From the point of view of an herbalist and a physician (not me) the recommendation re herbs for someone on Coumadin is "none at all." The article could have simply said that.
From my POV, as just an herbalist, the conditions that reasonably call for any of these drugs is such an advanced pathology that there really aren't any herbal remedies that could be used in place of them or even used with them if it could be ascertained that it was safe.
Some of these conditions could have been managed with herbs, in combination with lifestyle changes, before they reached that point. Unfortunately a lot of people don't even realize they need to do something until things get to too serious of a level for herbs, diet and exercise alone.
“As an herbalist”
Really? That’s interesting, even more so if you’re a professional in the area. Herbalism is a fascinating study, and it truly is a living science in China to this day. I’m not really interested in this for myself because, as you say, the condition goes well beyond what herbs can do. I’d be more concerned about herbs could do to me. And I quite agree that some conditions do not lend themselves to herbal treatments. As in my case, sometimes a “hammer” is necessary. If one knows how a hammer works, how it can be used, and how it should not be used, it becomes a matter of intelligently managing risk. As in operating high performance aircraft, there is the potential for getting hurt if you don’t know what you’re doing. Conversely, using that resource in an educated and cautious fashion can be quite beneficial with only slight risk. As I’m sure you already agree, you just need to know what you’re about.
“...the conditions that reasonably call for any of these drugs is such an advanced pathology that there really aren’t any herbal remedies that could be used in place of them...”
Not necessarily so. Most natural remedies will work better than most pharmaceuticals. For instance, DMSO prevents clotting, will dissolve blood clots. Warfarin will not dissolve clots. The FDA does not like DMSO (a liquid ‘solvent’ that is naturally occuring and comes from trees) because it works well for many things. DMSO, btw, is an excellent thing to use asap with a stroke victim - dissolves the clot that caused the stroke.