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bogfrog

Herbal Health

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I thought that it would be a good idea for us to have a thread where we can share herbal remedies.

There seems to be a wealth of information brimming at the edge of the SAB cup, and i'd like to take a drink :P

I have a few herbalism books, but 1st hand experience is limited in my circles and i am still a bit of a newbie when it comes to herbal remedies.

We all have some problems, and we all have some answers.

I would like this to be a thread where people could express whatever ailment is bothering them and ask for advice on which plants could help to ease the trouble.

I'll start,

My knees are killing me!

I have almost constant aches and they can be especially uncomfortable at night when i am trying to sleep.

Joint problems are very common as you get older, but i'm only 21 and i'm hobbling around like a frail old spinster at times. Since i am training to be an ECE teacher, i'm going to need my knees to get down to children's level.

Does anyone know of any herbal helpers for joint pain? I want my knees to last the distance!

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I would try turmeric.

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Do you know about the origin of the inflammatory/pain reaction?

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castor oil works well.

Soak cotton cloth in castor oil. Wrap around knee. Thn cover in plastic gladwrap and then apply aheat pack of some kind.

Hot water bottle or something. Keep it there for 30-60mins mins. You would be surprised.

I was getting a swollen big toe. Arthritis kind of thing.

I tried the Castor oil and it was amazing swelling went down and pain went down by at ;east 80-90%

give it a try

Edited by trichoshaman

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Celery seed is good for arthritic pain.

Sometimes a prescription drugs side effect can be joint pain.

I find if i wear thin soled shoes, and go for a really long walk on the footpath, that night i end up with sore knees and hips, and i think its from the jarring of my feet on the concrete.

Or maybe you need orthotic shoe inserts bogfrog.

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The book "How Can I Use Herbs In My Daily Life," is a priceless treasure of information when you are interested in herbal remedies.

But something not it that book I have found useful for myself and those around me; collecting the leaves of brugmansia or datura and wrapping them in place on your knees or effected area helps a great deal with inflammatory pain, this can be left on for a while. Don't forget to cleanse your hands and area afterwards though with warm salt water.

Edited by Roopey
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Gassy and bloated?

Try some peppermint tea!

Burp and fart away.

*woops didnt read the original post.

Edited by spacemonk
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i realy don't want to offend, or cause commotion, but are you overweight?

it's the no1 cause of knee pain.

i ask as a healer.

in a sence no need to answere, if it's that your meniscus, is not placed proper, do special exercises, which a specialist could show you. sometimes an operation will fix it, as an intuitive, i think, yours can't be healed with herbs, but sure you can reduce the pain and any inflamation.

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I'm going to sound awful here, but there is a danger to this thread....

There is no such thing as "take x herb for y condition"

If you consulted someone (with qualifications/training), with knee pain - they would (should) ask 100 questions before giving their recommendations.

I have qualifications in ayurveda -- it is always said...herbs are 5% of the cure. The rest is diet & lifestyle

Edited by coin
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significant knee pain at 21 years old is not normal and diet and lifestyle should be examined... any herbal prescription should act as a catalyst toward healing, but is definitely not the focus

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Hey, nah i'm not overweight PH, only a size 10.

I think it could be a hereditary thing, my dad has trouble with joint pain too, i wasnt expecting to be able to make it go away, just to find some sort of plant i can take reguarlly to keep on top of the pain.

Thanks for all suggestions i will definately try a few things out.

Space cadet, you're alright mate, i would like this thread to be about lots of people's bothers, not just my own.

The more each of us can learn, the more we can share with friends and family.

I gave my grandma a gotu kola plant to help with her arthritis pain, and mum is growing some kanna now. Nice to unfurl some healing plant knowlege to those who need it.

Many people dont even seem to realise there are natural alternatives to prescription drugs.

Will also look into that book, thanks!

I have Mrs Greives - A Modern Herbal but i cant search by ailment, so you have to know the plants.

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Coin yeah fair enough, i will track down someone in the know and see what they have to say about it.

Once again though, i dont want this thread to be just about my niggling problem!

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hereditary, regardless, consistent knee pain at age 21 is not normal. it is a warning sign that something is very wrong.

from an ayurvedic perspective: jogging, running - raw foods, salads, low fat diet, vegetarianism, cold drinks with food, eating "on the run" -- will contribute

emotions - fear, anxiety, worry -- are implicated (brahmi/gotu kola, jatamansi/valerian, ashwagandha, will help... take with 1 standard drink alcohol daily)

recommended herbs/diet: guggulu, boswellia, ashwagandha, collagen, ghee, bone broth, EPA/DHA supplement, calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement...gotu kola..

onion, ginger (1 TBSP), garlic (1 TBSP), turmeric (1/2 tsp) daily

Edited by coin
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Thanks for your advice, if you hadnt said anything i would have gone on alot longer thinking it was perfectly normal.

:S

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I'll start,

My knees are killing me!

I have almost constant aches and they can be especially uncomfortable at night when i am trying to sleep.

Joint problems are very common as you get older, but i'm only 21 and i'm hobbling around like a frail old spinster at times. Since i am training to be an ECE teacher, i'm going to need my knees to get down to children's level.

Does anyone know of any herbal helpers for joint pain? I want my knees to last the distance!

My slavic friends caramelis onions and poutice the joint that is in trouble. I have tried this withmy knees when i wa younger,football injury an it works but i dong know if it will work for everything?????

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Thanks for your advice, if you hadnt said anything i would have gone on alot longer thinking it was perfectly normal.

:S

We often get used to pain and emotional upsets, so much so we often think it is normal. I remember my first therapeutic massage, and how suddenly I discovered so many muscles in continual spasm!. And just recently, St. Johns Wort has made me aware of long term mental stress that I didn't really acknowledge, I was just used to it! I'm off to an Ayurvedic practitioner for this as soon as I have moved out and have some spare cash, if anyone knows a good one in the Sydney region I'd be stoked..

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Hey Bog - Glucosamine, glucosamine, glucosamine... not completely herbal, but not too bad - if you like fungi, it's in Aspergillius niger... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucosamine

For me, my knees were buggered from 7 years playing ice hockey, running, riding and also dad has bung knees, so I'm prone to a bad knee. Glucosamine for 2 months, every day (the non-shellfish derived version) has completely fixed all my aches and pains and all my joints feel properly lubricated. I tried so many things and they either didn't work, or worked only whilst I was taking them - Glucosamine took about 1 week before I notcied a difference, then after about a month I was good as gold, although I kept it up for 2 months anyway. Apparently my cartilage was thin, and glucosamine provides the body with the nutrients it needs to help rebuild it. So if it's cartilage problems you have, my unprofessional self experimental advice is to give it a try. :)

As mentioned above, a healthcare pro should probly be consulted - I got a headache from my first batch of glucosamine, so I went and saw a doc - he said "you're allergic to shellfish" - which is spot on. I switched to the non-shellfish version - no headaches and no pain. I had no idea I was allergic to shellfish - but once I found out I backtracked and remembered quite a few times being crook from certain fish - rainbow trout gives me an itchy rash on my hands about 30 mins after eating it.

I also like brahmi and ginkgo for clear head - Liquorice for taste and relaxation - Chamomile for sleepy time - Shilajit for things that I didn't even know existed that my body probly needs...

Oh - and I have a teaspoon or 2 of vital-greens every morning and it is hands down the best thing I've ever put into my body apart from air and water...

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(Sorry if I sounded like an a*hole above)

I like the suggestions for castor oil & celery seed.

Anyone else have some home remedies for common complaints?

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Apple cider vinegar - for everything. except maybe an apple cider vinegar overdose, but I'd assume more apple cider vinegar would fix that too.

I've used apple cider vinegar on my dogs skin condition - fix it when all else failed.

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Apple cider vinegar - for everything. except maybe an apple cider vinegar overdose, but I'd assume more apple cider vinegar would fix that too.

I second that lol. I take apple cider vinegar in a little shot glass with ground tumeric each morning, helps to settle my stomach and gives an invigorating boost, with warm fuzzies in the tum afterwards :)

I have recently started collecting ginkgo biloba leaves from a tree i pass on my walk home, tea of this helps me focus on my study.

I was told the other day that ginger can also help with arthritic pain, has anyone tried this?

Coin, you didn't sound like an a*hole at all, more like someone who really knows what they are talking about :worship:

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It certainly isn't normal for someone your age to be experiencing that sort of pain. I'd be going to a GP to get it investigated. They should do a blood test for inflammatory markers. Chronic inflammation can sometimes affect organs and arteries etc so it can be serious if it continues long term.

I wouldn't be too quick to take the anti-histamines (anti-inflammatories) they will most likely prescribe. In my experience anti-histamines supress the swelling and pain but they do nothing to treat the cause of the problem. They can often lead to digestive problems, which the quack won't tell you about and he/she could try to treat the symptoms the anti-inflammatories cause with more drugs - this is very common.

As the others have suggested diet is strongly implicated in a lot of inflammatory conditions. A food diary would be a good place to start and an elimination diet where you start with something simple like rice and over time add foods one at a time and document the effects, could help you get to the bottom of your problems.

One theory that I've adhered to with good success is the Budwig protocol. She (Dr Budwig) was a lipid scientist who successfully treated many cases of chronic inflammation by modifying her patients intake of oils. Our modern diets are loaded with rancid vegetable oils which disrupt cellular function and cell division which results in chronic inflammation and can cause heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Her treatments replace the bad fats (processed vegetable oils) with cold pressed oils that haven't been cooked to the point where they lose their anti oxidants (commercial oil extraction is done with solvents at high temps) .

This problem is affecting the mucosa of your joints - Budwigs take on mucosal problems.

Taken from her book - Flax oil as a true aid against Arthritis, Heart Infarction Cancer & other diseases

In the formation of mucous secretions, it is the particular interplay of the unsaturated, surface-active fats, those fats which penetrate to the surface, and of protein, which is paramount. There is no gland, neither the liver, the pancreas nor the glands in the upper body cavities, the tonsils, salivary glands and others, nor the lower body glands, which can produce mucous, when a lack of unsaturated fats is present. The drying out of mucous membranes is nowadays widespread and often a course of complaint. This problem is easily remedied by reintroducing the body to natural, highly unsaturated fats, and this is significant. The fats which are alien to the body block the metabolism of other fat in the delicate glands, capillaries and filter stations.

Edit- fkn formatting

Edited by SallyD
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from an ayurvedic perspective: jogging, running - raw foods, salads, low fat diet, vegetarianism, cold drinks with food, eating "on the run" -- will contribute

emotions - fear, anxiety, worry -- are implicated (brahmi/gotu kola, jatamansi/valerian, ashwagandha, will help... take with 1 standard drink alcohol daily)

:blink: So much of that seems backwards I have to wonder if its in a western context?

In clinical trials fresh fruits and vegetables (raw foods, salads) always either help arthritis or have no effect provided that the person isnt poisoning themselves with excessive goitrogens.

Vegetarianism, as in a plant based diet rather than a dairy one, is widely regarded as beneficial in the last 20 years of clinical research. Western vegans/vegetarians are rarely deficient in anything except perhaps B12, is the same not the case in india or something?

'Low Fat' in the west refers to a diet getting 20-30% its calories from fat, I imagine that would be a high fat diet to working class rural india (the heartland of ayurveda, IIRC). Leave out the ghee and wouldnt rural indian food have about 10% kcal fat? Thats rarely achieved in the west.

Your promoting drinking alcohol? :scratchhead:

I'd love clarification on any of that, particularly the vegetarianism bit.

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I said 1 standard drink....the recommended amount in ayurveda (given as herbal alcoholic drinks, based on fermented decoctions & raisins) works out to about 0.5-1 standard drinks.

I'm not going to turn this thread into a debate about vegetarianism. If by "scientific studies" you mean T Colin Campbell/The China Study...that book is nonsense & full of holes.

By eating meat, I mean a few times per week. Ayurveda recommends that the amount eaten at each meal should not be more than the volume of the person's cupped hands...a small proportion of this can be meat. I'm sure you know that ayurveda has a concept of "body types" -- this guides the choice of meat eaten and the amount...(the same goes for alcohol)

"Vegetarianism, as in a plant based diet" -- everyone should have a plant based diet, whether they eat meat or not.

In terms of arthritis - I'm referring to the type of person that has fallen for the "cholesterol & saturated fats are bad" myth and subsists on leaves.

"Western vegans/vegetarians are rarely deficient in anything except perhaps B12" -- this is not what I see in practice...I see unhealthy "skin & bones". No source of omega 3.

The majority of ayurvedic practitioners recommend vegetarianism...this is a result of the influence of Hinduism/Brahminism on ayurveda. It has nothing to do with ayurveda, in reality.

I think what you're saying is correct - I was just speaking generally...Of course I don't mean that vegetarianism causes arthritis - but sometimes it is very helpful for people to challenge their ideologies...some bone broth & marrow can be very helpful :)

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comfrey cream 4 breaks and bruises ! fish oil and celery 4 rsi ..

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i went out with a lady for a few years, and she was a strict vegetarian, but sometimes she ate raw fish.

everytime she ate fish, she seem to me more energetic afterwards.

she always complained of being fatiqued, it took me years to make her, eat small amounts of meat, and she had more energy after eating meat. i assumed she was defficant in iron, so we got the expensive vegetarian iron tonic, it did not made any difference.

raw fish made a big difference, and meat aswell.

i ate mostly vegetarian aswell through this periode, but had meat on occasions.

i did not feel much fatiqued, but my hair was splitting at the ends.

when the relationship ended, i returned to eating meat, and i never had split ends again!

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