Scrutinizing Alcoholism Phytotherapy
There are a number of alcoholism addiction treatment options that are practiced today. The choice of which option to select depends on the alcoholic who will be undergoing the treatment. The most common alcoholism treatment option is a combination of alcohol detoxification and psychosocial or group therapy. One of the alternative treatments for alcohol dependency is alcoholism phytotherapy. This treatment is not as popular as alcohol detoxification or psychosocial therapy but some people claim that this option is as effective as the others.
Alcoholism phytotherapy is defined as the use of herbs as treatment of alcohol addiction. Though alcoholism phytotherapy may be used as part of a holistic therapy, there is no verifiable proof that herbs can be used to replace specific medications commonly prescribed in addiction treatment. At present, more and more people have become inclined to use herbs instead of synthetic pharmaceutical medications. Herbs as treatment alternative have become popular because there is a low chance of adverse effects from occurring when taking them. A form of folk medicine, phytotherapy makes use of the natural healing properties of some herbs in order to heal physical damages.
History shows that phytotherapy have come a long way. Hippocrates, known as the father of medicine, pioneered the use of more than two hundred different herbs and other organic supplements to cure different types of diseases. People from many countries in the world have been practicing phytotherapy for thousands of years. Even at present, many Greeks and other Europeans, Indians and Chinese still use herbs for medical purposes. Moreover, several researches are conducted at present to test the viability of some herbs as therapeutic options.
Alcoholism phytotherapy, in particular, makes use of some herbs in order to diminish the craving for an alcoholic drink. Two herbs have been tested on rats to determine if they can be used in alcoholism phytotherapy. These are kudzu and St. John's Wort. In another study conducted by Italian researchers, a natural component of the Chinese sage had been tested to check if it can provide healing effects on alcoholism. The scientific name of this medicinal plant is Salvia Miltiorrhiza. This plant had been used in China for hundreds of years to cure blood diseases, heart diseases and sleep problems. According to the experiment conducted by researchers on mice, the plant caused a decrease in alcohol consumption. Scientists expect this same effect when this special herb will already by used to alcoholics. Apparently, this turn heavy drinkers into moderate alcohol users. Another alternative alcoholism addiction treatment is the practice of acupuncture. In acupuncture, thin needles are used and are inserted under the skin to certain nerve points. Doing this stimulates the brain to reduce cravings for alcohol. This method is also said to be effective in treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as muscle spasms and tiredness. Acupuncture can also be used to counter melancholy or depression. Nevertheless, all addiction treatment options from psychotherapy to the less conventional alcoholism phytotherapy share a common goal. The ultimate goal of these forms of therapy is alcohol abstinence. Consequently, these allow an alcohol dependent to gain control of his alcohol use.
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