Pain Relief with Herbal Remedies

Q- What is herbal therapy and should a person undertake it as a self-help therapy?

A- NO. Herbal therapy or herbalism is basically botanical medicine. It is the use of herbs.

It is using herbs, fruits and vegetables for their therapeutic or medicinal value. An herb is a plant or part of a plant for either medicinal, aromatic or savory or eating the your food.

Your body takes in the chemical substances from these plants not only to aid in your diet but to you aid you in times of disease. When did this all start? It began when man started eating shrubs and how certain plants helped when certain things were going on.

The world health organization estimates that about half the world’s population use some form of herbal treatment. On top of that, the pharmaceutical companies are working hard on 110-130 plants that they are making their medicines out of in some form or another. One of the frontline heart medicines comes from foxglove. They found out that you cannot break down digitalis to make something else from it or you will kill somebody.

Q- What are some of the typical things that people can use herbal therapy for?

A- For controlling pain, asthma, high blood pressure, low blood pressure and respiratory problems. There are several things, colds, skin conditions and stomach problems. If you are having a lot of problems with your stomach you can use peppermint and spearmint.

You can use cinnamon for diarrhea; peppermint can be used for clearing your nasal passages, peppermint oil. If you are having problems with asthma you can use true camphor will open up your passages and lungs like Vicks vapor rub like menthol.

Menthol can also be used on your arthritic joints because it blocks the pores and causes heat to build up to that part of the body your body increases the blood flow thereby dilating all the veins and with all the blood flowing there helps to cool it down but also more blood flow brings in more oxygen and that is what breaks down the lactic acid.

Q- What should someone look for when they go shopping for herbs?

A- Try not to get too exotic and ask questions. State what it is that is going on with your body, and ask what herb can help for that malady. Since before the Crusades, the plant that became known as St. Johns Wart has been used for depression and it was used to help wounds heal and getting over trauma and stopping bleeding.

Q- It sounds like herbal therapy is not something that someone should attempt on their own.

A- If you are going to self-medicate and do the herbal remedies then you need to do your homework. If someone is suffering from low blood pressure or they have anemia and they are down they will prescribe ginseng.

If someone is on Cumadin it can thin the linings of your veins and arteries and if you get increased blood pressure from taking ginseng or garlic or ginger you could blow out a vein. Ginseng can over stimulate you and keep you from sleeping. So you don’t want to drink a lot of coffee and take ginseng. There are also some herbs that shouldn’t be taken by women for long periods of time.

You need to be aware of a garlic and Cumadin mix because Cumadin actually came from the industry that created rat poison and because of their little body structure it would make their veins burst and they would bleed out and then they found out the Cumadin could make your blood thin out to where it acts as rubbing up against clots or build up in the vein walls, it will work on fatty deposits.

However garlic does the same thing. Pure garlic or the capsules but if you take Cumadin, garlic cannot be in your diet. Err on the side of caution and eliminate all garlic.

Garlic has anti-clotting properties on it’s own, however vitamin K is what causes your blood to coagulate, Cumadin destroys vitamin K. That is what causes people to bleed out and they have to inject you with things that are going to force your blood to clot. Now garlic, which is a natural component, will work along with vitamin K by staving it off it doesn’t destroy it from your system.

Q- What is vitamin K responsible for in your body?

A- Vitamin K is what helps your blood coagulate. It is what helps your blood to clot so you don’t bleed out.

Q- what should someone look for if they are looking for an herbalist?

A- First you need to check out their credentials then the next important thing is to see how “people orientated” they are.

Q- What kind of credentials should a potential herbalist be able to share with them?

A- There are various naturopathic schools around the country. Again how people orientated this person is and what their views are on homeopathy.