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Appalachian Healing Remedies

The people who live in the Appalachian mountains have a long tradition of folk herbal remedies and natural healing that stretches back hundreds of years. If you are interested in learning about Appalachian healing remedies, it is helpful to try out a few of the most common of these remedies.

  1. Alfalfa Tea

    • Alfalfa tea is created by cutting the leaves and blooms of purple alfalfa, washing them thoroughly, then steeping them in hot water for 10 minutes. Drinking alfalfa tea in Appalachian folk medicine is said to help treat arthritis. It is important to only drink the tea from the plant and not to use powdered alfalfa, which is believed to worsen an arthritic condition.

    Pokeweed Tincture

    • Pokeweed berries are collected and boiled in hot water for 30 minutes, then strained into a concentrated solution. The solution is then added to a small amount of alcohol for use as a tincture. Pokeweed in Appalachian folk medicine is used to treat inflamed lymph nodes, chronic joint paint and rheumatism.

    Blood Root Syrup

    • The stems of blood root are collected and mashed, boiled in small amount of water for 10 minutes, then strained. The strained solution is then combined with honey to create a syrup that is used in Appalachian folk medicine to relieve coughing, sore throats and to treat burns topically.

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