2026 Conference | Herbal Approaches to Pain Management | Duncan Lynch, ND, RH(AHG)

Abstract: Pain remains one of the most common and complex conditions in clinical practice. Herbal medicine offers a rich pharmacopeia of analgesic, antispasmodic, and nervine plants and plant formulations that can be used as primary or adjunctive therapies. This session explores a comprehensive botanical framework for pain management, spanning herbal materia medica, formulation strategies, topical applications, and the integration of herbs into manual therapies—an approach known as procedural herbalism. Attendees will deepen their understanding of pain physiology, herbal therapeutics for different pain patterns, and the safe clinical use of both common and low-dose botanicals.

Presenter Bio: Dr. Duncan Lynch is a naturopathic physician and clinical herbalist. He received his naturopathic doctoral degree from Bastyr University in 2021 and then completed a 2-year integrative medicine residency through the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC). He currently provides integrative naturopathic care and clinical herbalism at his practice, Moonflower Integrative Medicine, in Bellevue, Washington. Dr. Lynch’s clinical interests include integrative primary care, clinical botanical medicine, acute and chronic disease, pain management, and psychoneuroimmunology.

This presentation is worth 1 Category 1 CE credit, including 1 Pharmacology credit, for Washington-licensed NDs.

(Originally presented May 1-3, 2026, at WANP's 2026 annual conference.)