One has to be careful with the selection of herbs for constipation in pregancy, as some laxative herbs, such as senna, are not appropriate, but after carefully reviewing her symptoms and medical history, I prescribed safe internal herbs to ease the bowels and others to strengthen the vein walls. I also made a herbal lotion for her legs. Within days she felt the improvememts as her legs ceased to ache, and she no longer had slow and uncomfortable bowels. There was no relapse of symptoms as the pregnancy proceded even though the internal pressures increased as the baby grew, and such problems typically get worse as the due date approaches.

Herbal medicine relieved all of this woman’s physical distress, which some would have deemed minor, but nevertheless were marring the latter third of her pregnancy. Solving problems like this makes herbal medicine an unsung day to day hero for a great many people, here and around the world.

The following is a good example of a more complicated case which illustrates how follow-up visits allow adjustments to the regimen as required. It also illustrates the collaborative nature of my approach, as the man in question moves from initially feeling helpless to eventually feeling confident he can manage his own health.

A man came to me with on-going prostatitis. He had first noticed genito-urinary pain three years earlier and had undergone inconclusive investigations indicating bladder infections. The pain had continued, including discomfort on urinating, as well as bloating and discomfort after meals. His weight had been going up and he was suffering from piles and headaches. I carried out a urine test – there was considerable blood in the urine. My approach was to change his diet to reduce the bacterial growth, provide him with a tea of herbs chosen for their bladder soothing and urinary tract cleansing effects. I also put him on a live pro-biotic.

Two weeks later his symptoms were improving, but not resolved. He stated that the herbs were making a striking difference – making him feel more like his old self – “sprightly” as he put it. He reported that the herbal drops I gave him for moments of acute pain took ten minutes to work, then stopped the pain completely. He was enjoying his new diet, feeling much better after meals, and was losing weight gradually.

On his forth visit, two months after he first came to me, he stated there were “huge improvements in everything”. However, it was clear now that he had an inflamed gall bladder. I combined specific herbs to address this. At the fifth visit he had had a partial relapse following a hospital procedure that required his bladder to be forcibly inflated with water. However, he no longer felt threatened by a set back as he saw that my approach was working and he could now identify foods that aggravated his symptoms and felt empowered to take charge of his own health by adjusting his diet.

By the sixth visit he was looking and feeling great. He was now managing his condition to the point where it was no longer dominating his life. He had developed the confidence to keep himself healthy, and knew he could get in touch if any problem recurred.

A lady in her early 50s sought help with osteoporosis which had been diagnosed by DEXA scan of the hip and lower spine some years earlier. According to a second scan 5 years on, her bone density remained of significant concern in spite of taking the prescibed AdCal and Alendronic acid. She had experienced a number of fractures in her life, including in her teens.

We organised a simple genetic test to look at her bone and collegen metabolism. It identified three low functioning Vitamin D Receptor genes although her collagen formation gene was normal. Such Vitamin D receptors have been shown to be linked to osteoporosis (see this 2016 paper)

Armed with this vital information we were able to optimise her Vitamin D status using my UVB 311nm light box for 4 minutes once per week over that autumn and winter, and she made sure she got plenty of sunshine exposure through the summer months.

I also prescribed a low phytic acid diet and vitamin K2 supplements.

Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient found in many seed based foods such as wheat and other cereals, beans/pulses and nuts, which has the ability to bind dietary minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc making them much less available. Over time this can contribute to mineral deficiency issues including osteoporosis (see this 2015 paper). This woman had been experiencing bone de-mineralization all of her life, hence the fractures. She had been eating a diet high in phytic acid, and had poorly functioning Vitamin D receptor genes, which further reduced her ability to take up calcium.

Vitamin K2 is a key factor in ‘steering’ calcium into bones. Without it any calcium that is absorbed may be deposited in soft tissues, such as the blood vessels (where it causes arteriosclerosis) or parts of the brain (which is often found in dementia patients) or other places it should not be. It is increasingly recognised as a valuable treatment in osteoporosis (see this 2014 paper)

This patient is improving in all aspects of her health, and has found that a number of minor, long term health issues have resolved since the treatment. She now feels her health is in her hands as she is in control of her diet and can make sure she continues to get enough vitamin D and K2. Although she has not had another DEXA scan yet, she did recently fall off her bike, and was pleased to report that she did not suffer the expected fracture.

A young man with a demanding job in advertising found hiimself chasing his tail, burning the candle at both ends and becoming less and less productive and rarely happy.

His girlfriend, a previous patient here, sent him to the Clinic and, through a process of carefully selected herbal medicines, regular bed times, adjustments in diet (i.e. removing common excitotoxins) and the use of red lighting in the evenings to counter the blue light when using the computer, we succeeded in unwinding what had become a vicious circle.

Result – a happier, more relaxed and more productive man, and a girlfriend who no longer felt on edge or concerned for him.

A delightful elderly lady sought my help for her long term ear pain and problems sleeping. On taking a full medical history it became clear that the sleep problems arose from two sources: night time disruptions by her husband who had dementia, and her use of sleeping pills for many years. The ongoing low-grade ear infection was, I believe, partly due to the insufficient recovery time (i.e. sleep) and the use of many courses of antibiotics leading to antibiotic resistence.

For the treatment for this woman to be effective I had to include treatment of her husband, as his worsening mental ability was strongly impacting on her life. Treating her husband consisted of a simple dietary adjustment away from carbohydrate dominence, as well as some targetted brain supplements, which had very positive effects in a short time. This meant my patient was more relaxed and so we were able to ween her off the sleeping pills in a graduated way using effective herbal alternatives to achieve this, all very successfully.

Treating the low grade ear infection with herbal anti-microbials and tissue restorers has reduced that discomfort significantly, and progress is ongoing.

In treating older people one often has to work with a complex set of circumstances, unique in every case. Changing long established habits can be a challenge, whether dietary or otherwise but such changes along with effective and safe herbal medicines, can make a huge difference with just a little effort. I see excellent results which are very heartening and gratifying. In this case both husband (not my official patient) and wife are progressing well, and finding more confidence and contentment as they progress.

A lady in her late 40s was struggling with some of the side effects of being paraplaegic. A confident wheelchair user for some years she experienced the problem of swelling and cold feet that is common in people who are not able to move their legs due to spinal nerve damage. Along with this came that other common problem, leg and foot ulcers, all of which are due to severly reduced circulation to the lower limbs.

We instituted a daily regime of tilting her body, as on a see-saw, to get her feet above her head, and back again, in an alternating manner, three times in the day. With gravity assissting her circulation in this way we have made a great difference of her health. I also made herbal medicines to help with blood flow and skin healing, which sped up ulcer resolution, and reduced their occurence markedly.

Thinking practically in circumstances like this is not only effective but safe and independence enhancing.