BACK TO ASK THE HERBALIST
INDEX
ANSWERS FROM CARLOS:
QUESTION:
I have a 86 year old mother with a lot of
pain in her lower back from compression fractures. She
is on medication but was wondering if your 'I hope you
can dance' Linament would ease her muscular pain.
ANSWER:
Its so nice to see a son concerned about
his mother. I am not familiar with this product. The
answer you see at the site is from a long ago herbalist
who is no longer at that position, not from myself.
Personally I suffer from severe
rheumatoid arthritis and the best ointment/linament I
have ever found comes in a tiny bottle, its name Yee Tin
Medicated Oil. It is very inexpensive at any Chinese
herbal shop or just Google it and buy off the net. Apply
to the area (make sure you wash your hands well
afterwards and not touch your eyes), then apply a
heating pad to the area use moderate heat and increase
if needed. In some case alternating heat and then cold
seems to work better for some people. If this is so with
your mom, apply the heat 15 minutes, then an ice bag for
10. Repeat as often as needed.
ANSWERS FROM LORYHL:
QUESTION:
What herbs are used for pain relief?
ANSWER:
Depending on what you want the relief from, here are a
few to try:
-
turmeric, inflammation and pain
- white willow bark, works in head pain, some of the
time
- astragalus and schizandra berry, inflammation, pain,
blood cleansing, movement of dead chi
- yucca for arthritis
- eucommia bark for joint pain
- 1500 mg of balanced calcium supplement
- 500 mg of Ester C with magnesium, three to four times
daily
- COQ10, with C, 100 mg, four times or more daily
- acupuncture
- epsom salts baths
- meditation, and prayer, and laughter
- aromatherapy, of clary sage, myrrh, lavender
QUESTION: My
husband had back surgery in April. He wishes he never
did it. He is always in severe pain, and is tired of
taking pain pills and tranquilizers that don't work. Is
there anything out there to take some of the pain away
so he can live his life again?
ANSWER:
I don’t know where you live. It is imperative you find a
good, reputable, Chinese acupuncturist and herbal
doctor, of Chinese medicine. I suggest massage, and also
acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and water aerobics. We have
formulas for inflammation and pain, that will be
helpful. Use 400-800 mg of pure COQ10, pills daily,
with 4000 mg vitamin C daily, spread out. Let me know
what else I can do, or if you want some herbs to help
him.
TURBINATES
QUESTION: Do you know off a natural cure/treatment
for enlarged turbinates? After reading some
explanations for this condition on the internet, --short
quote below-- I also read that there are herbs that help
contract inflamed tissues. Thank you in advance for any
suggestions.
ANSWER:
You can
try golden seal. Also, feverfew and some of the
circulatory herbs might be helpful. Hawthorn, ginkgo and
yarrow are some of these.
HERNIATED DISC
QUESTION: Recently had an mri and discovered I
have a herniated disc in my neck along with other
bulging discs. I am a very active person and I a very
healthy diet. What kind of herbs would help the discs
to repair and heal. I also have a great deal of pain in
my shoulder and down my arm. My chiropractor says it is
from a nerve being pinched in my neck.
ANSWER: This struck me as funny. Your
chiropractor told you this was due to a pinched nerve.
So did he do anything about that? Like adjust you to
relieve it? That's kinda what chiropractors are supposed
to do, so I didn't quite understand it. If he did and
you are just suffering from the after pain and the
nerves are no longer pinched, you might try chamomile,
lemon balm or valerian to relax the nerves and you.
Also, white willow is very effective for pain. It has
the same chemicals as aspirin without the stomach
problems normally associated with aspirin. If the nerve
is still pinched, no herbs are going to help you. Find
another chiropractor who can adjust you properly and
relieve the pain.
PAIN AFTER
SURGERY
QUESTION: My son will be undergoing knee surgery this
week. Since his injury we have been treating his pain
with arnica and white willow. Can we continue to use
the white willow after surgery? Will the white willow
cause problems with bleeding at the surgical site? What
can we use instead? What about turmeric? Any
suggestions would be most helpful.
ANSWER:
The white
willow should be fine to continue use. Make sure you are
using the arnica externally only.
FOLLOW-UP QUESTION: Just curious, though, why
only external application of the arnica?
ANSWER: Arnica is poisonous and though taken in
very small homeopathic doses for some ailments, it would
be extremely dangerous for a novice to do so. So I
always advise against it. Perhaps you know it by it's
folk name Wolfs bane. If you're working with a qualified
homeopath, they may suggest it, but for pain, it is
almost always made into a liniment or rub by combining
with a carrier oil or witch hazel.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES
QUESTION:
What do
you suggest for use as an anti-inflammatory? I have
been taking prescriptions that aren't doing the trick.
I always remembered that herbs and old remedies seem to
work better long term.
ANSWER:
There are lots of herbs that are helpful for inflammation. White
willow Bark, Vervain, and Rosemary to name a few. These
are in the tea I sent you. In addition, Cayenne is very
good for inflammation because of the ingredient capsaicin.
If you can get fresh pineapple, it is full of bromelain
and is one of the
best anti-inflammatory you can get. But canned won't do
it. You have to eat fresh. So take a trip to the grocery
store! Also, of course, you must eliminate white flour,
white sugar and artificial sweeteners and preservatives
from your diet. Those things will only exacerbate the
problem and everything healthy you are trying to do will
be of no help. Try the tea and see how it works for you.
If you have access to cayenne, (which, since you're in
Texas, you should have NO trouble finding!) make a rub
from cayenne and olive oil. Apply to the painful area.
(Yes, it will be hot, but that's what you need) Wrap in a
flannel or cotton cloth and
leave on.
BONE PAIN
QUESTION:
My bones are sore. My hand and finger and legs. My knee
are sore too. I have a hard time with my legs and my
left shoulder. I know I have Arthritis. I have try all
kinds of medication. I just get sick to my stomach.
Please see if you can tell me if anything will help.
Thank you.
ANSWER: The best things for bone pain are white
willow bark, angelica and nettles. Mix these herbs
together and drink in a tea 3 times a day to help with
the pain. Also, you MUST eliminate white flour and white
sugar from your diet. They are involved in every case of
arthritis I have seen. Eliminate them, and half the
problem solves itself. As a poultice or liniment, Black
mustard, Cayenne, chickweed, lavender and lobelia are
the herbs of choice. I have an excellent liniment that I
just developed. E-mail me with the word ORDER in the
subject line and let me know you are interested in the I
Hope you Dance Liniment. I can also make a custom tea
using the herbs described above.
PAIN:
QUESTION: I am currently taking an anti-inflammatory
and a pain pill for shoulder
pain. Is there herbs that would be a good source rather
than prescription
drugs?
ANSWER: The best herbs for pain are white willow
bark, valerian and skullcap in my
opinion. You can take these as a tea or as tinctures. I
have a special blend on the website called Painless Tea.
You can find it on the website at
www.allgoodegifts.com under Teas in the Herb
Shoppe.
STAPH INFECTION
QUESTION: My
7/12 year old daughter had a staff abscess on her ear
lobe due to an infection with a large amount of
swelling. She had to go to the ER yesterday morning for
them to remove the ear ring and lance the abscess. A
large amount of swelling is in the ear lobe and the ER
doc said a lot of the time the ear lobe once swelled
will stay that way forever. I was wondering if you
could give me any advice on natural ways that may help
the ear lobe go back to its normal size. I would
certainly appreciate any suggestions.
ANSWER:
I would use some tea tree essential oil at the site of
the wound. Apply by pouring by drops onto a Q-tip or
cotton ball. DO NOT introduce the Q-tip into the
bottle. Then take the lobe between your thumb and
forefinger and massage in a circular motion. Do this 3
times a day and see if it offers any relief.
PAIN
QUESTION:
I am looking for an herb that can help w/inflammation,
pain around neck/throat area-possibly infection of some
kind. Could be tooth or tonsils, not sure. I am
sure there must be something that can help, I am just
not sure what it would be and need some advice to get
started in the search.
ANSWER:
So sorry you're in
pain. Without knowing the cause, it's impossible for me
to recommend anything. I would see a doctor or homeopath
quickly in case it is some sort of infection so you can
properly diagnose the problem. You didn't say if you had
any other symptoms.
In the meantime, White Willow bark
has
been used for thousands of years to relieve pain. The bark
contains salicin, a derivative of aspirin. Salicin helps
pain but, unlike aspirin, does not thin the blood or
irritate the stomach. White Willow bark can reduce fever
and inflammation, and is very helpful for arthritis. It is
a diuretic (urine-promoter) which aids the body's natural
cleansing mechanism. The best way to take it is in a tea,
if you can find some at the health food store.
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