Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine has been practised for thousands of years and is based on the use of plants or plant extracts in the treatment or prevention of symptoms associated with many medical conditions. In Europe, herbal medicines are now generally used for minor or self-limiting conditions, without the need to be prescribed by a medical practitioner. Other longstanding herbal medicine traditions include traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Ayurvedic medicine (South-East Asia), and Kampo (Japan). Herbal medicines may contain a range of biologically active compounds in the same preparation, and some of the individual compounds have been isolated and used in pure form in conventional medicines (e.g. digoxin).