Use of Medicinal Plants Like Yerba Buena As a Pain Reliever

Even as the multinational pharmaceutical giants spend billions in the search for new drugs, nature continues to offer a multitude of plant substances with amazing medicinal properties. Among these plants are some that can provide you with significant pain relief for free or for far less than most prescription medications. It really shouldn't come as a big surprise, however, since some of the most effective commercial pain relievers, such as opiates, were originally derived from plant materials.

Do your research

• Although Mother Nature does have some potent pain relievers that are yours for the taking, steer clear of outrageous claims for some of these plant substances just as you would avoid unrealistic claims for commercial products. That's not to say that natural medicinals can't do wondrous things, but you should do some research before you assume that any plant substance can produce a miracle cure.

Nature's pain relievers

• The WebEcoist website offers a review of numerous plant substances that have pain-relieving properties, both topically and internally. Lady fern and bracken fern are said to relieve the pain of minor cuts, stings and burns when their leaves are hand crushed into a rough mash and applied to your affected areas. Catnip isn't just for cats; WebEcoist says this member of the mint family can ease the pain of inflammation and help stop bleeding when its leaves are applied to your injury sites.
  Applied topically, sage can be used as a soothing salve for cuts and burns or as an antibacterial agent. Ingest sage leaves to relieve cramps and reduce swelling and inflammation.
  In an article on the Herb Companion website, Gina Mohammed writes about the pain-relieving properties of devil's claw, a South African herb; capsaicin, which is derived from chili peppers; clove oil for toothaches; and a fennel-based tea for menstrual cramps. Mohammed also suggests taking one to four ounces of powdered ginger root daily to ease the pain of fibromyalgia.

Herbal remedies from the border

• On the Borderlands website, a project of El Paso Community College, Robbie Fields writes extensively about some of the herbal remedies that the people of the Texas-Mexico border area traditionally have used to ease pain and treat other ailments. You may want to try yerbabuena (also seen as yerba buena), a tea brewed from spearmint or peppermint leaves. This tea offers relief from stomach aches and nausea and promotes healthy digestion. Using another border region remedy, crush up garlic, mix it with honey and apply the mixture to open wounds to relieve pain and promote healing.

Cherries for arthritis

• If you're one of the millions who suffer from the pain of osteoarthritis, you may find relief from tart cherries, according to a March 2009 report from ScienceDaily. The report examined the results of a study conducted by Dallas's Baylor Research Institute. The study found that more than half of arthritis patients given a pill derived from tart cherries experienced a sharp reduction in pain and a recovery of function after only eight weeks of treatment.