The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (4 page)

Fruits and Vegetables

• A study examining food diaries of 68,535 women found that women who had a greater intake of tomatoes, carrots, and leafy vegetables had a lower prevalence of asthma.
  
• High consumption of apples may protect against asthma.
  
• Daily intake of fruits and vegetables in childhood decreased the risk of asthma.
  
• A University of Cambridge study found that asthma symptoms in adults are associated with a low dietary intake of fruit, vitamin C, and manganese.
  

Butterbur

Butterbur is a perennial shrub that grows in Europe, Asia and North America. The active constituents are petasin and isopetasin, which are believed to reduce smooth muscle spasm and have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Researchers at the University of Dundee, Scotland, evaluated the effects of the herb butterbur in people with allergic asthma who were also using inhalers. They found that butterbur added to the anti-inflammatory effect of the inhalers.

Another study examined the use of butterbur root extract in 80 people with asthma for four months. The number, duration, and severity of asthma attacks decreased and symptoms improved after using butterbur. More than 40 percent of people using asthma medication at the start of the study reduced their intake of medication by the end of the study.

The butterbur plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can cause liver damage. Only extracts in which the pyrrolizidine alkaloids have been removed should be used.

Bromelain

Bromelain is an extract from pineapples that is believed to be a natural anti-inflammatory. Researchers at the University of Connecticut found that bromelain reduced airway inflammation in animals with allergic airway disease. Side effects may include allergic reactions in some people.

Boswellia

The herb boswellia, known in Indian Ayurvedic medicine as Salai guggal, has been found to inhibit the formation of compounds called leukotrienes. Leukotrienes released in the lungs cause narrowing of airways.

A double blind, placebo-controlled study of forty patients, 40 people with asthma were treated with a boswellia extract three times a day for six weeks. At the end of this time, 70 percent of people had improved.

Symptoms

• Difficulty breathing, number of attacks, and laboratory measures had improved.
  


        
Weight Loss

• Numerous studies have found that obesity is a risk factor for asthma.
  


        
Biofeedback

• Biofeedback has long been recommended as a natural therapy for asthma
  

* * * * *

Almost everyone has back pain at some point in his or her lives. According to the National Institutes of Health, back pain is the second most common neurological disorder in the United States—only headache is more common.

If you have back pain, the first step is to be properly assessed by your primary care provider. Back pain has many causes, from muscle strain to more serious conditions such as a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, spondylosisthesis, osteoporosis, or a tumor, so it is important to find out what is causing the back pain.

Acupuncture

 
Research:

A study conducted at Sheffield University in the United Kingdom looked at the long-term symptom reduction and economic benefits of acupuncture for persistent low back pain. Averages of eight acupuncture treatments were given to 159 people, while 80 people received usual care instead.  After one year, people receiving acupuncture had reduced pain and reported a significant reduction in worry about their pain compared to the usual care group. After two years, the acupuncture group was significantly more likely to report that the past year had been pain-free. They were less likely to use medication for pain relief.

How does acupuncture work?

According to traditional Chinese medicine, pain results from blocked energy along energy pathways of the body, which are unblocked when acupuncture needles are inserted along these invisible pathways.

A scientific explanation is that acupuncture releases natural pain-relieving opioids, sends signals that calm the sympathetic nervous system, and releases neurochemicals and hormones.

An acupuncture treatment generally costs between $60 and $120. Acupuncture is tax-deductible (it is considered a medical expense) and some insurance plans pay for acupuncture.

If you want to try acupuncture, plan to go one to three times a week for several weeks initially.

Capsaicin Cream

Although you may not have heard of capsaicin (pronounced cap-SAY-sin) before, if you have ever eaten a chili pepper and felt your mouth burn, you know exactly what capsaicin does. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in chili peppers.

When it is applied to the skin, capsaicin has been found to deplete substance P--a neurochemical that transmits pain--causing an analgesic effect.

Research:

In one double-blind study, 160 people were treated with capsaicin for 3 weeks, while another 160 people used a placebo. After 3 weeks, pain was reduced by 42% in the capsaicin group compared to 31% in the placebo group. Investigators rated capsaicin significantly more effective than placebo.

 
Dosages:

Capsaicin cream, also called capsicum cream, is available in drug stores, health food stores, and online. A typical dosage is 0.025% capsaicin cream applied four times a day. The most common side effect is a stinging or burning sensation in the area.

If possible, wear disposable gloves (available at drugstores) before applying the cream. Be careful not to touch the eye area or open skin. A tube or jar of capsaicin cream typically costs between $8 and $25.


        
Capsaicin cream

 
Vitamin D

Chronic muscle pain can be a symptom of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is found in fish with small bones, fortified milk and cereal, and exposure to sunlight.
Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency are:


        
Darker pigmented skin (e.g. Hispanic, African American, Asian) does not convert UV rays efficiently to vitamin D


        
Digestive disorders, such as celiac disease


        
Use of glucocorticoid medications for conditions such as lung diseases and allergies


        
Minimal sun exposure (elderly, institutionalized, homebound, veiled or heavily clothed individuals)


        
Latitude and season - for example, people in Boston do not produce vitamin D from sun exposure between November and February

Research:

A study by the University of Minnesota looked at the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in 150 people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Researchers found that 93% of patients had vitamin D deficiency. All people with darker pigmented skin (African American, East African, Hispanic, and Native American origin) had vitamin D deficiency.

Another interesting finding was that the majority of people with severe vitamin D deficiency were under 30 years of age. Season was not a significant factor.

The researchers concluded that all people with persistent, non-specific musculoskeletal pain should be screened for vitamin D deficiency.

Music Therapy

Music therapy is a low-cost natural therapy that has been found to reduce the disability, anxiety, and depression associated with chronic pain.

A study evaluated the influence of music therapy in hospitalized patients with chronic back pain. Researchers randomized 65 patients to receive, on alternate months, physical therapy plus four music therapy sessions or physical therapy alone.

Music therapy significantly reduced disability, anxiety, and depression. Music had an immediate effect on reducing pain, although the results were not statistically significant.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 has been found to relieve low back pain. A double-blind Italian study examined the safety and effectiveness of vitamin B12 for low back pain. People who received vitamin B12 showed a statistically significant reduction in pain and disability. They also used less pain medication than the placebo group.

Besides pain, other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are numbness and tingling, irritability, mild memory impairment, and depression.

Risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency are:


        
Pernicious anemia


        
Medications (stomach acid-blocking medications)


        
Inadequate intake of meat or dairy products


        
Infection (small intestine bacterial overgrowth, parasites)


        
Digestive diseases (stomach removal surgery, celiac disease, Crohn's disease

 
Vitamin B12 muscle injections are the standard treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency.

 
Studies have found vitamin B12 sublingual tablets (placed under the tongue for absorption) and nasal gels are effective too.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. It is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body.

Magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:


        
Muscle spasms


        
Pain


        
Premenstrual syndrome


        
Irritability


        
Depression


        
Insulin resistance


        
High blood pressure


        
Irregular heart rhythms


        
Heart disease

Research:

A German study found that mineral supplements increased intracellular magnesium levels by 11% and was associated with a reduction in pain symptoms in 76 out of 82 people with chronic low back pain.

Willow Bark

The bark of the white willow tree (Salix alba) has pain-relieving properties similar to aspirin. An ingredient in white willow bark, called salicin, is converted in the body to salicylic acid (aspirin is also converted to salicylic acid once in the body). Salicylic acid is believed to be the active compound that relieves pain and inflammation.

A number of studies have compared white willow to medication or placebo:


        
A University of Sydney study compared the effects of willow bark extract to refecoxib, a Cox-2 inhibitor pain medication. In the study, 114 patients received an herbal extract containing 240 mg of salicin and 114 received 12.5 mg of refecoxib every day. After four weeks, both groups had a comparable reduction in pain.


        
A study in the American Journal of Medicine examined 191 patients with an exacerbation of chronic low back pain. They were randomly assigned to receive a willow bark extract with either 120 mg (low-dose) or 240 mg (high-dose) of salicin, or placebo. In the fourth week of treatment, 39% of people receiving the high-dose extract were pain-free, 21% receiving the low-dose were pain-free, and 6% of people receiving the placebo were pain-free. People in the high-dose group improved after the first week. Significantly, more people in the placebo group required pain medication.

Yoga for Back Pain

Yoga creates balance in the body through various poses that develop flexibility and strength. A study of people with chronic mild low back pain compared Iyengar yoga to back education. After 16 weeks, there was a significant reduction in pain intensity, disability, and reliance on pain medication in the yoga group. Benefits were also seen at three-month follow up assessments.

Another study compared yoga, conventional exercise, and a self-care book for people with chronic low back pain. Back function in the yoga group was superior to the book and exercise groups at 12 weeks. Although there was no difference in symptoms at 12 weeks, at 26 weeks, the yoga group was superior to the book group.


        
Find a yoga class near you


        
More about Iyengar yoga


        
Other yoga styles