Natural Herbs for Inflammation

It seems like more often than not, people are more prone to go for a bottle of ibuprofen than a bag of ice or some herbal remedies for any kind of inflammation. Ibuprofen and other medicines have side effects that few think about when taking much more than the recommended dose to deal with their pain or swelling. Herbal remedies tend to have fewer side effects and have fewer chemicals as well. Here are a few herbs to help your inflammation.

Warning

• Herbal remedies can sometimes cause allergic reactions and can have interactions with medications that you are taking. Consult your doctor or integrated medical practitioner to ensure that you are using herbs safely and effectively.

Garlic

• Garlic is used in many households as a spice and a vegetable, but it also has a large number of healing properties. Also known as Allium sativum, garlic can help to relieve cramps and improve circulation. By improving circulation, it can improve the blood flow to areas of inflammation in order to relieve the swelling more quickly. It is also believed to have tumor shrinking properties that can help it to reduce inflammation caused by cancer. To save yourself having to chew a garlic clove every day, try a capsule of garlic extract in a 400 milligram tablet twice a day. You can also include more in your meals to get the same effect.

Goldenseal

• Goldenseal (Hydrastis candensis) is found in the United States in many damp meadows and it is used to create many different herbal products. Goldenseal can be used to treat several different kinds of inflammation because of its natural antibiotic properties. An eye lotion that combines Goldenseal, chamomile, and rosewater can be used to treat an inflamed eye. An herbal lotion with Goldenseal can treat inflamed or infected skin. It has been connected to reducing inflammation and infection in the bladder, with varicose veins, and tonsillitis just to name a few. You can purchase topical products containing Goldenseal or take a 4 gram capsule once a day. Do not take Goldenseal for more than 2 weeks at a time.

Licorice

• Licorice acts similarly to a shot of cortisone but without the harmful side effects. Licorice has anti-allergic, anti-arthritic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Specifically it has been used to reduce inflammation in the respiratory system and the chest area. Try taking it in 200 milligram doses three times per day. Do not take licorice if you have high blood pressure as it has been known to increase hypertension. Do not take more than the recommended dose and use deglycryrrhizinated licorice whenever possible.

Chamomile

• Chamomile has always been known as an herb that is soothing on the nerves, but it also has the ability to help with inflammation. Chamomile has been used to remedy the inflammation of pain in neuralgia, inflammation in arthritis joints, and to relieve muscle cramps and rheumatic pains. It can even remedy inflamed skin that is trying to heal from a burn. Take Chamomile as a tea or purchase a lotion or other topical product that contains Chamomile to receive its benefits.

Where to Buy

• You can purchase most herbal remedies at your local natural foods store or over the Internet. Try to stick to local shops so that you can talk to an employee that can point you directly to the herbs that you need. Buy fresh and organic whenever possible.