates medicine and religion, various chants and rituals, and being one with Earth (Broome, B., Broome, R., 2007). “In the United States we are challenged to think about health care from our tradition as a cultural melting pot. Therefore, we must address the large range of individual health care needs from populations living the inner-city and suburbia to those in rural environments.” (O 'Brien, Anslow, Begay, Pereira, & Sullivan, 2002). It is important for healthcare workers to understand the views of American Indians in order to integrate their traditional medicine as well as western medicine. Examining areas such as common health conditions, treatments, and attitudes towards health, natural and alternative health will lead to a better capability of providing culturally competent care.

Native American medicine is an umbrella term that encompasses the healing beliefs and practices of all the indigenous people of North America. Its' therapeutic approach combines spirituality, herbalism, and magic in treating a wide range of physical and emotional ailments from the common cold to depression.

Shakespeare, self proclaimed poet and renowned playwright, lived in the age of the Renaissance. More specifically, the time at which the Tudor family ruled England, during these times, there were deep-rooted religious cleansings and ongoing witch hunts, that sought out anyone and everyone that did not follow suit. Shakespeare (1564-1616A.D.) was born in, and lived through the medical renaissance, which was the point between 1400 and 1700A.D. that innovated the medicines used in Europe. These treatments were eventually diffused throughout the world. The most typical consensus made by medical technicians of the time believed in the body to be maintained up by a balance of bodily humors (liquids), though during the mid 1500s new methods of

American Indians used horticulture techniques to protect preferred native plants that were used for food, medicine, and to cultivate desired characteristics in those modified for tools and other products. To achieve specific desired traits American Indians practiced soil and weed management. They also used a burning technique, where they burned small tress and brushes where they lived. This resulted in large open corridors which increased visibility, and made it easier to hunt, protect against enemies, and gather acorns and other plant products. The burning of an area stimulated the growth of certain plants such as berry bushes. This aided in production of valued

Stories of Native Americans contributions to the advancement of health and medicine traces were discovered in a small town in Nali, Africa. The very first onset of the beggining of modern pharmacology is the substance called "quinine". This is the substance that came from a bark of a tree that grew in high elevations. The Indians has been using this substance to cure malaria, cramps, chills, hear-rythm disorders and many other ailments. Prior to the disovery of quinine, the old world suffers enormously because the lack of medical knowledge that the old world posess. Quinine would have probably been introduce somewhere in 1630, as it was mention in

Native American culture although thought to be static for centuries until the arrival of Europeans it has been discovered to have been a much more diverse and changing culture. Their ancestors are thought to be those that migrated from Siberia around fifteen thousand years ago. Through the extinction of the largest mammals and effects from global warming bands diverted from larger game towards a more extensive spectrum of food sources. Over time after generations and generation the practice of Horticulture was beginning to evolve among Native Americans cultures. Around 1500 B.C. in the American southwest and midwest began cultivating maize and squash but for only small supplements. Around 300-1100 A.D. two complex cultures known as Hohkam

I specifically chose this topic because I believe that for us Americans this is the next big frontier. Not only could this plant helps save some people’s lives, but it could also help alleviate the pressure on our national debt. As long as we continue to do research and try to understand the complexity of this issue, then we should be able to grow in our mind frames of how this could be beneficial to a lot of people. There will always be the other side of this issue that it could do more harm than help, but if we continue to monitor and maintain control of these herbal medicines we can begin the steps towards a safer path.

The Aztecs made great advances in many areas. One of their accomplishments was herbal medicine. Aztec medicine was based on two areas which are spiritual healing and herbal healing. Many of the illnesses that affected the Aztecs were caused to religious reasons: an angry god, bad birth signs, or something to that effect. The first step of treating an illness was a prayer and/or sometimes animal sacrifices. After that, herbal medicine would be used. Today, many herbal medicines can be found in Central America. The Aztecs knew how herbal medicines would work. They concentrated on finding out what herbal medicine could do. The Aztecs also concentrated on curing the symptoms of an illness than finding the cause of the illness. They believed that if a god gave a person an illness, they cannot anything to cure that patient. According to Aztec legends, "Well, if the gods want this man to suffer, they can make my herbs powerless. If the medicine works, it means that the gods wish for the patient to be relieved." This statement was used to make herbal medicine useful. The Aztecs used leeches to help patients to ease their pain. The Aztecs developed a writing system in which they used pictographs. Pictographs were simple pictures that were used as a form of writing. With pictographs, they wrote many codices. The codices were a book or manuscript (written documents). The codices talked about ceremonies, the ritual calendar, and information about the gods and the universe. These

Herbal medicine has been used for many, many years and is a great natural alternative to modern medicine.

Modern medicine and healthcare system have categorized herbal medicine as a natural remedy used when people can’t afford to purchase conventional drugs. They are perceived inferior because they cost less but the health benefits are endless. However, there have been various situations and instances that prove that herbal medicine is good for health.