Pain is a sensation associated with your nervous system. It may have different characteristics, such as burning, aching, sharp, lancing, dull and piercing. Depending on the underlying condition causing your pain, it may be constant or episodic. You may experience pain in only one part of your body, or it may be felt throughout your entire body. Herbal remedies have long been used to help reduce pain, although you should meet with your physician to discuss all aspects of herbs before using them.
About Pain
Pain is a message sent to your brain that tells you that trauma, disease or excessive strain has damaged or stressed some part of your body. In many cases, pain is helpful because it provides you with information that you might not have otherwise received, which may help you avoid serious health complications. Pain may provide sufficient motivation to care for your injured tissues or seek appropriate treatment.
Herbal Pain Relievers
Herbs that help treat pain are known as anodynes, which means they possess analgesic action. Anodynes, notes Dr. William Mitchell Jr., a naturopathic physician and author of "Plant Medicine in Practice," may be ingested or applied topically, as a cream or poultice, depending on the herb. Mitchell lists several herbs that may be helpful for treating pain, including wild yam, meadowsweet and Jamaican dogwood. Other herbs that may possess analgesic action include white willow bark, kava kava and valerian.
Featured Herb
White willow bark, or bay willow, is an herbal remedy that may relieve pain. White willow bark may also treat headaches and inflammation throughout your body. White willow bark contains a substance known as salicin, which may have the same beneficial health effects of aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid. White willow bark possesses both analgesic and anti-inflammatory action.
Considerations
Because there are many possible causes of pain, some of which may be life-threatening, it is wise to consult your physician if you develop pain. Pain can significantly affect your quality of life and may be debilitating, in some cases. There are many possible treatment methods, but you should discuss the advantages and disadvantages of all possible treatments with your doctor before using them. Herbs may be helpful, but they should be used with great caution and only under the supervision of a health care professional.
References
- MedlinePlus: Pain
- "Plant Medicine in Practice;" William A. Mitchell Jr., N.D.; 2003
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Willow Bark
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