Can you say the names below five times quickly?
• Camphora molmol,
• C frutescens,
• Salix alba,
• Maleluca alternifolia,
• Angelica sinensis,
• Aloe vera,
• Thymus officinalis,
• Menthe peperita,
• Arnica montana,
• Curcuma longa,
• Tancaetum parthenium,
• Harpagophytum procumbens, and
• Zingiber officinicalis.
Ok, so this wasn’t the typical tongue twister. The list, however, did identify common herbs we take to alleviate lower back pain. Amazingly, three of the substances do relieve pain, per a recent study in Canada.
Devil’s Claw (H Procumbens), Willow’s Bark (S alba) and cayenne pepper (Capsaicin frutescens) all showed a substantial decrease in low back pain. Both Devil’s Claw and Willow’s Bark had an equianalgesic dose (i.e. equal in potency) to a common Cox-2 Inhibitor (ex. Celebrex or Vioox). Cayenne pepper had to be used as a ‘plaster’ over the affected area, but was equal in effectiveness to other homeopathic medications.
The usual treatment offered by physicians for low back pain are the anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen, exercise and/or bed rest, orthotics, heat and/or cold applications and tissue stimulation. The fact that acute back pain becomes chronic and usually prevails over the course of one’s lifetime, indicates the over-all effectiveness of current treatment. As low back pain is a major cause of disability, and the second-leading cause of absenteeism at work; it may be beneficial to seek out alternatives to traditional medicine.
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