Consumer Guide to Steamboat Bodyworks-Herbalism & Chinese Medicine

Kneading Hands Apothecary

The State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies does not require licensing for this type of business. Herbs, or plants used for alleged medicinal purposes, are considered as supplements, loosely regulated under the jurisdiction of the FDA, Federal Drug Administration, which does not require proof of safety, effectiveness, or standardization of purity or dosage.

Herbalism is a form of alternative health and is not based on evidence using scientific method and in no case are herbalists capable, qualified, or allowed to provide diagnoses.

Consumers who consider herbs as a choice for health care need to look out for their own safety by researching herbs and potential side effects, adverse effects, cautions, and drug interactions and always should discuss all herbs they use or are thinking of using with their primary care doctor.

Here are two excellent web resources:

http://nccam.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_herbs_with_known_adverse_effects 

From

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbalism

A number of herbs are thought to be likely to cause adverse effects.[27] Furthermore, "adulteration, inappropriate formulation, or lack of understanding of plant and drug interactions have led to adverse reactions that are sometimes life threatening or lethal.[28]" Proper double-blind clinical trials are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of each plant before they can be recommended for medical use.[29] Although many consumers believe that herbal medicines are safe because they are "natural", herbal medicines and synthetic drugs may interact, causing toxicity to the patient. Herbal remedies can also be dangerously contaminated, and herbal medicines without established efficacy, may unknowingly be used to replace medicines that do have corroborated efficacy.[30]

Standardization of purity and dosage is not mandated in the United States, but even products made to the same specification may differ as a result of biochemical variations within a species of plant.[31] Plants have chemical defense mechanisms against predators that can have adverse or lethal effects on humans. Examples of highly toxic herbs include poison hemlock and nightshade.[32] They are not marketed to the public as herbs, because the risks are well known, partly due to a long and colorful history in Europe, associated with "sorcery", "magic" and intrigue.[33] Although not frequent, adverse reactions have been reported for herbs in widespread use.[34] On occasion serious untoward outcomes have been linked to herb consumption. A case of major potassium depletion has been attributed to chronic licorice ingestion.,[35] and consequently professional herbalists avoid the use of licorice where they recognize that this may be a risk. Black cohosh has been implicated in a case of liver failure.[36] Few studies are available on the safety of herbs for pregnant women,[37][38] and one study found that use of complementary and alternative medicines are associated with a 30% lower ongoing pregnancy and live birth rate during fertility treatment.[39] Examples of herbal treatments with likely cause-effect relationships with adverse events include aconite, which is often a legally restricted herb, ayurvedic remedies, broom, chaparral, Chinese herb mixtures, comfrey, herbs containing certain flavonoids, germander, guar gum, liquorice root, and pennyroyal.[40] Examples of herbs where a high degree of confidence of a risk long term adverse effects can be asserted include ginseng, which is unpopular among herbalists for this reason, the endangered herb goldenseal, milk thistle, senna, against which herbalists generally advise and rarely use, aloe vera juice, buckthorn bark and berry, cascara sagrada bark, saw palmetto, valerian, kava, which is banned in the European Union, St. John's wort, Khat, Betel nut, the restricted herb Ephedra, and Guarana.[28]

There is also concern with respect to the numerous well-established interactions of herbs and drugs.[28] In consultation with a physician, usage of herbal remedies should be clarified, as some herbal remedies have the potential to cause adverse drug interactions when used in combination with various prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, just as a patient should inform an herbalist of their consumption of orthodox prescription and other medication.

For example, dangerously low blood pressure may result from the combination of an herbal remedy that lowers blood pressure together with prescription medicine that has the same effect. Some herbs may amplify the effects of anticoagulants.[41] Certain herbs as well as common fruit interfere with cytochrome P450, an enzyme critical to much drug metabolism.[42]

A 2013 study published in the journal BMC Medicine found that one-third of herbal supplements sampled contained no trace of the herb listed on the label. The study found products adulterated with filler including allergens such as soy, wheat, and black walnut. One bottle labeled as St. John's Wort was found to actually contain Alexandrian senna, a laxative.[43]

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Tim Trumble, Dipl. OM

The State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies does not require licensing for Chinese herbs.

Dipl. OM stands for Diplomate of Oriental Medicine, which is a certification by the NCCAOM, National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, however, Tim Trumble's name does not appear in the NCCAOM practitioner database or its registry, so this individual's use of this credential appears illegitimate.

It is best to avoid practitioners whose credentials cannot be verified.


"Examples of herbal treatments with likely cause-effect relationships with adverse events include…Chinese herb mixtures…”

Ernst, E (1998). "Harmless Herbs? A Review of the Recent Literature" (PDF). The American Journal of Medicine 104 (2): 170–8. doi:10.1016/S0002-9343(97)00397-5. PMID 9528737. Retrieved 27 December 2010.