Medicinal Herbs in Primary Care, 1st Edition
By: Jean M. Bokelmann, MD
ISBN: 9780323846769
Pub Date: September 20, 2021
Reviewed By: Robert Moser, MD (University of Kansas School of Medicine – Salina)
Description
This is a valuable, evidence-guided reference source for busy physicians and medical providers regardless of their comfort with medical herbalism. The book is useful when looking for a particular herb or the disease-oriented application of medicinal herbs. It is organized into three parts. The first part provides a brief overview about herbal basics, including terminology, medicinal chemistry of herbs, and herbalism safety and research. The second part offers helpful tables of medicinal herbs for system-based diseases and generalized systemic disorders. Tables in this section include the common and Latin names of the herb followed by the scope of potential benefits. The broad potential benefits for many herbs can be overwhelming for those less familiar with herbalism, but they demonstrate the pleiotropic effects of herbs on physiology, which can be helpful when addressing more than one disorder. The third part of the book consists of monographs of the most common herbs applicable to conditions seen in primary care. These monographs are arranged alphabetically by medicinal herb and are medically oriented, including supporting research, preparations available, dosing, and safety concerns.
Purpose
This book is intended as a quick reference for busy healthcare providers seeking information to help evaluate, discuss, and even select medicinal herbs for their patients. The information can support shared decision-making before starting or continuing with herbal therapy. This book meets the objective of a quick reference source and offers more depth if needed, including clinical trials and references in the monograph section to provide for deeper study.
Audience
This book will serve healthcare providers less familiar with medicinal herbs as a quick reference source for common herbs used for many conditions and disease states. It would be a valuable reference for healthcare students, residents, and practitioners, regardless of their specialty, considering the increasing popularity of herbs in the United States. The author is credible in herbal medicine through clinical practice and teaching. The pragmatic approach of the book reflects the author’s goal of supporting providers who are less comfortable with herbal medicine therapy.
Features
The book is organized to help healthcare providers who are less familiar or comfortable with herbal medicine. It is divided into three parts and includes an excellent index, making finding information quick for the busy healthcare provider. Part 1 covers the herbal basics, and part 2 contains two sections of helpful tables. The first section covers system-based diseases and the second covers generalized systemic disorders. Part 3 includes practical herbal monographs with references covering many commonly used herbs. The monographs are in alphabetical order, making it easy to find the herb quickly. Each medically oriented monograph provides a general overview and disease conditions with research and references. Most of the research utilized in the monographs is up-to-date or covers the last two decades. This book does not include several medicinal herbs and other agents used in integrative medicine. Still, many common medicinal herbs are included, making the book an excellent quick reference resource.
Assessment
This textbook accomplishes the goal of providing a quick resource of evidence-guided medicinal herb therapy for many healthcare providers unsure about their knowledge or skills in herbalism for particular diseases. Other detailed texts, online information, and apps are available, but the disease tables and herb monographs in this book provide a quicker way to reference helpful information for healthcare providers.
©Doody’s Review Service, 2022, Robert Moser, MD (University of Kansas School of Medicine – Salina)
Doody’s Score: 90 – 4 Stars!
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