Guest guest Posted March 31, 2003 Report Share Posted March 31, 2003 Natural Pain Relief Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. That said, nobody wants to put up with chronic pain for weeks on end - so if you are in pain, use a natural pain-relief remedy to tackle the symptom. If the pain persists, go to your doctor or natural health practitioner to find out more about the underlying cause. The word drug comes from the German word droge meaning ‘to dry’, as in drying herbs. It is estimated that up to half of all prescription drugs come either directly from plants or are a chemical imitation of the active medicinal ingredient found naturally in plants. This means that the idea of relying on a herb to take away the pain is not as silly as it might first sound. Herbs can be just as potent as prescription medicines, which is why (of course) they work. For general pain relief I use an Indian herb called boswellia, which is every bit as powerful as Ibuprofen or other over-the-counter painkillers. Produced from the gum of the Boswellia serrata tree, the key active ingredient is Boswellic acid. This is a powerful anti-inflammatory and vascular-supporting herb that can help relieve headaches, for example, by opening up the blood vessels that are constricting and causing the pain. *Solgar's Boswellia serrata costs £14.75 for 60 veggie capsules. For local stockists, call 01442-890355. Do not confuse Boswellia serrata with Boswellia carteri. Both are often called frankincense, but they have different actions in the body. This is an excellent general painkiller, but you can also use different natural remedies to tackle specific types of pain, from migraines to stomach cramps. Migraine Headaches The best remedy for an excruciating migraine headache is the everyday herb, feverfew. You need to take one x 125mg standardised dose (or 50 drops of tincture) every day - and since the active ingredients can take almost a month to really kick in, you need to be patient. Sufferers report different types of migraine headaches and homeopathy, which has proven highly effective for many sufferers, keys in to these differences, making a point of prescribing remedies according to not only the type of pain but also how it starts. If the headache is worse on the right side, for example, and if trying to concentrate makes the pain worse, you need Lycopodium 6c (this figure denotes the strength or potency of the dilution.) Blurring of the vision and vomiting would suggest Iris 6c, while a throbbing, blinding headache with a feeling of congestion in the head would probably be best treated by Natrum mur 6c. All of these remedies are widely on sale in good health stores. *Do not use Feverfew if you are pregnant or taking Warfarin Period Pains Females who suffer from cramping have been shown to produce greater levels of prostaglandins (the hormones secreted by the uterine lining). Evening primrose oil is rich in Gamma-Linoleic Acid (GLA) an anti-inflammatory prostaglandin that can counter the inflammatory hormones causing pain. If you suffer, take the equivalent of 250mg of GLA a day for three months and monitor the relief. Nutritionists also recommend niacin (vitamin B3), which triggers a dilation of the blood vessels to improve blood flow to the contracting uterus. Look for a non-flushing form and take, as directed on the bottle, for five days from the onset of symptoms. Stomachache Stomach pains, especially after eating, are often caused by inflammation of the lining of the gut. The single best healing agent for this part of the body is aloe vera, a bitter-tasting juice that you will need to mix with fruit juice to disguise the taste. Aloe vera is rich in substances called mucopolysaccharides, which help counter griping pains. It does this by blocking the inflammatory agents, thromboxanes and bradykinin, which would otherwise cause pain, inflammation, and tissue swelling. Sports Injuries/Arthritis/Rheumatism One of the best anti-inflammatory painkillers for the joints and for sports injuries is an substance called bromelain, which is actually an enzyme from fresh pineapple juice. Bromelain reduces inflammation by first breaking down fibrin, a substance that would otherwise work in the body to cause local swelling. It has also been shown to be as effective as antibiotics in treating a variety of infectious and painful conditions, from bronchitis to pneumonia. Five Star Tip: Vets give horses B vitamins to strengthen their hooves - and so when Swiss researchers decided to see whether the same nutrients would work wonders for human nails they were very pleased to find the answer was a resounding Yes! They gave biotin - one of the B vitamins, which you can buy from your local health store - to women complaining of brittle nails and found that after six months, their nail thickness had increased by 25%. For the same results, take 2.5 mg of biotin every day. http://www.whatreallyworks.co.uk/start/articles.asp?article_ID=253 The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO " Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen " Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future " http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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