Overview

The Traditional Herbal Medicine Module consists of presentations that total about 7 hours. These lectures are optional. There are no quizzes associated with them.

Pharmacology and Traditional Indications of Twenty Commonly Used Botanicals in Medicine. In this presentation, David Winston, RH(AHG), discusses the medical properties of 20 plants, including aloe vera, ashwagandha, echinacea, and ginkgo. Winston provides published studies on the efficacy of treatments using each plant.

Analgesia: The Search for Effective Pain Relief. While most of the strongest-acting herbal analgesics have already been turned into pharmaceuticals, such as opium poppies becoming opiates, in this lecture Winston explores how herbalists are using milder botanicals to effectively target and manage pain. Plants covered include black cohosh root, gum guggul, and kava.

Medicinal Mushrooms — A Clinician’s Overview. Christopher Hobbs, PhD, literally wrote the book on medicinal mushrooms. In this presentation, he discusses the biological activity of fungi, and looks at the most clinically-relevant medicinal mushrooms.

Adaptogens and Tonic Herbs. In this presentation, Rosemary Gladstar also talks about uses for medicinal mushrooms, and she shares her knowledge of other plants that have long been used for medicinal purposes, including lemon balm, dandelion, and holy basil.