Natural Pain Relief Herbs

[Jeanne5]

Hi Everyone. I'm sure everyone's looking all over the internet for answers like me, and I just found something that looks helpful from http://www.herbwisdom.com that I wanted to share. Please be aware that some medications could interfere, so check with your doctor or pharmacy first! I'm not a doctor. Take care!

Natural Pain Relief Herbs

By cldavis|Pain Relief

For centuries, people have used analgesic herbs to treat a variety of chronic aches and pains, including headaches, back aches, toothaches, and neuralgia. Scores of herbs have important roles in natural pain relief. Below we discuss seven commonly-used herbs for natural chronic pain management.

Chronic pain is long-lasting, persistent pain that usually shows no improvement with time. In fact, it often worsens over time. Defined as pain that lasts six months or more, chronic pain can easily take on a life of its own.

Chronic pain is more than a symptom of disease or injury. It often becomes the illness itself, causing physical, occupational, or mental impairment and affecting quality of life. The pain may center on a specific area of the body, such as lower back pain or daily headaches. Or, it may affect several parts of the body, such as osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia.

Chronic pain affects millions of people around the world, and it triggers billions of dollars in medical and social costs each year. Pain management is big business for the world’s pharmaceutical companies, and yet the pain persists.

The truth is, traditional treatments such as medications, injections, and surgeries are ineffective for relieving chronic pain. The debilitating condition causes unrelenting aches and hurts, long-term physical and emotional suffering, and even disability.

The search for safer, less expensive, and more effective ways to deal with pain lead many people to alternative treatments, from acupuncture and chiropractic to aromatherapy and herbal remedies. In fact, the best pain management systems include a combination of holistic practices, and herbology plays an important role.

Here are seven great herbs for natural pain relief:

Cayenne

Cayenne pepper (Capsicum) is a hot chili pepper used for culinary and medicinal purposes. A member of the Solanaceae family, cayenne peppers are native to the America’s. Cayenne is safe to use with prescription and over-the-counter medications to relieve arthritis and other pain. In liquid form, it soothes sore throat pain. Cayenne herbal creams reduce itching associated with various skin conditions. As a dietary supplement, cayenne helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Echinacea

Echinacea, commonly known as purple coneflowers, belongs to the daisy family, Asteracaea. The North American herb has many medicinal uses. Known to lessen cold symptoms, it destroys harmful bacteria and viruses, enhances the immune system, reduces inflammation, and relieves pain. Its analgesic and anesthetic properties make it an effective ingredient in sore throat spray. Echinacea is typically taken as a capsule, root tea, or extract.

Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber) began as a South Asian spice. Sometimes known as rootstalks or rootstocks, ginger is a rhizome plant of the Zingiberaceae family. Most people eat ginger as a delicacy or spice, but it also has medicinal uses. Clinical research links ginger with reduced osteoarthritis and cancer pain. The herb is commonly used to treat nausea, vomiting, and upset stomach pain associated with motion sickness, pregnancy, and chemotherapy. Ginger is consumed as an extract, oil, capsule, or freshly-grated spice.

Kava

Kava, or kava-kava, is another natural alternative to pain medications. A South Pacific native, kava is a member of the Piperaceae, or pepper, family. The root of the kava plant has been used for centuries as a sedative, diuretic, and muscle relaxant. The herbal remedy relieves physical pain and promotes mental relaxation. Most people take kava as an extract, capsule, or herbal tea.

Skullcap

Also known as blue skullcap and hoodwort, skullcap (Scutellaria later flora) is a North American herb in the Lamiaceae, or mint, family. As an herbal remedy, skullcap is a mild sedative that promotes relaxation and sleep. Skullcap is considered an effective nerve tonic and is commonly used to treat anxiety and nerve pain. The herb is most often taken as a tea or tincture, although it is available in supplement form.

Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is another rhizome of the Zingiberaceae, or ginger, family. With roots in South Asia, turmeric is used for culinary and medicinal purposes. The ordinary kitchen spice is a simple pain remedy. Holistic medicine uses turmeric to treat arthritis, cancer pain, and skin conditions. While turmeric powder can be used to create a poultice, the best medicinal benefits come from the supplement.

Willow

Native to world’s Northern Hemisphere, willow (Salix) is a tree herb in the Salicaceae family. The leaves and barks of the willow tree have been used through the ages to treat aches, pains, and fevers. In fact, white willow is the original source of aspirin, as well as many arthritis and rheumatism medications. Willow is usually taken in capsule form or as an herbal tea.

Taking one or more of these herbs should help lessen the pain you feel and help you cope with life again, which is the main goal. If you decide to try these herbs, please let us know how you get on. Good luck!

[Bernard]

Serious discomfort impacts many individuals around the world, and it activates immeasurable dollars in medical and social costs each year, discomfort control is big business for the globe's drug companies....

[Grace]

Thanks for the post and the link. I've just started with turmeric tea (from grating fresh tumeric). It's tasty and a touch of honey and ginger make it quite a treat! (*But no good if you are on blood thinners.)

I'm also drinking 2 teaspoons of coconut oil to help battle the candida and manage constipation.

Every bit non pharmaceutical I can do gives me a little more hope.

Cheers,
gracie

[HerMajesty]

Grace,

You mentioned "battling the candida" with coconut oil.

I am battling candida all-out right now, because I wound up with severe chronic candidiasis secondary to my prior issues: I was unable to empty my bladder properly pre-op and for several months post-op, had frequent infections, and was pretty much on chronic antibiotics for 2 years straight.

I am wondering if all you are doing is the coconut oil or if you are fighting the all-out war, with the candida diet and probiotics? I can see you are at least not on a strict candida diet since you are using honey. I am going all out, including doing the strict version of the candida diet which includes eliminating sources of starch like beans, potatoes, etc.

I am mentioning this to you because I saw in your signature that you are interested in non-pharmacologic pain management, and the candida diet has reduced my neuropathy considerably. I am also recovering from surgery so my neuropathy was reducing anyhow in most areas...But the interesting thing is, I had disabling burning neuropathy of the hands which I had assumed was due to my general condition: I had PN secondary to tarlov cyst disease, and that effects various levels of the body due to change in CSF pressure. The burning hand issue was getting worse, not better, post-op and the candida diet eliminated it entirely in a matter of days. I am not sure why. Could candida actually cause some forms of peripheral neuropathy? Is the candida diet generally anti-inflammatory and/or neurologically beneficial? Who knows. My point in posting was to let you know that if you are battling candida without sticking to a strict version of the candida diet, adding the diet might be a non-pharmacologic way for you to improve.

BTW anyone who reads this and does not know what the candida diet is, google it and you will find many versions, which vary in the details but are in essence the same: collect a few different lists of forbbidden and allowed foods from a few different online sources, compare them, and you will get the idea.

[Grace]

Wow! This is helpful info. I will look up the candida diet. I have not been strict at all. At all! Just using basic commonsense to guide me. That can only take you so far. Honey in my tea has been my treat a couple of times each week.

It is so hard not being able to shop and cook for myself. I was the family cook and became quite a foodie over my 20+ years of married/parenting life. Now all I cook is stir fried kale with garbanzos. Sounds like that's out, too...

OK. I will take this as a challenge. Just how I've learned to live without bread... It ain't easy, but I'm all about wellness. Feeling miserable is no fun at all!

ALSO, I have had occasional burning feet since I was 22. I wonder....

You have given me lots to think about. THANK YOU!

[HerMajesty]

PM me if you want more info on Candida diet including some recipes I have been using...I don't want to burden the forum with it, since it's not a candida forum. A friend of mine even taught me how to make very good "faux bread" out of almond flour, which is just ground almonds (nuts are allowed). I don't actually bother to make it though...just ate the stuff she made and collected the recipe... because on the candida diet I have almost no cravings / appetite at all. That's because my blood sugar fluctuation is almost nil.

[Violet M]

HM,is the candida diet something you are going to have to do the rest of your life?

Violet