March 5th WHMonth: Herbs for Nervous tension, Stress and Pain

TO CELEBRATE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH (WHM), during the month of March ~ in addition to my weekly postings ~ I will be making DAILY postings of time tested herbal and medicinal foods used from a Medicine Woman's bag, which holds many, many herbs, generating many, many formulas, as one herb used for a cold (mullein), when combined with totally different herbs, can be used as an antispasmodic for inflammation or as an expectorant to relieve asthma or general lung congestion.

HERBS ARE NATURE'S MEDICINE . . . Herb remedies to relieve tensions and stress also help promote natural sleep, while others help repair the nervous system. One formula/herb may work for some and not others. If one doesn't work, try another. Junk food, caffeine, salt and sugary foods also heighten stress and tension, you need to reduce/eliminate these to aid the body's recovery. Eating late at night can be the source of discomforts, nightmares, restless sleep (insomniacs should cut down on salt) and resulting stress.

Mugwort: Artemisia vulgaris

Herbal teas include Catnip (relieves 'congestion' of emotional tensions), Hops (used in pillows to treat insomnia), Vervain (good for nervous conditions and headaches), Eleuthero (Ginseng relative exceptional for treating insomnia), Rosemary (soothes/relieves nervous insomnia, mental fatigue and simple or congestive headaches), Mugwort (excellent nervine for uncontrollable shaking, insomnia), Marjoram (relieves headache/insomnia), Anise (½ tsp in cup of warm milk (stand for 5 minutes then strain) at bedtime prevents insomnia and nightmares, Skullcap (excellent for all nerve disorders), Valerian (calming and sedating for emotional disturbances and pain), 

Chinese herb: Poria / Fu Ling

(Red) Fu Ling (best for nervous/restless conditions; treats hyperactivity in children) and my personal Bupleurum7 Capsules (renown formula for treating stress-related ailments, restores balance, helps adrenals adapt to stress and strengthens liver, stomach and intestines so you feel more able to cope with tensions, thus relaxing nerves and conserving energy so you live and sleep more comfortably).

Chinese herb: Bupleurum Chinense

Unresolved tensions and long term stress often lead to PAIN, and you'll find that some of the herbs for one, overlap into the other.  There is a category of herbs for pain management called analgesics. This formula contains the best analgesics the plant kingdom has to offer, and include white willow bark, wood betony, skullcap, rosemary leaves, red raspberry leaves, blue vervain and kelp. This formula may bring you relief from headaches (migraine and tension), neuralgia, neuritis, rheumatism, gout, and also reduces fever and anxiety.

Pain is the body's early warning system. It alerts us when we've ingested something not good for our body, when we need a change of diet, or when to simply get out of the sun. Pain is a symptom and not a disease; so you should not simply try to relieve the pain, but determine and attend to the cause. White Willow – the natural source of aspirin, combats pains of various sorts. Wood Betony has been used for heartburn, catarrh, bladder/kidney stones, asthma and fatigue. 

Skullcap: Scutellaria lateriflora

Skullcap is effectively used to treat nervous disease, restlessness, insomnia and neuralgia. Rosemary Leaf relieves headaches and stomach pains; and the oils in this herb soothes and calms the body's nerves and muscles. Blue Vervain is also anti-inflammatory, and has a calming and restorative effect on the nerves. Kelp helps prevent/relieve painful conditions by its iodine, vitamin and mineral content.

The prevention of painful conditions, such as rheumatism and arthritis can sometimes be addressed through proper nutrition. For example, too many acidic foods/drinks and the lack of essential nutrients attack our insulating nerve sheaths, which can lead to inflammation and neuritis. For every 10 people there are 10 different kinds of pain, so you will need to find the frequency and strength of the formula that helps bring relief. To help balance your energies, you can take 2-3 capsules 2-4 times daily.