| |  | | Diverticulitis
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Name not given
Posted on: March 22, 1999
I have aching tail. I drive for a living. Is there anything I can put on me to stop the pain? I have diverticulitis.
Diverticulitis is the existence of inflamed pouches in the bowel wall, caused by low roughage in the diet, which leads to poor bowel elimination and stagnation of toxic substances. A health care provider should monitor your progress so that complications can be avoided.
Pain from diverticulitis can be relieved by protecting the bowel with herbs containing a high mucous content, such as Slippery Elm, Marshmallow and Fenugreek seeds, and with a bland, low fibre diet, such as oatmeal, bananas, fruit juices, well cooked root vegetables and white rice. Elderflower can be used to reduce inflammation. Fried foods, alcohol, caffeine and smoked foods such as bacon and ham are irritating to the bowel. The herbs can be taken internally in the form of tinctures or teas. Slippery Elm bark powder should be mixed with a little water or it may be sprinkled on oatmeal cereal or porridge. A paste made with slippery elm bark powder is also soothing externally.
When the inflammation has stopped, a gradual change to a high fibre diet, high in fresh fruit and vegetables, whole wheat products and other whole grains, will help to regulate elimination from the bowel, protecting it from further stagnation.
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