| |  | | Osteoarthritis
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: [No Name Given]
Posted on: August 14, 1998
What is a good herb for osteoarthritis?
Because there are several different forms of arthritis with different causes, it is important to get a correct diagnosis first. It is also important to realize that herbs do not provide a "quick fix" for chronic degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis. In some cases herbs can provide some relief by helping to repair affected areas, and in other cases all herbs can do is to make the condition easier to live with.
There are many approaches to treating arthritis using herbs. It is a good idea to consult several books for help, and with the advice of a health care provider decide on a course of treatment that may include dietary changes, exercise, rest, etc.
John Lust suggests several remedies in his "The Herb Book" (available from Richters). He gives three arthritis tea combinations, a poultice and a liniment. The liniment, made with wintergreen and yerba santa in olive oil provides effective pain relief. The teas include herbs such as black cohosh which has estrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties, and valerian and scullcap which act to reduce nervous tension caused by pain, and buckthorn and cascara sagrada which bring about an improvement in elimination thought to be necessary to clear arthritic areas of deposits.
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