Pain-relieving herbs are both widely available and widely used today. These powerful and natural remedies have been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments. Pain-relief herbs provide natural treatments without the often overpowering side-effects of modern-day pharmaceuticals and as such can be an ideal alternative or supplement to your pain-relief regime.
The Facts
Pain-relieving herbs are an essential part of homeopathic and natural medicine. A single type of herb or a combination of herbs can be administered to someone who is suffering from the pain of a recent injury or chronic pain. The herbs can be administered to the patient in the form of oil or a hot herb pack that is applied topically, drunk as a tea, taken in a capsule or consumed in the form of an extract.
Function
Herbal remedies are different from traditional medicine because they often are used as part of a whole body treatment, which is common in holistic medicine. Often an herbalist will prescribe a combination of herbs to treat not only the pain but the accompanying symptoms. Holistic Online noted one such common pain-relieving mixture: "One herbal combination may include equal parts of willow bark (for pain), cramp bark (for spasm), valerian (a sedative), and St. John's wort (an antidepressant)."
Types
Several types of herbs treat pain. Some herbs are used for general applications and others treat specific causes. For example, according to the website Mother Nature, cinchona is used as a hangover remedy in China, but burdock is used for general pain relief. Because nearly every country developed natural medicine before traditional medicine, there are herbal alternatives for most medicines that you would find in a pharmacy. Regional variations on what is available depend on which species grow in a particular area. See the resources section below for online databases of types of herbs.
Warning
The choice to use herbal remedies is personal, but you should use herbal pain relievers only after consulting your doctor or herbalist. While many herbs do not have as dramatic and immediate effects as traditional medicine, they are very powerful and need to be used with care. Further, some herbal remedies can conflict with other medicines that you may be taking, making them less effective or creating a dangerous combination. For example, St. John's wort can have serious effects when combined with MAOIs (prescription antidepressants) and make birth control pills less effective.
History
Herbal medicine is evident in the history of most cultures dating back thousands of years. One of the oldest texts that is still utilized today, for its recommendations on treating congestion, is a treatise written by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong in 2735 B.C. China has one of the most vibrant herbal medicine cultures that is still thriving today. In fact, in Chinese communities, herbal remedies are considered the primary method for treating ailments today.
Tags: herbal remedies, traditional medicine, combination herbs, herbs administered, herbs treat