Perhaps you just came back from a long mountain hike and your muscles, over-all, are achy and tired. Perhaps you simply bend over one day and rip! Your back goes out so painfully that you are lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, with severe pain even just breathing. You might be surprised that your back went out in this sudden and mysterious way: It can happen even to active people.
So whether your situation is sudden and acute, long-term and painful, or just plain old ordinary and mild charley horse aches, there are things you can do without going to see your doctor.
NOTE: In acute cases, I absolutely recommend seeing a chiropractor, immediately. The acute pain may be the result of a pinched nerve or muscle, which will find zero relief with even the best of medical intervention, without first being freed from the bones, which are trapping it.
Arnica Montana, commonly known as “arnica”, is a yellow, low growing, flowering herb found in the European Alps. Among its many constituents is the sesquiterpene lactone called “helenalin,” which has the effect of stimulating local immune activity wherever it is applied. “Phagocytosis” as this immune activity is called brings healing to the local area. Thus, applying arnica oil to any sore, strained, or sprained area speeds the healing process along, reduces swelling, and the nastiest bruises will clear up much more quickly with arnica. Superb healing for even acute sprains, torn ligaments, mild to severe charley horse pain, whiplash, or muscle pain of any kind. Less effective for nerve pain.
As with any other herbs, not all arnica is created equal. It depends on the soil nutrients, the growing and harvesting methods, how it is processed, etc. The one product that I have found to be amazingly effective is the Weleda Arnica Massage Oil. It is available through your local health food store grocer. No brand other than Weleda boasts such rapid or thorough healing effects. I have seen people who could not get out of bed, experience significant enough improvement in a matter of three hours to be able to move again. I also have seen people who don’t believe in herbs experience relief with this product in a very short period of time.
On the other hand, as stressed above, even the Weleda arnica massage oil will be ineffective in the case of pinched nerves. It will bring relief to spastic muscles surrounding the affected area, however, which is very important to do. Contracted muscles will only pinch the nerve/muscle even further: To relax the surrounding muscles is an important part of the therapy, alongside chiropractic intervention.
Arnica is analgesic (Pain-relieving), anti-inflammatory, and a wound healer.
CAUTION: Because helanalin is mildly toxic, do not use arnica on burned, broken or abraded skin. Do not ingest internally. Use topically only.
Baking soda: While hardly considered a herb, this naturally-occurring salt has the power to draw out lactic acid from aching muscles when added to bath water. The lactic acid is responsible for the stiffening and/or spasming of muscles, a protective function of the body any time there has been muscle trauma of any kind. It’s as if the body stiffens up in an attempt to prevent mobility, thus inducing rest and allowing time for the muscles to heal. Any time there has been impact, over-exertion, strain, whiplash, or other muscular trauma, the lactic acid builds up to induce rest. But it also causes pain and spasming. Happily enough, there is relief to be had, and even severe backache pain can be improved (though not completely cured) by a baking soda bath.
To a tubful of hot water, add one cup of ordinary baking soda. Soak in the hot water to release any tension in the muscles. (If you have heart problems, use warm water instead). You will emerge from the bath feeling much improved.
St Johns Wort Oil Note that I specify the oil extract in this case, not the regular alcohol or glycerin extract. The reason is that oil and water constituents in each herb are very different from each other, each with different actions. St Johns Wort *oil* is a highly effective topical anti-inflammatory. I recommend the Gaia brand (available at health food stores), because that company checks their herbs for heavy metal and mercury content, and is of good quality besides.
St Johns Wort has many benefits above and beyond its anti-inflammatory effects, including anti-viral activity and as an effective anti-depressant. It has been extensively studied as an anti-depressant herb, with literally thousands of clinical tests, trials et al having been done. It is as widely used in Germany for depression as Prozac is in America. The hyperforins in St Johns Wort have been proven to boost serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline levels. In order to be effective, the herb must be of high quality, manufacturing processes ditto, and a high level of hyperforins must be present. Ordinary drugstore-purchased St Johns Wort extract will likely not be as effective as other products of superior quality. Use the extract or powdered extract for best results, checking for hyperforin levels prior to purchasing. Karin Kraft, MD and Christopher Hobbs, LAc write in their book “Pocket Guide to Herbal Medicine” (published by Thieme) that when used for treatment of depression, “The herb preparations should be taken for a period of at least 4 to 6 weeks to assess benefit. Solid and liquid hypericum (St Johns Wort) preparations should be given at doses corresponding to 300 mg native extract (standardized to 0.3% hypericin, and/or 2-3% hyperforin), 2 to 3 times a day.”
Very safe for internal consumption, with no toxic effects. Some sensitive individuals may develop light sensitivity as a result of St Johns Wort use: In that case, discontinue use. This reaction, however, is relatively rare.
Chamomile compress: Chamomile has anti-spasmodic effects when applied topically. Make a very strong tea out of it, using one full cup of the dried flowers to a small potful of water. Strain, pour over a towel, and apply directly to the affected area after the compress is sufficiently cooled to be applied without burning the skin, but still hot enough to be therapeutic. Place a dry towel over the wet one to trap the steam and keep the compress warm.
Chamomile also has anti-nauseant effects plus sedative action, thus being very effective in cases of stomach flu and safe for children to use. The Roman chamomile is very similar in action to the German variety, but lacks the gently anti-septic action of the German plant.
Rare allergic reactions to any members of the aster family (of which Chamomile is a member) may result in skin rashes. In that rare case, discontinue use. Chamomile is virtually non-toxic and is safe for ingestion in large quantities, so long as there are no allergic reactions.
Devil’s Claw has been shown to be generally well tolerated and makes an effective substitute for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, without the gastro-intestinal side effects. Its actions are anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, analgesic and sedative. Extracts are always much more potent than the tablet or capsule version of any herb.
Comfrey leaf has a significant amount of allantoins, which promote wound healing. Allantoins also promote cell proliferation, thus helping scarring to occur properly as a way to seal off any wound and let the healing begin. The herb is an excellent anti-inflammatory, making it highly effective in relieving muscle aches and pains of all kinds. Everything from plantar fascitis (painful feet caused by tissue thickening), backache, muscle ache, inflammation, and burns will benefit from comfrey salve or compresses being applied.
Yoga is extremely effective in strengthening and creating flexible core torso muscles, which support your back and indeed all of the body. For anybody suffering back pain, I highly recommend a combination of chiropractic, yoga, and any core-strengthening exercises prescribed specifically for you by your chiropractor. Note that your back will slip out of alignment again and again, so long as these supportive muscles are weak. Take good care of them. And, swim a lot!
Core strengthening exercise: Lie down on your back, feet flat on the floor with your knees pointing up to the ceiling. Just relax to let any muscle spasms go. Give yourself a few minutes and just breathe. Then, still in the same position, tuck your belly in toward your back, holding to a count of seven. Release the abdominal muscles, tucking your knees up to your chest and holding them there with your arms. In that balled-up position, count to seven again. Repeat the whole sequence ten times. Do three times daily and combine with yoga exercises for superior effect.
Dolphin swim exercise: This exercise is most beneficial for people who are habitually stooped forward, and for elderly people whose posture has gone in that direction. Muscles in the back will be strengthened while those in front, shrunken by the forward-stooping posture, will be stretched, thus normalizing muscle balance so as to support an upright position.
Lie down on a rug or floor mat, on your abdomen. Gradually lift your head and feet off the floor, slowly, slowly. As you do so, make sure the space between each vertebra is opened up, not compressed. Thus, as you lift your head and feet, you are stretching instead of balling up. Your hands will come up alongside your body, pointing straight behind you. Once you have raised your head and feet as far off the floor as you can comfortably sustain, bring your hands out behind you, pointing up toward the ceiling. Do not let the shoulder blades rise! Keep them down low! Now, wiggle your torso from side to side, like a dolphin swimming along. Keep your feet, head and hands off the ground, and your shoulder blades low. This is a remarkably strengthening exercise! It’s important to follow it up with a gentle stretch:
Yoga roll Sit in a lotus position on the floor or rug or mat. With your hands clasped behind your back, gently lift your head up toward the ceiling, then gently stretch it forward. Go one neck vertebra at a time, in an upward-then-forward motion. Go VERY SLOWLY. Keep going, one vertebra at a time, until your entire back has been stretched in this upward-forward motion, until you end up curled in a ball on the floor. You will feel wonderfully limber and free afterwards, if you have done this exercise correctly and without pushing yourself too hard. Remember: Go easy! This is not about stretching and pain. It’s about ease and gentleness. The lift between each vertebra, combined with the new-found limber muscles, will feel just wonderful!
References:
Potter’s Herbal Cyclopedia by Elizabeth Williamson, BSc, PhD, MRPharmS, FLS (herbal pharmacist). Superb, quick-reference format for each individual herb includes a lay-friendly description of each herb’s action, along with a listing of chemical herbal constituents and clinical tests of interest to your doctor. NOTE: Another book with the same title exists. Be sure to get Elizabeth Williamson’s version. It is superb and very handy to show your doctor to ask questions about drug-herb interactions, based on the chemical ingredients listed for each herb.
Pocket Guide to Herbal Medicine by Karin Kraft, MD and Christopher Hobbs, LAc lists each herb individually, compares effectiveness of each herb with mainstream drugs, gives full disclosure, references chemical ingredients of herbs and clinical tests/studies, drug-herb interactions, and more. It also spells out specific treatment methods such as herbal poultices, dosages, extracts, and other therapeutic methods. Small and handy reference book. Karin Kraft is to Germany what the FDA is to America: She spearheads that organization in Germany. Christopher Hobbs, licensed acupuncturist, is considered the world-top authority on herbal therapy and is a consultant to the health industry worldwide. (He also raves about the Potter’s Herbal Cyclopedia).
Medical Herbalism by David Hoffmann is an enormous volume written very in-depth, using much medical and herbal technical language. I recommend this for herbalists and health practitioners only, but it’s an invaluable source of detailed scientific information. Hoffmann ranks alongside Christopher Hobbs as one of the world’s most-quoted and authoritative herbalists.
The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D a naturopathic doctor who works alongside Christopher Hobbs and is very good. This book is lay-friendly, mentioning chemical herbal ingredients in brief, while describing benefits, actions, cautions etc in lay-friendly languages in an easy reference format.
Kathryn Smith
