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Herbal Health Information on Rheumatism

February 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Rheumatism is a very similar condition to arthritis but affects muscles as well as joints.

Sadly by the time Rheumatism sufferers come to see me they have usually had the condition for many years resulting in degeneration (breakdown) of the joint lining and stiffening of the muscles. They have a long history of taking strong anti inflammatories, pain killers and possibly steroids. I know the joints and muscles are painful and inflamed but pain tells us when to stop doing something and if it is masked then there is a possibility the joint is used beyond its capability causing further damage to the joint itself.

So my first advice is to always be aware of the limitations of a rheumatic joint and only use it as much as is comfortable.

Many people report that it is worsened by damp weather so keeping warm and dry in cold damp weather is important.

The Romans found England too cold for them and imported nettles to grow. They then used to flail their joints with the nettles!! This increased the circulation to the joint warming them up. I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS. I tried it once and it is very painful and then you are left with the sting for ages. We have the Romans to thank for nettles and garden snails!!

Diet is very important but different people find their condition may react to different foods. The norm is to radically reduce the intake of dairy and wheat and never eat any Tomatoes and Oranges. The acid in these two foods is not broken down by the body so creates an acidic environment which is not good for joints and the urinary system. Many rheumatism sufferers find eating meat will increase inflammation. The message here is to keep an eye on your diet to see if any foods do make your rheumatism worse. If they do, you may have to visit a nutritionist to cut out these food substances while maintaining a healthy diet.

Drink loads of water.

Any inflammatory condition I approach in the same way

  • Ensure the digestive system is working well to break down food and eliminate toxins
  • Improve joint circulation
  • Make sure the urinary system is eliminating metabolic (body function) by-products
  • Reduce inflammation

A typical herbal prescription would be:-

  • Dandelion root tincture, which improves digestive function and elimination of toxins via the Bowel.
  • Ginger, (very small amounts) to improve circulation
  • Celery seed, (small amounts) to improve uric acid excretion from the kidneys as well as having anti rheumatic properties.
  • Meadowsweet, a little favourite of mine, which has strongly anti inflammatory properties.
  • Crampbark, to relax muscles which may have tightened up due to the Rheumatism and which will put pressure on the joints, exacerbating the condition.

This is not set in stone and may vary depending on the patient, what medicines they are already on and the severity of their condition.

There are many over the counter herbal remedies for rheumatism but if you buy one make sure it is a licensed product, which means it is tried and tested.

I do recommend if you have suffered from Rheumatism for some time and are on orthodox medicines but want to try an alternative, that you visit a qualified Medical Herbalist who can take all these factors into account and will tailor make an Herbal Remedy specifically for you.

My Clinic details can be seen by clicking here or on the “Clinic” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Filed Under: Health Conditions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Herbal Health Information on High Blood Pressure

November 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

When the blood pressure is measured there are two figures which are read, the “top” figure or Systolic pressure gives us an indication of the force with which the heart is beating and the “lower” reading or Diastolic pressure is an indication of the resistance the blood encounters when being distributed around the body.

The accepted norm is 120/80 going up to 140/90 with age. Over this and the blood pressure is thought to be too high, which may result in heart disease or stroke.

Blood circulation is a clever system in the body, resulting in everything the cells need to function, being carried to them via the blood.

HEART ->MAJOR ARTERIES ->MINOR ARTERIES ->CAPILLARIES ->MINOR VEINS ->MAJOR VEINS ->BACK TO THE HEART.

The heart is a pump which pushes the blood through this system. All the blood vessels have elasticity built in to their walls so that they can take the pressure of the blood being pushed through them without bursting. As we get older some of this elasticity is lost from the vessels and they may also have been furred up with fatty deposits. This results in an increased resistance to the blood being pumped out of the heart and a raise in blood pressure.

The other causes of high blood pressure may be poor kidney function resulting in fluid retention, increased stickiness of the blood (high cholesterol) and stress.

Diet is very important to adjust for people with high blood pressure.

Top of the list to throw into the dungeon is caffeine. Cut out all caffeine containing foods:-

Coffee

Tea

Chocolate

Cola drinks

Boost drinks

Many alco pops contain caffeine.

Caffeine has a constricting effect on capillaries and increases the heart rate, having a twofold, effect to raise blood pressure.

The other dungeon foods are;-

Chocolate

Cheese

Red wine.

These can produce Tyramine in the body which can cause constriction of the capillaries and an increased resistance to the blood being pumped out of the heart.

Actually if you look up Tyramine on Wikipedia, many food substances contain it, but these are the most frequently ingested ones.

Then there is the never ending salt debate.

Some research says it does raise blood pressure and some says it doesn’t. BUT in countries where salt intake is restricted, an increase in blood pressure with age is not seen.

The other major adjustment to the diet is to reduce the amount of animal fat in your diet and make sure you are getting a good supply of the essential fats (Omega oils), present in fatty fish such as salmon, eggs, nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, margarines and pulses.

Exercise is an absolute must. I will not go into how as you can find your own exercise preference but the why is that it will help break down excess fat, as well as improve circulation generally.

There are many combinations of Herbs which are suitable for reducing raised blood pressure so I am going to give you an example of a typical formula I would make up in my clinic for someone presenting with high blood pressure.

YARROW:- is a wonder herb that has many actions in the body, but the one I  use it  here for, is its ability to open up capillaries, allowing the blood to flow out of the heart easily.

LIME FLOWER: – this also opens capillaries and cleans out fatty deposits from arteries. See Pevensey video.

DANDELION ROOT is a diuretic, improving kidney function. It is high in potassium which can be leached out of the body by diuretics. CLEVER HUH?

MILK THISTLE: – this is liver cleansing and supporting. There is evidence that some high blood pressure conditions are caused by poor Liver function.

VALERIAN: – to make sure everything is calm and relaxed, as tension and stress will zap the blood pressure up.

HAWTHORN:-the best herb for supporting and normalising all areas of circulation, including the Heart.

I would not recommend you self medicate if you have high blood pressure but go to see a qualified Medical Herbalist if you are interested in trying complementary medicine.

You can find my clinic details by clicking here or on the “CLINIC” tab at the top of the page

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal HealthInformation

Filed Under: Health Conditions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Herbal Health Information on Sciatica

November 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

THE Sciatic nerve emerges from the spinal column going down the leg to supply nerves to our lower limbs. The nerve emerges through canals in the backbone in to the buttock. The main causes of sciatica are either joint inflammation or muscle spasm, both of which trap and pinch the nerve causing pain which generally radiates down the back of the leg.

In trying to work around an area of pain people often use that particular part of the body wrongly which leads to muscle spasm resulting in more pain and so the cycle continues. Sadly by the time people who suffer from pain come to see me they have usually had the condition for some time, resulting in possible degeneration (breakdown) of the joint and long term muscle spasm.

They have a long history of taking strong anti inflammatories, pain killers and possibly steroid use. Pain tells us when to stop doing something and if it is masked then there is a possibility the joint is used beyond its capability causing further damage to the area.

So my first advice is to always be aware of the limitations of a painful area and only use it as much as is comfortable.

Apart from taking herbal Medicine, visit a Chiropractor, who will check the spine and make adjustments to put it back in to the right position.

Diet is very important but different people find their joints may react to different foods. The norm, is to radically reduce the intake of dairy and wheat and never eat any Tomatoes and Oranges. The acid in these two foods is not broken down by the body so creates an acidic environment which is not good for joints and the urinary system. Many pain sufferers find eating a lot of high protein foods such as meat and cheese will increase inflammation. The message here is to keep an eye on your diet to see if any foods do make your pain worse. If they do, you may have to visit a nutritionist to cut out these food substances but maintain a healthy diet.

Drink loads of water.

HERBAL MEDICINE

Any inflammatory condition I approach in the same way

  • Ensure the digestive system is working well to break down food and eliminate toxins
  • Improve joint circulation
  • Make sure the urinary system is eliminating metabolic (body function) by-products
  • Reduce inflammation

A typical herbal prescription as a tincture would be:-

  • Dandelion root, which improves digestive function and elimination of toxins via the Bowel.
  • Ginger, (very small amounts) to improve circulation to the joints
  • Celery seed, (small amounts) to improve uric acid excretion from the kidneys as well as having anti rheumatic properties.
  • Meadowsweet, a little favourite of mine, which has strongly anti inflammatory properties.
  • Crampbark to relax muscles, preventing them going into spasm and putting pressure on the nerve. Also seen in the West Rise Marsh video.

This is not set in stone and may vary depending on the patient, what medicines they are already on and the severity of their condition.

There are over the counter herbal preparations for pain and inflammation, but make sure they are licensed products so that you know they have been through rigorous trials.

I do recommend if you have had Sciatica for some time and are on orthodox medicines but want to try an alternative, that you visit a qualified Medical Herbalist who can take all those factors into account and will tailor make an Herbal Remedy specifically for you.

My Clinic details can be seen by clicking here or on the “Clinic” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Back pain article

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Herbal Health Information on Back Pain

October 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

There is so much written about back pain that I am not going to pretend to know all the latest research, but tell you my experience of helping patients with back pain to achieve a better quality of life.

My approach is exactly the same as treating arthritic joints as it is usually inflammation of the joints in the vertebrae that causes the pain. In trying to work around an area of pain people often use that particular part of the body wrongly which leads to muscle spasm resulting in more pain and so the cycle continues.

Sadly by the time people who sufferer from pain come to see me they have usually had the condition for many years resulting in possible degeneration (breakdown) of the joint lining and long term muscle spasm. They have a long history of taking strong anti inflammatories, pain killers and possibly steroid use. Pain tells us when to stop doing something and if it is masked then there is a possibility the joint is used beyond its capability causing further damage to the joint itself.

So my first advice is to always be aware of the limitations of a painful area and only use it as much as is comfortable.

Join a specialist back exercise class to teach you how to use your back properly. Most public sports centres run these and there is a possibility that your doctor can refer you and pay for you to go to a class.

Diet is very important but different people find their joints may react to different foods. The norm, is to radically reduce the intake of dairy and wheat and never eat any Tomatoes and Oranges. The acid in these two foods is not broken down by the body so creates an acidic environment which is not good for joints and the urinary system. Many back pain sufferers find eating a lot of high protein foods such as meat and cheese will increase inflammation. The message here is to keep an eye on your diet to see if any foods do make your pain worse. If they do, you may have to visit a nutritionist to cut out these food substances but maintain a healthy diet.

Drink loads of water.

HERBAL MEDICINE

Any inflammatory condition I approach in the same way

  • Ensure the digestive system is working well to break down food and eliminate toxins
  • Improve joint circulation
  • Make sure the urinary system is eliminating metabolic (body function) by-products
  • Reduce inflammation

A typical herbal prescription as a tincture would be:-

  • Dandelion root, which improves digestive function and elimination of toxins via the Bowel.
  • Ginger, (very small amounts) to improve circulation to the joints
  • Celery seed, (small amounts) to improve uric acid excretion from the kidneys as well as having anti rheumatic properties.
  • Meadowsweet, a little favourite of mine, which has strongly anti inflammatory properties.
  • Crampbark to relax muscles, preventing them going into spasm and pulling the joints out of place. Seen on the West Rise Marsh video.

This is not set in stone and may vary depending on the patient, what medicines they are already on and the severity of their condition.

There are over the counter herbal preparations for pain and inflammation, but make sure they are licensed products so that you know they have been through rigorous trials.

I do recommend if you have been a back pain sufferer for some time and are on orthodox medicines but want to try an alternative, that you visit a qualified Medical Herbalist who can take all those factors into account and will tailor make an Herbal Remedy specifically for you.

My Clinic details can be seen by clicking here or on the “Clinic” tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Filed Under: Health Conditions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Herbal Health Treatment of Constipation

September 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Most people report that they have a bowel movement daily and that it is easy to go to the toilet without any pain or discomfort.

Constipation sufferers do not have regular bowel movements and may find it difficult and uncomfortable to go to the toilet. This may be due to poor diet or a sluggish bowel

Two areas to look at closely are diet and the amount of water intake.

Your diet needs to be a balanced one with of fruit, vegetables and high fibre cereals.

An example of a day’s menu may be:-

Breakfast

Porridge with some fruit

Or Muesli

Or Weetabix/Shredded wheat/bran cereal

Seeds/nuts/oat bran are good to sprinkle on cereal to provide extra roughage.

Glass of water

Lunch

Sandwich, preferably with wholegrain bread

Or baked potato

Or salad

Fruit

Glass of water

Dinner

Meat, two vegetables and some source of carbohydrate such as potato or pasta or rice.

Brown rice has more fibre than white

Glass of water

At some point in the day you need to drink another three glasses of water

You will notice that there is no tea and coffee included in this diet. That is because tea and coffee contain tannins and caffeine which slow the digestive process in the bowel down and may cause a sluggish digestion.

Rooibos and herbal teas do not contain tannin and caffeine so are acceptable substitutes.

Gut flora contribute to the digestive process so eat some live yogurt two or three times a week, especially if you have had to have antibiotics or steroids.

If you are fairly sedentary, start doing some form of exercise even if it is walking. This will stimulate circulation around the body and help all body systems to function better.

I love reading the ancient herbals like Culpepper, because most of the remedies seemed to be to “PURGE THE GUT” or to treat “SCROPHULOUS SORES”

I guess the people in those days had very poor diets lacking in both fibre and Vitamin C

There are many herbs which help to improve digestive function:-

All bitter herbs stimulate the liver and digestive enzymes to ensure the food is properly broken down and the waste eliminated.

Dandelion root improves digestion by stimulating the liver

Burdock root more gentle on the digestive system but a good cleanser

Yellow dock root this is strong and will really clear everything out as well as being a good nutritive herb

Barberry a good liver stimulant for a sluggish liver quite strong though and should be used in small amounts.

These may be taken in tincture form as “simples” in other words on their own, or as capsules. If you buy them over the counter follow the instructions on the bottle or packet. Don’t take all of them together you will be sat on the loo for a long long time and they may give you cramps. Also do not take any of them if you are pregnant as anything that stimulates the gut may also stimulate the uterus.

There are many ready made over the counter preparations, but make sure they are licensed products so that you know they have been tried and tested.

Psyllium or Ispaghula seeds are a tiny little seed which act as a gentle bulk laxative in the bowel, they help to retain fluid in the bowel and so soften the stool.

A teaspoon of the seeds are soaked in a glass of water overnight and then drunk the following morning. They go slightly gloopy due to the mucilage they contain, but this helps retain fluid in the bowel and bulk the stool out.

You can buy them in health food shops.

If you need more help and would like to visit me in the Clinic please click here or on the Clinic tab at the top of the page.

Linda Bostock

Medical Herbalist/Herbal Health Information

Filed Under: Health Conditions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,