Beneficial herbs for chronic pain

Best herbs for pain control

Below are herbs that show promise in reducing pain. But remember, herbs – like any other treatment – can’t do all the work on their own. Pain management is done through combination of various treatments/therapies, starting with exercise, a good diet, and mind-body work.

Always consult your doctor before taking a supplement, especially if you are taking prescription medications, are pregnant or breastfeeding, are taking blood-thinning medications, have special or severe medical conditions (including but not limited to heart, kidney, or liver disease; high blood pressure; stomach disorders; ulcers; blood clotting abnormalities; or depression).
Boswellia (Do not take boswellia if you are pregnant.)
Form and dosage	Boswellin capsules. Take 150 mg 3 times daily.
Comments	Relieves pain without stomach upset, in same manner as celecoxib (Celebrex).
Cayenne (Do not apply cayenne to broken skin)
Form and dosage	Capsaicin cream. Apply to affected areas daily or as directed on the label.
Comments	Causes temporary skin pain that counteracts chronic pain.
Clematis
Form and dosage	Wei Ling Xian capsules. Take as directed on the label.
Comments	Increase the threshold of pain.
Condurango
Form and dosage	Tincture. Take 1/2~1 tsp in 1/4 cup water 3 times daily.
Comments	Relieves pain and restores appetite.
Echinacea
Form and dosage	Echinacea purpurea tincture. Take 1/2~ 1 tsp in 1/4 cup water 3 times daily.
Comments	Helps relieve pain in advanced cancer.
Ginger
Form and dosage	20 percent gingerol and shagaol tablets. Take 100~200 mg 3 times daily.
Comments	Reduces production of pain-causing cytokines.
Kava
Form and dosage	Fluidextract. (Capsule form is less effective for pain.) Take 1/2~1 tsp in 1/4 cup water 1 hour before bedtime.
Comments	Relieves pain and induces sleep. May be combined with passionflower or valerian.
Meadowsweet
Form and dosage	Tincture. Take 30~60 drops in 1/4 cups water up to 4 times daily.
Comments	Relieves stomach pain.
Pau d’arco
Form and dosage	Tea (loose), prepared with 1 tsp (1 gm) tea and 1 cup water. Take 1 cup up to 8 times daily.
Comments	Analgesic; stimulates immune system to destroy bacteria.
Turmeric
Form and dosage	Curcumin. Take 400 mg 3 times daily.
Comments	Relieves pain and inflammation.
Willow
Form and dosage	Willow bark or salicin capsules or tablets. Take as directed on the label.
Comments	Relieves pain.

Recommendations:

Use cat’s claw to control chronic pain if the underlying problem is food allergy or inflammatory bowel disease. Take 1,500 mg daily in capsule form. Do not use if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you take insulin for diabetes.

Consume such soy products as tofu, miso, or soymilk daily. Laboratory experiments have found that supplementing the diet with soy foods reduces activity of the sympathetic nervous system, the system essential to the sensation of pain. Soy foods are most helpful in reducing chronic pain after nerve injury caused by accident, surgery, herpes, diabetes, cancer, or fibromyalgia.

If you suffer pain caused by an autoimmune disorder, reduce your intake of animal foods and eliminate all polyunsaturated vegetable oils, margarine, vegetable shortening, and products made with partially hydrogenated oils of any kind. Use olive oil as your main fat and increase your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids by eating oily fish (salmon, sardines, and herring) or flaxseeds. Increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables, and purchase organic produce whenever possible. Also, try eliminating foods that may trigger autoimmune reactions. Start by eliminating all dairy products for two months. If that does not help, experiment by eliminating wheat, corn , soy, sugar, and citrus fruits, one group at a time.

Take 300 to 600 milligrams of lipoic acid daily to relieve chronic muscle pain.

References

Balch, Phyllis. Prescription for Herbal Healing. New York, NY: Avery, 2002.

This page was first published on June, 19th, 2008 and was last updated on June, 19th, 2008