How to Use Herbs to Treat Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that effects the lower back, the neck, the back of the head and the shoulders. There is no known primary cause of fibromyalgia, although inflammation and poor circulation are the principle causes of the excruciating muscular pain experienced by those with the condition. Many consider herbal remedies to be a viable way to treat fibromyalgia's symptoms. Follow these steps to learn how herbs like dandelion, cayenne, echinacea and astragalus could help fibromyalgia sufferers.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Burdock root
• Dandelion
• Astragalus
• Wintergreen oil
• Echinacea
• Computer with Internet connection
• Red clover
• Cayenne

Treat Fibromyalgia Symptoms with the Use of Herbs

1. Brew a tea of dandelion, burdock root and red clover to enhance your body's immunity and clean out your bloodstream. For the best results, drink between 4 and 6 cups a day. Alternatively, you can also take 1 tbsp. of dandelion juice twice a day.

2. Apply a mixture of 1 part cayenne and 3 parts wintergreen oil topically. Cayenne contains capsaicin, a chemical that inhibits pain-causing neurotransmitters.

3. Pick up some echinacea and astragalus to aid with immune system function.

4. Remove parasites within the body with black walnut leaves or nuts.

5. Favor ginger over aspirin for pain. Ginger is sold in 1,000 to 2,000 milligram capsules at health food stores across the country as well as on the Internet. You can also take ginger in tea form by taking 1 tsp. of ground ginger root and steeping it in 8 ounces of boiling water for 10 minutes.

6. Use calendula to help reverse the effects of fibromyalgia. Many alternative medicine practitioners recommend that fibromyalgia sufferers take calendula in high doses on a daily basis.

7. Learn more about herbs and their effects on fibromyalgia at the "Health World Online" Web site (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• To ensure quality, buy your herbs from your local health food store or a trusted organic grower. Herbs bought in-store may be slightly less expensive than those bought from a grower, due to the quality of specially-harvested herbs.
• You shouldn't replace the care of a physician with herbal remedies, especially when you're experiencing potentially life-threatening symptoms. Any time you experience serious symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. Don't just rely on herbs if you have difficulty breathing, heart problems or severe pain. If you start vomiting blood, contact your doctor immediately.
• Some herbs may interact with prescription medications, causing undesired side effects. Consult with your health practitioner before taking any herbal supplements.
• Consult MayoClinic.com to learn how educate yourself about alternative medicine claims (see Resources below). Learn how to assess those claims before you make your treatment decision.

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[peas4everyone]

on 1/27/2009 I have had FMS since I was 16. I have found pycnogenol to be very helpful for the pain. I also go regularly to a naturopath to keep my blood cleansed and keep to a strict no wheat, no sugar, seasonal eating diet. All combined it has made a huge difference to my lifestyle.