No one should have to live with chronic pain. Besides the pain itself, it can create a host of other undesirable side effects, such as tension, spasms, sleeplessness, and depression. The typical pain medications might possibly remedy a couple of these side effects, but some herbal formulas have been shown to address them all. For example, a medical herbalist can create a combination of herbs that will treat the spasms (cramp bark), the pain (willow bark), act as a sedative (valerian), and alleviate the depression (St. John’s Wort).
For a holistic approach to treating chronic pain, hot, moist herbal packs can help relieve the discomfort and allow for increased blood circulation to the areas of pain. Meanwhile, herbal teas, juices and extracts help to soothe aching muscles and taxed nerves.
Here is a list of common herbs that can have a gratifying effect on tired, sore, and aching bodies:
*Chamomile acts as a calming agent on smooth muscle tissue. You can drink it as one to three cups of tea or as one to three capsules daily. You can also incorporate 10-20 extract drops into a cup of liquid.
*Bromelain, a pineapple extract, is a great anti-inflammatory. Start of with 2-3 g daily and then drop that down to 1-2 g daily as the pain lets up. When consumed as a tea, valerian, St. John’s wort, and Jamaican dogwood have the same effect.
*If the muscle tension is a result of emotional stress, take St. John’s wort, lemon balm, borage, or valerian teas.
*If you want to strengthen those back muscles, let fresh yarrow juice become your new best friend!
*If you want a heat pack to apply to your sore and painful areas, use a white or black mustard seed pack. However, do not leave it on the affected area for more than 10 minutes, as it can cause irritation to the skin.
*For pain related to physical strain, infuse meadowsweet three times daily with a rub of lobelia and cramp bark on the affected area.
*Like to keep things hot? Go for the cayenne pepper (capsicum). Red pepper contains the highly-effective pain-relieving chemical, capsaicin. It is so powerful that just a tiny amount provides the active ingredient found in some of the most powerful prescription topical analgesic agents. While it is not fully understood how this ingredient works, it does seem to interfere with our ability to perceive pain. It also makes our bodies release our own natural pain-relieving endorphins.
To apply capsaicin, you can simply purchase a store brand cream containing capsaicin and use that, or you can mash a red pepper and rub it right onto the affected area. Another method is to use any white skin cream or cold cream you might have on hand and mix in some red pepper to allow it to turn pink. As a handy at-the-ready solution, place one ounce of cayenne pepper in a quart of rubbing alcohol. Allow the mixture to stand for three weeks. Be sure to shake the bottle daily. Then, when you have an acute attack or spasm, apply this mixture to the painful area.
Be sure to wash your hands completely after using red pepper and keep it away from your eyes. Never attempt to ingest any of these remedies, either. To make sure you are not sensitive to cayenne pepper, test it out on a small area of your skin before applying to a larger area. If you see any signs of irritation, do not use this mixture or compound.
While there are several herbal remedies to help ease your chronic back pains…and other pains…these are just a few to get you started! Stay tuned for additional articles that will highlight other herbal remedies that just might work wonders for you!
(Information for this article was found at http://www.holisticonline.com/remedies/backpain/back_herbs.htm)