Herbs for Pain

Pain...we are all familiar with it. From the young to the old, the healthy and the sick, pain
is our bodies way of telling us something is wrong. Unfortunatly, the pain we feel can be as debilitating as the reason for he pain in the first place! And although prescription and even over-the-counter medications can work wonders to stop pain...they are chemical based, and can have unwanted and harmful side effects.

So what natural herbs for pain are there?

Well, depending on the type of pain, there are a variety of different herbs that can be taken to reduce or eliminate it.

One of the best herbs for pain is White Willow. White willow is the source of many modern day pain and inflammation reducing medications such as asprin, and even some of the stronger prescription medications. Other examples of medications that white willow can work like is the other Non-steroidal anti inflammitories Motrin, Aleve, and Ibuprofen.

White Willow works specificaly to reduce inflammation. This in turn reduces pain caused by this inflammation, such as arthritis, chronic injury related pain, and infection. What's particularly nice about white willow is that since it is all natural, it does not have the same risks as artificially created nSAIDs (non-steroidal anti inflammitory drugs). Case in point: children are not supposed to take asprin, because it can cause Reye's syndrome (a debilitating disease). However, White willow does not carry this same risk. However ALWAYS consult a doctor before treating anyone with any medication...natural or synthetic.

The primary healing ingredient in White Willow is Salicin. When ingested, Salicin is converted by the body into Salicylic Acid. This is gentle on the stomach, so the typical stomach pain and possible ulcer issues associated with syntheic asprin are greatly minimized when using white willow.

As with all herbal remedies, one of the most important things to remember is that the quality of the treatment is directly related to the quality of the herb. Just buying a product because it contains white willow is probably not going to be good enough to really reduce pain and inflammation. The best is to buy 100% pure white willow in a gel cap for optimal pain relief.

One thing to keep in mind is that if a person has conditioned their body to large doses of chemical pain killers, White Willow may not work as expected at first. It is important to take a comperable dose, so if you normally take 2 extra strength tylenol, you can expect to take 3 - 4 white willow gelcaps. White Willow contains a lower dosage than extra strength tylenol.

Another herb for pain relief is the Valerian Root. Again, this isn't a direct pain killer, but it acts as a powerful antispasmodic which can greatly relax muscle spasms and pain. It can also help promote sleep without the complications of narcotics, and has even been known to calm heart palpitations.

This type of muscular relaxation is good to relieve a variety of pains related to: menstrual cramps, muscle cramps and spasms, headaches, arthritis pain, and after birth muscle pain.

For more herbs and home remedies to stop pain, click here: home remedy for arthritis