Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Herbs Used to Treat Inflammation



As a response to interest expressed in  “naturopathic remedies,” the following herbs are listed in a review by Michael Moore of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in Bisbee, AZ, as affiliated with reduction of inflammatory states (1).  I found the reference to be quite an interesting compendium of herbal cures which also listed formulas, compounds and essential oils.  For further information, you can see his homepage at:  http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/HOMEPAGE/HomePage.html

Aconitum – mucus inflammations
Acorus Calamus – flatulence with inflammation
Agropyron Repens  --  renal weakness with inflammation
Anemopsis Californica – chronic sinusitis with inflammation, acute prostatis with inflammation
Angelica – flatulence with inflammation
Byronia -- Acute mastitis, with swollen lymphatics, marked inflammation
Bursera -- Chronic cystitis/urethritis without active inflammation
Caulophyllum -- Uterus, inflammation, Labor, delayed, from fatigue, weak uterus with history of inflammation
Commiphora -- Acute aphthous stomatitis with painful inflammation, Chronic cystorrhea w/out active inflammation, in exhausted, feeble states, Chronic nephritis without active inflammation
Dioscorea -- Uterus, inflammation, with cramps
Ephedra Viridis -- Acute cystitis/urethritis with inflammation and irritation, Hay fever, in general; and in particularly sensitive individuals
Equisetum -- Acute cystitis/urethritis with inflammation and irritation
Euphrasia -- Acute conjunctivitis w/sharp sinus pain; hyperaemia w/rhinitis, frontal headache,
sneezing; acute inflammation of the eyelids; also as an eyewash for runny eyes
Gelsemium -- Trigeminal neuralgia from cold, caries, or gum inflammation
Gossypium -- Uterus, inflammation; or prolapse
Harpagophytum -- Anti-inflammatory in arthritis, Gout, for inflammation and for the hyperuricemia
Matricaria -- Gout, for inflammation (as a bath)
Myrica -- Chronic sinusitis with inflammation, catarrh, stuffy heat, Flatulence with inflammation, Irritable bowel syndrome with chronic ileocecal inflammation or cramps
Trillium -- Uterus, inflammation
Virburnum Opulus -- Uterus, inflammation
Virburnum Prunefolium -- Uterus, inflammation

1.        Moore, Michael. Specific indications for herbs in general use. Southwest School of Botanical Medicine, 1997.

4 comments:

  1. It would be interesting to see what the compounds are in each herb and if any overlap in medications that are used for the same purpose!

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  2. I really like this post because I like homeopathic medicine. Of course, in some specific conditions, it is just best to use Western medicine right away!

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  3. I just looked through this very interesting article learning about the different herbs, which help inflammation and how I can introduce more of them into my diet, and realized that turmeric is not included in the list! We have gone over more than 3 or 4 papers on turmeric and how is it one of the best herbs to help inflammatory diseases. I just thought it would at least be included in the list if not bolded!

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  4. I’ve always been really interested in homeopathy. I have an aunt who lives in California that has a large selection of different medicinal plants. She has been into homeopathic medicine for years. Over the summer she gave me a tour of her green house with a brief summary on what they can treat. I like the theory that I read on WebMD that a homeopathic medicine can enhance the body’s normal healing and self-regulatory processes. I think its pretty amazing that homeopathy can treat a wide range of long term illnesses like allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, and irritable bowl syndrome. Even though it can help to a certain extent, it’s not really appropriate for illnesses like cancer, heart disease, or emergencies. Agreeing with Supranee, in certain conditions, Western medicine can be the best choice.

    http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/homeopathy-topic-overview

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