Nutritional / Herbal Medicine

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Herbs	Nutritional Supplements	Vitamins

Herbal Medicine

Used throughout recorded history, herbs are plant materials that are used to flavor food, as well as prevent and treat disease. Although synthetic drugs have stolen center stage from herbs in developed countries, eighty percent of the world’s population still uses herbal medicine as first line treatment for illness. In fact, over thirteen thousand plant species have been used throughout the world as drugs.

Herbal medicine in this country is big business. In the year 1988, annual herbal sales (primarily in health food stores) amounted to two hundred million dollars. Since then, herbal sales have mushroomed to over five billion dollars annually. Furthermore, in addition to health food stores, herbs are now available in grocery stores, pharmacies, on the Internet, and by mail order.

Click here for a glossary of herbal terms. Below you will find herbal remedies for common ailments.

Herbal Remedies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Overview of Herbal Therapies excerpted from: Mark W. McClure, Smart Medicine For A Healthy Prostate (New York: Avery Publishing Group, 2001)

Millions of dollars are spent annually by American businesses on worker disability claims and medical costs resulting from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a common work-related injury. CTS is usually associated with repetitive wrist motion injury resulting from continuous rapid use of the fingers. In addition, CTS can develop secondary to fluid retention due to pregnancy, pressure from bone spurs, inflammatory arthritis, menopause, Raynaud’s disease, hypothroidism and diabetes mellitus. Swelling and inflammation, conditions common to all these causes of CTS, cause compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel- a small opening about one-quarter inch below the surface of the wrist. Conventional medical options used to treat CTS include physical therapy, wrist splints, anti-inflammatory medication and surgery. Although less well known, CTS can also be treated naturally using herbal remedies which are less invasive, less expensive and less likely to cause side effects than are conventional treatments.

Before listing which herbs are best to treat CTS, though, it will be helpful to understand certain basic information about herbs. To begin with, the term herb, according to Michael Murray,N.D., author of the book The Healing Power of Herbs, refers to a plant used for medicinal purposes. Commercial herbal preparations are available in different forms: bulk herbs, teas, tinctures, fluid extracts, tablets and capsules. Tinctures, Murray explains, are made by soaking an herb in a water and alcohol solvent for a specified amount of time (depending on the herb). The solution is then pressed out yielding the tincture. A liquid herbal extract is more concentrated than a tincture; still further concentration results in a solid herbal extract. Finally, a solid extract can be dried, ground into a powder, and formulated to make herbal capsules and tablets.

Next, when shopping for herbs, it is best to select an herbal extract which is standardized or guaranteed to contain a guaranteed amount of active component. Natural herbal products contain other constituents of the plant. Herbalists maintain that these additional plant ingredients balance the more powerful ingredients. Synthetic prescription drugs, on the other hand, are formulated to contain a single active ingredient. This difference in potency and composition explains some of the difference effects seen between the two preparations- herbal products on the one hand are less potent, take longer to achieve the desired result and are generally safer while prescription drugs are more potent, work faster and are more likely to be associated with side effects. In fact, according to the book The People’s Pharmacy, every year in the U.S., drug reactions due to prescription drugs account for 73,000 deaths and up to 11% of all hospital admissions. In contrast, according to a 1992 report in the Food and Law Journal, herbs are much safer and rarely account for serious side effects. This article was based on an extensive review of reports from the American Association of Poison Control Centers and the Centers for Disease Control (Atlanta, GA).

It is also important to point out that, contrary to popular belief, there is a sound scientific basis for using herbal therapies. Scientific studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of herbal products are routinely reported in peer reviewed journals(mostly European). Publications which survey the world literature of alternative medicine are readily available. In fact, over 90,000 citations (many on herbal medicine) are available through the NIH Office of Alternative Medicine.

Herbs are also relatively inexpensive when compared to prescription drugs - a month’s supply of herbs usually costs less than 20 dollars. Prescription drugs, on the other hand, frequently cost many times this amount.

Before taking herbs to treat CTS, though, certain precautions should be observed. First, current medications or therapies used to treat CTS should not be discontinued without first checking with your physician. Second, although herbs are generally considered safe, they can interact with certain prescription medication. So if you are currently taking prescription medication, it is advisable to first check with your physician or pharmacist before taking an herbal product. Finally, if CTS fails to improve or gets worse (particularly if weakness starts to develop in the affected thumb) you should seek appropriate medical advise. For all of the reasons listed above including the high potential for benefit, the low risks and the low cost, it makes good sense to use natural herbal remedies in addition to conventional approaches to treat CTS.

Click here to download a complete list of herbal / complementary medicine treatment options for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

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Fibromyalgia

Herbal medications* reported to be helpful in treating FMS include:

Zingiber officinale (ginger) 500 mg twice a day with food (antiinflammatory)
Curcuma longa (tumeric) 400-600 mg three times a day (anti-inflammatory)
Boswellia (frankincense) - take a directed on the bottle (reduces pain)
tincture preparations of the following herbs:
Vitex agnus-castus (chasteberry) - 30 drops in water three times daily (supports growth hormone)
Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Cohosh)- 30 drops in water 3-4 times daily (muscle relaxant)
Hypericum perforatum (St. Johnswort) - 40-60 drops in water three times daily (muscle relaxant). Please be aware that at extremely high doses, St. Johnswort may cause photosensitivity caused by strong sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet light.
Dioscorea villosa (wild yam) 30-40 drops in water three times daily (muscle relaxant)
Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng) standardized tincture (1:5) 30 drops in water three times daily for up to three months (enhances the immune system)
Astragalus membranaceous (atragalus) - 30 drops in water three times daily (enhances the immune system)
Ginko biloba (ginko leaf) - 60-90 drops in water three times daily (improves oxygen metabolism and circulation) Piper methysticum (kava kava root) tincture 30 drops 3-4 times daily is useful for nervous anxiety and insomnia. A combination of the tinctures kava kava and black cohosh in equal amounts, 50-60 drops (25-30 drops of each) in water 4 times daily, is an effective combination for treating fibromyalgia syndrome.

Supplements helpful for treating FMS include:

L-carnitine 200-500 mg twice daily for 6 weeks (take on an empty stomach)
magnesium 300 - 1000 mg daily ( the gylcinate form is well absorbed and tolerated)
malic acid 1200 - 2400 mg daily
S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) 200 - 400 mg twice a day (don’t use in bipolar disorder)
Massage painful areas with 5-10 drops of essential oils of periwinkle, rosemary or basil mixed in 20 cc sesame or almond oil.
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) can be helpful in detecting and reprogramming unconscious patterns of thought and behavior. NLP can result in altered psychological responses and enhance the healing process. Some psychologists have had special training in NLP. Books, audio tapes, and educational material is available from Dynamic Learning Center, P.O. Box 1112, Ben Lomond, CA 95005, 1-408-336-3457
Reiki is a form of healing energy which helps balance energy in the body thereby reducing pain and inflammation.
All forms of healing listed under the title Other Aids to Healing can be useful.

Click here to download a complete list of herbal / complementary medicine treatment options for Fibromyalgia.

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Raynaud's Disease

Add 60-90 drops of Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo leaf) tincture or extract (standardized to contain 24% ginko heterosides) to a small amount of warm water and drink between meals three to four times daily. Ginko biloba improves oxygen metabolism and circulation, and exerts antioxidant, stabilizing, and smooth muscle relaxing effects on vascular tissues and cell walls. Use with prickly ash, cinnamon or ginger for greater effectiveness (see below).
Add 30 drops of Centella asiatica (Gota kola) tincture to warm water three times daily and drink between meals. This herb is useful in treating scleroderma and venous disorders by protecting tissues and vessels and helping them to heal.
Add 10 drops of Selenicereus grandiflorus (Night blooming cereus) to a small amount of warm water and take once daily to help treat icy cold hands.
Take a capsule containing 500 mg of Zingiber officinalis (ginger) twice daily between meals or 20-30 drops of an extract added to a small amount of warm water four times daily. Ginger is warming and a circulatory stimulant. It can be applied in a poultice, put into a bath, or drunk as tea or as an extract. Ginger helps improve circulation to cold hands and feet plus reduce joint inflammation caused by repetitive motion.
Add 10-20 drops of Cinnamomum verum (Cinnamon) tincture to a small amount of warm water and drink the mixture four times daily. Cinnamon is especially indicated for diabetic patients with Raynaud’s disease. It is useful in conditions in which the skin is pale and cool to touch.
Add 10-15 drops of Xanthoxylum clava-herculis (Prickly ash) extract or tincture (berries) or 20-30 drops of extract (bark) in warm water and drink 4 times a day to treat poor peripheral circulation associated with painful white hands.
Add 20-30 drops of Capsicum frutescens (Cayenne Pepper) 1:10 tincture to warm water and drink 4 times daily to treat poor capillary integrity associated with lack of "stomach fire" and cold extremities.
Add 1-10 drops of Melilotus officinalis (Melilotus) extract 1:2 to warm water and drink every 2-3 hours to treat spasmotic pain associated with muscle weakness and cold hands and fingers that are tender to touch.
Add 10-20 drops of Ruscus aculeatus (Butcher’s Broom) extract or tincture to warm water and drink three times daily to treat circulatory insufficiency and poor vascular integrity.
Add 10-20 drops of Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse chestnut) FH Extract 1:2 to warm water and drink three times daily to improve circulatory insufficiency and poor vascular integrity.
Add 40-60 drops of Hypericum perforatum (St. Johnswort) extract or tincture to warm water and drink three times daily to treat nerve pain associated with Raynaud’s disease. Please be aware that in some individuals, extremely high doses of St. Johnswort may cause photosensitivity caused by strong sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet light.

Click here to download a complete list of herbal / complementary medicine treatment options for Raynaud's disease.

Hydrotherapy

Add the following essential oils to a basin of very-warm-hot water - cinnamon oil 3-5 drops, lemon oil 3-5 drops and cypress oil 3-5 drops. Immerse a towel, ring it out and apply for one minute. Repeat several times at each application.

Massage

Massage daily with warm sesame oil beginning with the scalp and working down towards the heart. Continue with feet, working upward towards the heart. Massage with special attention to feet, hands, scalp and ears.

Magnetic therapy

Specially designed magnets can be applied to painful areas. It is theorized that the magnets work by increasing local blood flow.

Exercise

Stand with arms at your side and then swing them strongly round and round like a windmill as high and fast as you can (up to 80 times a minute). This exercise often relieves hand symptoms within a minute or two.

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Need more information on health and wellness?
Click here for a link to health and wellness recommendations from the National Institute of Health.