Herbal Medicine

Plant medicines have been used by almost every culture throughout human history for medicinal purposes. Worldwide, many households use plant medicines on a regular basis to ease their family's ailments. This could be drinking a cup of chamomile tea to soothe a belly ache, essential oil of lavender rubbed on the temples to mend a headache, or a mustard poultice to calm a cough. Interestingly, many pharmaceuticals in use today were developed by isolating active constituents from plant medicines. For example, aspirin comes from willow bark and morphine originates in poppy plants. Rooted in the tradition of western herbal medicine and guided by scientific research, our naturopathic physicians employ plant medicines in their practices to promote healing and wellness. 

Herbal Compounding

At Juniper Family Health, we use commercial preparations of herbal medicines as well as compound individualized herbal formulas. Herbal formulas are prepared on site by combining tinctures and glycerites. A herbal  tincture is a concentrated, liquid preparation of a herb dissolved in alcohol to extract and preserve the active constituents from the plant medicine. A herbal glycerite is prepared with glycerin, making it more suitable for children or those who cannot tolerate small amounts of alcohol. For those using concurrent medications or supplements, special attention is paid to prevent any drug-herb interactions. The naturopathic doctors at Juniper Family Health see the benefits that plant medicines have to offer on a daily basis in their practices and look forward to sharing this powerful healing method with you.