Herbal Remedies: Arthritis Foundation

Dr Kielczynski is a herbalist with overseas medical qualifications. He is also an experienced medical scientist working here and abroad. He sits on government committees advising on traditional and complementary medicines. He lives and works in Melbourne outer suburb.

Nowadays the aversion to pills and tablets, for whatever reason, is coupled with a desire to attain or maintain health with "natural" remedies. The interest in herbal treatments has risen considerably in the last few years. The signs of this are everywhere to be seen. Almost overnight, a whole range of over-the-counter herbal products have appeared on chemists shelves. Teas, herbal tablets, shampoos, bath oils and cosmetics celebrate their herbal origin, while supermarkets and greengrocers regularly stock a range of fresh culinary herbs to spice up our diet.

Why is neither the public nor the medical profession satisfied with the galaxy of man made drugs? Why the resurgence of interest in herbs? Inevitably, the answer must be complex, but certain striking points can be picked out from the array of arguments.

One is the increasing number of perceived toxic effects resulting from the potent new synthetic drugs.

Another is that from Nature came the greatest of all the therapeutic advances - antibiotics. The discovery of penicillin, an innocuous looking mould growing in an abandoned petri dish on a window ledge, was the result of careful observation, a trait which has been present since the earliest herbalists sought new remedies.

A third factor in encouraging and stimulating this renewal of interest in herbs is an increasing appreciation that we live in a natural world that provides the process of healing, a world that contains, among other things, plants that are beneficial to man. People have realised that more attention must be given to investigating the wealth of therapeutic possibilities that lie hidden in Nature.

Herbal medicine does not always fit well into regimes of medical and scientific proof. Some herb uses are medically documented but the efficacy of most herbs is based on anecdotal evidence or the wealth of folklore. Research on the active substances in herbs cannot automatically be equated with the effectiveness of a whole herb or whole herb extracts. All plants yield two or more constituents having quite different pharmacological actions. The fact is that the therapeutic effect of any plant depends upon the sum of the pharmacological action of all the constituents present, some of which we may know nothing about.

There are a multitude of variables that influence the therapeutic properties of herbs. First and most important is to correctly identify the plant, then the plants habitat including its geographical position, humidity, sun, shade, rainfall, the daily and seasonal variation of temperature, soil, companion plants, plant diseases and interaction with people such as damage, cultivation, and pollution.

A fascinating factor, which is often ridiculed as a combination of magic, astrology and superstition, is that harvesting at certain times of the day, in particular seasons, periods of the moon or at certain stage of germination has a significant effect on the active ingredients of the herb. For example, research has shown that the concentration of the alkaloid morphine in opium poppies is four times stronger at 9 am than at 9 p.m.

While the best (and the strongest) herbal medications are in liquid form as extracts in the solvent alcohol, they have an appalling taste. Tablets, even when they are prepared from extracts, are weaker because the production process involves heat which destroys some of the volatile components.

Herbal teas may vary in concentration, depending on the year of harvest, but even under ideal conditions, most dried herbs will lose up to one third of their potency for every year of storage.

We have also to remember that herbs in supermarkets (and other retail outlets) are often not intended to use for medical conditions but rather as flavouring, culinary, "life style" or fashion products. The best supplier of medicinal herbs is our own garden or "the wild", and the process of collecting them provides the additional benefit of physical exercise.
But please, be sure that you are able to recognise the plants correctly!

The majority of herbs are safe, however many of them are capable of causing adverse reactions. We should remember that the most potent poisons are derived from, or are present in, plants. Moreover, herbal remedies are capable of interacting with pharmaceutical drugs; some preparations can not and should not be taken by particular people; and some herbal remedies can be used only in certain combinations. To ensure the maximum benefits, and the greatest level of safety and care, you should consult a trained Herbalist - a member of the National Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA).

Drug and herbal therapies can be employed simultaneously in the treatment of many diseases. Practitioners with solid training in both orthodox and complementary medicines are well placed to recognise the limitations and benefits of both systems. Ideally, they would be the most suitable practitioners to decide which therapeutic approach, or combination of approaches, best suits the needs of the patient. However there are only a few practitioners in Australia at present that are medically qualified and members of NHAA. Therefore, the combined efforts of both professions should give the greatest benefits.

There are 150 forms of arthritis, these can be helped with 100 different herbs, some more than others. This does not mean that all can be cured with herbs, but the natural progression of the disease can be slowed considerably and the comfort of life can be greatly improved.

Everybody should think about joints, bones and cartilages from an early age - even at that time when we believe that we are immortal, i.e. below the age of 30, and it is at this age when sports injuries are the most common. When arthritis develops, for any reason, it should be treated individually. Treatment will depend on the type of arthritis and the constitution of the patient. Herbal treatment is highly personalised care that can not be described in a short article, however the following is a description of a number of herbal remedies which can be used as self help treatment by all those with arthritis.

Injuries

If there is no open wound, injuries should be treated immediately with external applications of creams or lotions containing arnica flowers (Arnica montana) or comfrey leaf or root (Symphytum officinalis) or essential oil of thyme (Thymus vulgaris).

Beneficial teas which can be taken together with external treatment for injuries are:

Birch and dandelion teas should be prepared by pouring boiling water onto 1 tablespoon of dry herbs, strained for 10 minutes, and drunk while still warm. The nettle tea should be prepared by pouring cold water over dry leaves brought to the boil and boiled for 2 minutes. After 15 minutes and straining, the tea is ready to drink.

One cup of tea per day will be sufficient when taken for seven to ten days after injury.

Painful joints

The most useful herbal teas, particularly for osteoarthritis, are:

Externally, ointments with chilli pepper (Capsicum annum) or horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) can be used, or you might try using warm water baths made from hayseed or sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum) - dry, or freshly picked and still with the characteristic smell: Cover 500g (l/2 kg) of hayseed with 4 litres of cold water and bring to the boil. Cover and boil for 2-3 minutes. Wait for 15 minutes, strain and add liquid to the bath water. Bathe in 37-38 degrees Celcius for 15 minutes, twice a week.

Another useful bath is made with oat straw (Avena sativa) - dry, and preferably from the flowering plant: Boil 500g of oats straw in 2 litres of water for half an hour and bath as with hayseed.

Another form of external application is that of a poultice made from white or black mustard seeds (Brassica alba or Brassica nigra). A poultice is a strong medicament, which will dilate the blood vessels, and should not be applied to open wounds, where there is a skin infection, or on sensitive skin.

Mix 100g of freshly ground mustard seeds with hot water (40 - 45'C), to form a dough. Put it on a piece of cloth, the size of the painful area. Apply the cloth on the skin which has been covered with moistened gauze (to prevent sticking). REMOVE AFTER ONE MINUTE. Cover the reddened parts of the skin with a small amount of olive oil. Black mustard is stronger than white mustard, so start with white mustard first.

Other useful and fragrant external applications are:

lavender spirit (Lavandula officinalis) or rosemary spirit (Rosemarinus officinalis): take 50g (or one handful) of dried or fresh lavender blossoms or rosemary leaves and cover them with half a litre of 90% alcohol. Seal tightly and leave for 7-10 days in a sunny and warm place. Shake daily, filter and store at room temperature. Rub into painful areas several times a day.

A recently fashionable herbal remedy is celery seed (Apium graveolens). It is considered particularly helpful with gout, as it possesses diuretic "blood purifying" properties. Parsley leaf (Petroselinum crispum) has a similar action and is available from greengrocers or your own garden. Other useful plants here are dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale) and couch grass, the underground parts (Agropyron repens). Home extracts from roots should be prepared as decoctions, i.e. pour one glass of cold water onto a tablespoon of dry root or rhizome and bring it to the boil slowly. Boil for two minutes and strain. Drink while hot.

A most useful tea for all kinds of arthritic pains can be made from mixing the following:

One part each of - white willow tree bark (Salix alba), guaiac wood (Guaiacum officinale), meadowsweet herb (Filipendula ulmaria), bogbean leaf (Menyanthes trifoliata). Combine these herbs. Take 2 teaspoons of the herbal mix and cover with 1 cup of cold water. Bring it to the boil and boil for 2 minutes in a covered pan. Take off the flame and add 1 teaspoon of dry elder flowers(Sambucus nigra), wait for 15 minutes, strain and drink 1 - 3 cups a day.

General Dietary Considerations

We have to remember that plants and plant products form (or should form) the main part of our diet. In active arthritis, foods which contain high concentration of substances called antioxidants should be increased. They are present in sufficient amounts in black tea (no milk!), green tea, roasted coffee and wines. The greatest benefit is derived when antioxidants are obtained from a variety of foods not entirely from one single food source. Vitamins are important antioxidants, particularly Vitamin C and Vitamin E. It is interesting that the active form of Vitamin E (gamma tocopherol) is not produced commercially in capsules, but is easily obtained from sprouting grains and is present in fresh plant oils.

Our changing diets can also alter the range of pharmacologically active components we eat, and indeed many cultures do not make a clear distinction between food and medicine. Also, most people with arthritis will be aware that there are some foods that tend to aggravate their condition. The best way to identify these is by trial and error. This is how we have possessed the knowledge of plants that have served us for millennia and will continue to do so well into the future.