How to Treat Inflammatory Rheumatism with Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle is one of nature's finest remedies for inflammatory rheumatism. It has been approved by Germany's Commission E for treating rheumatism, kidney and bladder stones, and urinary tract infections. Aside from these qualities, stinging nettle has been used for centuries for treating all types of inflammatory conditions including arthritis, gout and rheumatism. It may be used successfully both internally and externally for joint pain, but only take one form of internal stinging nettle preparation. Take the tea, extract or tincture, but don't take them all in conjunction.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dried nettle leaves
• Tea strainer
• Honey (optional)
• Standardized nettle extract
• Cotton cloth
• Stinging nettle tincture

1. Make stinging nettle tea by steeping 1 tbsp. dried nettle leaves in 1 cup of boiling water, steeping for 10 to 15 minutes, and then straining the spent herbs from the tea using a tea strainer. Sweeten the mixture with honey, if desired, and drink 3 to 4 cups per day to soothe the symptoms of inflammatory rheumatism.

2. Combine 250 milligrams standardized nettle extract with a glass of water. Drink three times per day to ease inflammatory rheumatism symptoms. The extract may be taken without mixing in water, but some people find the taste a bit too overpowering. Try it and see how you prefer to ingest the substance.

3. Make a stinging nettle compress and apply externally to ease inflammatory rheumatism pain. Brew one cup of nettle tea according to the instructions above. Soak a clean, cotton cloth in the hot tea and then apply directly to the painful areas. Remove after the cloth cools and repeat as necessary.

4. Mix 10 to 30 drops of stinging nettle tincture with a glass of water and drink up to four times per day to treat inflammatory rheumatism. Again, you may consume the tincture alone but the taste is very strong, even more so than the nettle extract. Add a bit of lemon or honey to the mixture to counter the taste, if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Nettle tea bags may be used in place of dried nettle leaves, if desired. Tea bags and dried leaves can be found in natural health food stores or ordered online. The root of the stinging nettle plant may also be used with similar results.
• Always talk to your doctor before taking any new herb or supplement. Never take stinging nettle to treat inflammatory rheumatism if you're currently taking prescription medication, as serious reactions could occur.

Resources

• Nettle-Tea.net
• Nettle Herbal Tea
• Stinging Nettle Tea

[Rockney]

on 11/9/2009 Great information on Stinging Nettle Tea! Five Stars!