Alternatives to Muscle Relaxants

Neuralgia, or nerve pain, is the unpleasant numbness or tingling that accompanies injury or damage to the nerves and muscles. Conventional medicine prescribes painkillers and muscle relaxants to ease the symptoms, but there are herbal alternatives available. None of the herbal alternatives are as effective as the conventional methods, but they have the benefits of being safer for your body and also healing, thus eliminating or reducing the pain significantly over time.

St. John's Wort

• St. John's wort is usually prescribed for depression, but it also has a nerve-relaxing effect and can help reduce pain and stiffness. It contains a blend of hypericin, flavonoids and other ingredients that make it work effectively as an antidepressant, antiviral and natural muscle relaxant.

Willow Bark

• As an anti-inflammatory, willow bark has been utilized for thousands of years. Salicin is the main active component with anti-inflammatory properties. Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, was originally derived from salicin.

Red Peppers

• Red peppers contain capsaicin, which blocks pain receptors and triggers the release of endorphins. Some pain relief creams use minute quantities of capsaicin as the basis for their formula. You can eat red peppers, take capsaicin in a pill form or apply a cream using capsaicin as a base.

Cramp Bark and Haw

• Both cramp bark and haw contain esouletin and scopoletin, which have antispasmodic and muscle-relaxant properties. They work best when paired together but can be used alone. Take as a tincture or a capsule 1 to 4 times daily.

Angelica

• Angelica, or Dong Quai, has been used in America, Europe and China for centuries to relieve pain. It has antispasmodic, anodyne (pain relief) and anti-inflammatory properties. Dong Quai is available in a tincture and as a capsule, or you can boil the root to make a tea.