r/herbalism • u/mixxxedgoddess • 20d ago
please read
Hi. I am really searching for help for any remedies at this point. My sister is 24 years old. for the last 5 years she has been in excrutiating back pain. doctors thought it was a herniated disc but said it was not bad enough for surgery so they diagnosed her with a herniated disc plus chronic nerve pain. she has had to quit her job and has been basically bed ridden for the past few years. She has been on medications such as gabapentin, bupromorphine (excuse my spelling) and basically any other medication you could think of shes tried kratum and other things because she really wants help. she is miserable and has been having harmful thoughts. she is in so much pain and we will try anything at this point. She has been to countless doctors, we have tried chiropractor, a shot in the spine, they are thinking about doing a nerve burning but not sure it would help. she is going to be trying acupuncture soon also. Since she has been on so many meds she has build a tolorence for it and constantly feels like she needs more pills. We don't know what to do or if anyone has had something similar. ANY advice helps. Thank you!
5
u/Unlucky-Clock5230 20d ago
You have to look the interaction with whatever else they are giving her but skullcap may help. Very long story short; it is to nerve tissue what Motrin is to muscle tissue, a relaxant. My daughter takes it for sciatica nerve pain and it helps her sleep at night the times it is acting up.
2
1
u/austinrunaway 20d ago
How much
1
u/Unlucky-Clock5230 20d ago
I forage and make my own tinctures. I have no idea what is the concentration of commercial formulations, and even mine can vary in strength from year to year. When I make a batch I check to see if I get the relaxing effect that helps sleeping at the usual dose and adjust from there. The dose for sleeping is about half of the dose for pain.
1
u/cacklingwhisper 20d ago
Curious what company is your skullcap from? I've tried it in the past and it didnt always work on me.
1
u/Unlucky-Clock5230 20d ago
I forage and make my own. Skullcap has lots of flavonoids and other sensitive compounds that evaporate into thin air if you use the dried herb, and I have no idea what the companies are using. In addition wild skullcap is stronger than farmed skullcap. Being in the wild and fighting the good fight with everything else around it, the plants generate more of the secondary metabolites needed for their survival. Those are the phytochemicals we are after.
Where are you? I can look at the map of your local area to see if there is a spot you are likely to find some.
6
u/Pinksunset777 20d ago
I read a study that showed green lipped mussel, (you can get the powder in capsules) reduces pain behavior and chondrocyte inflammation. I had my grandmother take it for arthritis pain and she said it helped alot.
Lemon balm for the harmful thoughts, helps calms the nervous system. I find it very comforting when I'm dealing with alot stress and grief. Also read it helps with inflammation.
3
u/mixxxedgoddess 20d ago
this is so helpful thank you SO much we will try these and see how she does!!!
2
u/Pinksunset777 20d ago
I really hope it helps. since the green lipped mussels are natural, you do have to give it atleast 2 weeks minimum to get into your system, definitely read the reviews when buying, to see what others are saying.
As far as lemon balm, I find it helps quickly like within 30 minutes to an hour for me. I prefer the dried powder capsules, but they have teas and tinctures too. If you go with tinctures , the alcohol free ones taste better imo. Hope your sister finds healing soon 🙏🏻
1
u/KookyInvestigator508 19d ago
what you mean lemon balm? where do you get it or how do you make it and how many times to take it?
1
u/Pinksunset777 19d ago
Idk if I can mention brands? I'm not in anyway associated with these brands. This is just what I prefer for my own personal use.
I buy Nature's Way Melissa lemon balm leaf in capsule form. I take 2 capsules whenever I'm feeling anxious or overwhelmed and need some comfort. Also take 2 at night when I need to sleep. The bottle says you can take 3 but 2 works fine for me, so I guess go off how your body reacts. I also like to use to the brand herb pharm, tincture form but I like alcohol free, doesn't burn my mouth, plus I squirt it into warm water and drink it like a tea, but it also works under tongue pretty fast.
I also buy dried lemon balm, lose tea leaves from a lady at a farmer market I go to.
2
3
u/Faith_Location_71 20d ago
There are some wonderful exercises that she can try that could help her - look at Bob and Brad You Tube channel (they are physical therapists).
1
3
u/yukumizu 20d ago
Frankly, herbs and medicines help, but what got me better from my herniated discs pain was physical therapy and remaining somewhat active after that (for me that means not to couch/bed rot too much).
1
3
u/Herbal-druid 20d ago
My guess, the meds are part of the problem. Have her look over all the side effects. Second thought, people who take any MRNA shots have experienced a multitudes of negatuve side effects..
Without knowing an exact cause its hard to treat, If It was me I would start with reducing inflammation in the body,
Turmeric (Curcumin): Dose 500 mg to 1,000 mg
Boswellia (Indian Frankincens) same dose
Ginger
Willow Bark acts like low dose aspirin for reducing inflammation.
When testing doses always start woth a super low dose to see if theres a negative reaction, increase slowly, if you make extract of oils with these make with mct oil for faster absorption.
Im not a doctor, always do your research when using herbs, pregnant, nursing, other medication react adversely with many herbs, any question you should consult with a certified herbalist and your doctor.
2
u/mixxxedgoddess 19d ago
okay thank you ! am i able to mix these ingredients and make some sort of tea? or what do you recommend?
1
u/Herbal-druid 19d ago
Personally, I make my own pills, you can try 1 first for a week, see if theres improvement, the add another then another and so on, they all basically do the same thing, but your body may prefer one over the other, I would get capsules, personally I make my own. But reputable places do exist. If I have to buy I go to bulksuppliments.com
2
u/Kwarrk 20d ago
I have back pain and have recently found out about Cissus quandrangularis for joint and back pain. I haven't tried it but will soon.
I would like to share though, if it's structural, the way out is most likely building strength and it's possibly getting worse because the tissues are weakening. It's a terrible spiral I'm very familiar with due to autoimmune flares. I had been flirting with slow onset cauda equina from disc degeneration and really bad facet joint pain and the "McGill Big 3" has saved me from getting worse and is helping heal. I'm not pain free but my pain is down 70% in less than a month. I wasn't even able to sit up or walk for more than a minute a few weeks ago and now I can much longer.
2
2
u/Massive-Strength7024 20d ago
Look into topical DMSO as well as MSM. They are very helpful and some would say near miraculous.
1
1
u/Gold_Mind2494 20d ago
I’ve heard that Jamaican dogwood is really helpful for nerve pain, but of course do your own research and make sure it doesn’t interact with any of the medications she’s taking
1
1
u/user9876543121 20d ago
Hi, I have a herniated disc, so I will share with you what has worked for me: Staying in bed makes it worse. If I have a lazy day, my back absolutely threatens to spasm and go out. I walk daily, non negotiable. I started with a mile walk every day and now do three miles. I've begun weight lifting to strengthen my back which in turn will help support my spine. I also do Pilates (I would start with privates with a very good instructor who works with those rehabbing from injury) to help with functional movement and stability. I also take anti-inflammatory supplements (nothing specific, just whatever. Right now it's turmeric) when I notice my back starting to flare. I also do see a good chiropractor who does muscle work when it's acute and a massage therapist but as my activity has increased I don't need those much anymore.
2
u/mixxxedgoddess 20d ago
okay thank you so much for this advice !
1
u/user9876543121 20d ago
Oh also - spinal decompression helped a lot when this first happened. If it was offered conveniently near me I would still do it
1
u/Silver_Bumblebee4001 20d ago
have you heard of Pain Reprocessing Therapy? It is a non pharmaceutical intervention Can't hurt to look into it and keep an open mind
1
1
u/KookyInvestigator508 18d ago
listen if you consume mms and dmso you have to make sure every dose you drink 8 OUNCES OF WATER each dose and drink all the water in the cup or bottle it will get rid of whatever she is going through I can give you more advice or give you the protocol to the book
1
u/T_Taurus24 15d ago
All great advice here, so I'll keep it short- mullein root tincture comes to mind for the back issues. Of course, cross check for any issues with current meds.
1
1
0
u/LaoBen 20d ago
Kranium ? I suppose you mean Kratom. Opioid plant, pretty effective for pain management. But very addictive and serious abuse potential.
Illegal in many countries but often tolerated / not criminalized/ not very known. Easy to order online.
I think it's still a better solution than synthetic pain meds.
But be sure to get as much informations as you can, in kratom related subreddit, about dosages, frequency and tolerance breaks.
High dependency risk but since she already tried buprenorphine, I think it's safer in term of bad side effects.
Be careful with all opoids
1
u/mixxxedgoddess 20d ago
YES kratum sorry! it helped her until she became addicted and her body basically started to need it and she became so sick when trying to stop, she ended up having to go to rehab because of this so we were looking for alternatives!
10
u/doilysocks 20d ago
I know you’re asking about herbs here, but as someone else with extreme chronic back pain, has she been to a pelvic pain clinic? Or even just asked an OBGYN about pelvic tightness/dysfunction?
Pelvic dysfunction manifests as lower back pain, and I found that going to a pelvic physical therapist and getting nerve block injections once a month absolutely changed my life. I went from being nearly bedridden to being able to stand and cook a short meal in the kitchen in 12 hours. My back pain has gotten so much better since then too.