Discs are tiny cushions in between the bones, or vertebrae, that make up your spinal column. A herniated disc is one that is damaged due to age or injury. You may not have any symptoms with a herniated disc, but if it presses on a nerve, you will feel pain and numbness in your back and down your leg. Conventional treatment includes NSAIDs, and drugs to relax muscles and reduce inflammation, but these can have unpleasant side effects. Natural foods, including grains and herbs, will help relieve pain from a herniated disc. Consult your health care provider before starting alternative treatment.
Actions
Natural foods for herniated disc pain work in several ways. Some grains and herbs can inhibit enzymes that cause inflammation. Other foods can act as analgesics to reduce pain. Muscle-relaxing herbs can ease pressure on nerves and help pain. Check with an experienced practitioner for advice about dosage and preparation of natural foods for herniated disc pain.
White Willow
White willow, or Salix alba, is a deciduous tree native to Europe and Asia. Herbalists use the herb as a remedy for fever, flu, headaches and rheumatism. Willow can be useful in relieving herniated disc pain because it’s rich in phenolic glycosides. In their 2009 book “Medicinal Plants of the World,” botanist Ben-Erik van Wyk and biologist Michael Wink explain that these constituents metabolize to salicylic acid in your liver and have an effect similar to aspirin. Salicylic acid inhibits the COX2 enzyme involved with pain and inflammation. Van Wyk and Wink note that willow bark will not irritate your stomach. Do not combine this herb with anticoagulants.
Oats
Oats, or Avena sativa, is a Mediterranean annual with many health benefits. Traditional healers use the straw and grain to relieve inflammation, lower cholesterol and reduce anxiety. Oats have a calming effect on nerves and muscles. In their 2000 book, “Prescription for Nutritional Healing,” Dr. James F. Balch and Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, recommend oat capsules, extracts or teas for backache, including pain from a herniated disc and sciatica. botanist Ben-Erik van Wyk and biologist Michael Wink state that the sedative action is due to the indole alkaloid known as gramine. Eating whole oats may cause bloating and trigger a gluten allergy. (reference 2, pg. 210; reference 1, pg. 63)
Barberry
Barberry, or Berberis vulgaris, is a tall shrub with edible red berries. Herbalists use the berries, roots and bark to treat a range of disorders, including urinary tract infections, hepatitis, gall bladder inflammation, enlarged spleen and malaria. In their 2001 book “Herbal Remedies,” naturopathic doctors Asa Hershoff and Andrea Rotelli suggest barberry for pain associated with a herniated disc, including sciatica, neuralgia with radiating pain and all low back pain. Do not use barberry during pregnancy or give it to children.
References
- “Medicinal Plants of the World”; Ben-Erik van Wyk and Michael Wink; 2009
- “Prescription for Nutritional Healing”; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, and James F. Balch, M.D.; 2000
- “Herbal Remedies”; Asa Hershoff, N.D., and Andrea Rotelli, N.D.; 2001
Member Comments