The treatment of Pain with herbs

"Any pain, if it intensifies, kills. First, it causes coldness in the body and shivering, then the pulse decreases, then disappears, and the person dies." Avicenna.

Since ancient times, the problem of pain and its treatment has troubled people because pain has plagued humanity from the earliest days of its existence. Today, acute and chronic pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical help.

Pain arises due to the following reasons: local circulatory disturbances (vascular spasms and stenoses, thromboembolism); spasms of smooth muscle in internal organs (peptic ulcer disease, cholecystitis, colitis, etc.); stretching of the walls of hollow organs (gallbladder, intestines, renal pelvis, etc.); injuries; inflammatory processes; destructive processes (necrosis). Another reason for the onset of pain can be attributed to a psychogenic genesis of the disease. Differential diagnosis of pain is carried out taking into account the overall clinical picture, the results of comprehensive examination of the patient. Therapeutic assistance for pain is, first of all, the elimination of its cause: relieving spasms, prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs, eliminating other damaging irritants. Medicine offers numerous means of influencing the central mechanisms of pain. A vast experience has been accumulated in the use of opioid (narcotic) analgesics – morphine, omnopon, promedol, fentanyl and its derivatives. The negative effects of these drugs are well known - depressing effect on respiration (up to complete cessation), formation of pathological addiction and dependence (drug addiction). Despite their merits, new narcotic analgesics are not without side effects. For example, pentazocine (fortal, lexis, talwin) often causes arterial hypertension, tachycardia, increased intracranial pressure, blood changes, etc. Buprenorphine (napan, torgesk), being a highly effective analgesic with a broad spectrum of therapeutic action, also has serious side effects. The same applies to nalbuphine (nubain), which, along with good pain relief of moderate intensity, causes nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, hyperhidrosis, dizziness, dry mouth, anxiety. There are side effects of butorphanol (moradol, stadol), tramadol (tramal) and other new drugs. Analgesics - antipyretics (analgin, paracetamol and its preparations, combined agents, etc.) retain their value, with their positive and negative effects. Significant difficulties arise in the treatment of neurotic pains. Often used tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline) also have significant side effects (drowsiness, disorientation, excitement, dry mouth, sweating, constipation, vision disturbances, decreased potency, allergic reactions, etc.).The increased interest in the pain-relieving effects of natural remedies, including the vast array of medicinal plants used in phytotherapy, is understandable. In the classification of medicinal plants, it has been found that almost every third medicinal plant has analgesic effects along with other positive actions. For every painful syndrome associated with various diseases, there is a range of plants with the most pronounced analgesic effects. Since there are many plants used for different types of pain, I will limit the list to a few of the most common medicinal plants.

Migraine: meadowsweet (filipendula) in the form of an infusion for internal use;

Headaches associated with colds: cinnamon in the form of an infusion;

Headaches of nervous origin: fresh juice of viburnum, black currant, raw potato, elderflower (infusion), St. John's wort (infusion). Ointments made from ginger, garlic, cinnamon, and castor plant roots;

Toothache: annual everlasting flower - infusion of the herb for rinsing, Siberian hogweed - alcoholic tincture of the roots externally, Russian horseradish - decoction of the root for rinsing, creeping thyme, Marshall's thyme - infusion of the herb for internal use;

Earaches: field bindweed (poisonous!) - cotton wool soaked in leaf juice mixed with butter, placed in the ears. Common rue - cotton wool soaked in rue juice mixed with olive oil and placed in the ears;

Neuralgia: sandy everlasting flower - decoction of flowers for internal use for pains with a feeling of numbness, amphibious bistort - decoction of roots for internal use, poison ivy - infusion of the herb for internal use (strictly dosed); bear's ear (cow's ear) - alcoholic tincture of flowers for rubbing;

Chest pains (pain in the chest, unclear etiology of heart pain): common valerian - water infusion or decoction of the herb, water infusion or alcoholic tincture of water plantain for internal use, common yarrow - infusion of the herb for internal use, lemon balm - infusion of the leaves for internal use, lungwort - infusion of the leaves for internal use;

Stomach pains: birch - alcoholic tincture of buds for internal use, cornflower - infusion of flowers for internal use, common yarrow, noble yarrow - infusion and decoction of the herb for internal use, chamomile - infusion of flowers for internal use, hairy bellflower - infusion of the herb for internal use, sweet box honeysuckle - decoction of stems and leaves for internal use for severe gastrointestinal pains.

Intestinal pain: great plantain, common plantain, lanceolate plantain - decoction of inflorescences for internal use, garden parsley - infusion of seeds or roots for internal use, cumin - water infusion or decoction of seeds for internal use;

Liver pain: belladonna (poisonous!) - infusion of leaves for internal use (strictly dosed), sandy everlasting flower - decoction of flowers for internal use, field mint - infusion of the herb for internal use, Norway maple - leaves and young shoots in the form of a poultice;

Renal colic: common burdock - infusion and decoction of roots for internal use, flax - infusion of seeds for internal use, common ash - powder from the leaves for internal use, common parsnip - infusion or decoction of roots and herb for internal use;

Lower back pain, lumbago: sorrel - decoction of roots for internal use, common silverweed - infusion for compresses; northern linnaea - infusion of the herb for internal and external use, birch (buds) - rubbing and compresses of alcoholic tincture;

Joint, muscle, and bone pain: black root (poisonous!) - decoction of the herb and root for baths and compresses, Veronica chamaedrys - infusion of the herb and juice for internal use, common tansy - infusion of flowers and leaves externally, common juniper - water infusion of young branches and leaves for internal use, common fir - decoction of young branches for internal use;

Gout: black currant - infusion of leaves for internal use, wild lettuce - infusion for internal use, pot marigold - leaves as a poultice, common buckwheat - infusion of the herb for internal use;

Rheumatic pains: adonis vernalis, spring adonis, Turkmen adonis, Amur adonis (poisonous!) - infusion for internal use (strictly dosed), horse chestnut - tincture of flowers externally, decoction of bark for internal and external use, common St. John's wort - alcoholic tincture for internal use, hairy cleavers - herb as a poultice, meadow clover - infusion and decoction of flowers for internal and external use;

Pain with leg swelling: marsh cinquefoil (poisonous!) - herb as a poultice, white willow, Russian willow, goat willow - foot baths up to the knees from a decoction of equal parts of willow and oak bark, stinging nettle - decoction of rhizomes and roots for internal use;

Painful menstruation: water pepper (poisonous!) - alcoholic extract of the herb for internal use (strictly dosed), common wormwood - infusion of the herb or roots for internal use, lovage - decoction of roots for internal use.

Pain during urination and urinary tract spasms: marshmallow - infusion of roots for internal use, common cucumber - infusion of seeds for internal use.

Hemorrhoids: water pepper (poisonous!) - liquid extract for internal use (strictly dosed), white hellebore - herb as a poultice, common flax (poisonous!) - infusion of the herb externally, ointment, white willow - alcoholic tincture of bark from young branches with leaves for internal use, wild buckthorn - infusion of the herb for internal use;

Pain with colds: common elder - decoction of the herb with seeds for internal use, common aspen - decoction of buds for internal use with muscular cold pains, sneezeweed (poisonous!) - water infusion of the herb for internal use (strictly dosed), herb powder sniffed for cold headaches;

Pain from bruises: black nightshade (poisonous!) - oil externally, common butterbur - water infusion of the herb for internal use for internal injuries, common hop - ointment from cones;

Pain from tumors: spotted hemlock (poisonous!) - juice of leaves and alcoholic tincture of leaves for internal use (strictly dosed, not more than 2-3 drops!). Leaves used locally for pain relief, common speedwell - herb as a poultice, Siberian hogweed - leaves and decoction of the whole plant for poultices, wild teasel (poisonous!) - water infusion of the herb for baths, compresses, and rinses.

Let's harness the power of Nature for health and well-being! Medicinal plants, provided by Mother Nature, can alleviate suffering and restore health. Nature is our reliable ally in combating pain and illness, offering healing herbs, roots, and flowers. Trust in their healing power—let them guide us on the path to health and well-being!