Phytotherapy

The term phytotherapy means the treatment of diseases, for the alleviation or prevention or cure by medicinal plants, phytopharmaceuticals. The term was coined by the French doctor Henri Leclerc. In phytotherapy, either the entire plant is used in various preparations or parts of the plant such as flowers, roots and/or leaves, bark, so-called herbal drugs. Extracts, tinctures and dry extracts are also used. Pressed juices or essential oils are also used.

Homeopathic and anthroposophic medicines are not classified as phytopharmaceuticals.

A distinction is made between

• Plants of traditional use with and without a positive monograph by Commission E or ESCOP (European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy)
• and
• rational phytopharmaceuticals whose effect has been proven using scientific methods in randomized, placebo-controlled studies.

The Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) of the EMA ( European Medicines Agency) is now compiling the monographs for the medicinal drugs commonly used in the EU and their commercially available preparations. Depending on the state of scientific evidence, the designation WEU (= well-established use) or traditional use is assigned. WEU status means unrestricted acceptance of efficacy and safety for the indication in question and thus authorization in the EU countries.

For the list of plants developed by the EMA as well-established use, see well-established use

Subacute or chronic diseases

s. under the respective clinical pictures, naturopathy, ordered by indication for the various diseases:

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/other/hmpc-monographs-overview-recommendations-uses-herbal-medicinal-products-paediatric-population_en.pdf

S. 6/81 -13/81

Strict indication, see under the respective preparation or disease, naturopathy

Within the framework of naturopathic treatment and additive - complementary to acute medical treatment.

While acute therapy usually represents the domain of chemically defined drugs, phytotherapy can be used for subacute and chronic disease patterns, or to alleviate the side effects of chemically defined preparations (chemotherapy, liver-stressing drugs).

Contact allergic or toxic, photoallergic or - toxic reactions to the plant itself or to additives of the base

Gastro-intestinal problems caused by oils or "pungent" irritant components in the plant, exposure of plants to herbicides can lead to side effects.

Side effects of phytopharmaceuticals are generally regarded as minor (so-called gentle medicine). > 80% of patients believe that therapy with natural remedies has significantly fewer undesirable effects (adverse drug reactions) than conventional medicine. This is not true, as the dermatological side effects of phytotherapeutics in particular show (contact eczema, allergic and toxic, photoallergies etc.).

S.u. Phytotherpeutics

s. under diseases - naturopathy

1.Klose P et al (2014) Phytotherapy in the medical S3 guidelines of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies - a systematic review. Research Komplementmed 21:388-400

2 Kraft K et al (2006) The scientific basis of phytotherapy. Journal for Phytotherapy 27: 279-283

3rd Loew D et al (1999) Phytopharmaceuticals Report, Rational Therapy with Herbal Medicines. Steinkopff Darmstadt S 3-5

4 Reuter J et al (2010) Which plant for which skin disease? Part 1: Atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, condylomas and herpes simplex. JDDG 10: 788-796