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ASSEMBLING AN HERBAL FIRST
AID KIT
by
Susan W. Kramer, Ph.D., Esq., AHG
I've always been fascinated by first aid kits. As a child
I loved going to sporting goods stores where I would run to the
camping department and would (clandestinely) open the first aid
kits. I was always amazed at what was inside, and what wasn't
inside. Always, the kits had Band-Aids, surgical tape, bandages,
and an ointment. Some kits had a razor blade and suction cup
for snake bite (I never met anyone who had used this). Some kits
had aspirin. First aid seemed to mean cuts and scrapes and possibly
snake bite.
I'm still fascinated by first aid kits, but have changed my
question from "what's inside?" to "what do I need
to be prepared?" Things I needed to be prepared for have
included:
- Cuts
and scrapes
- Burns
- Bug
bites
- Contact
rashes
- Upset
stomach
- Diarrhea
- Muscle
aches
- Bleeding
and Bruises
- Poison
Ivy and Poison Oak rash
- Sore
throat, colds, upper respiratory problems
(So far, no snake bites)
A great first aid kit, would handle more than just cuts and
scrapes. Ideally, I would not include any chemical preparations.
The medicines would be all-natural, potent and effective. I would
include the following:
1. Anti-microbial healing salve. A comfrey based salve, including
herbs such as plantain, St. John's wort, calendula and echinacea,
will soothe, accelerate healing, and disinfect. Essential oils
such as lavender and rosemary strengthen the effects. Use for
any breaks in the skin and for burns. (Do not use initially on
puncture wounds, use an antiseptic such as echinacea tincture
instead)
2. Insect repellant. Essential oils (lavender, citronella,
eucalyptus, cedarwood, lemon grass) suspended in a base of water
and alcohol, are pleasant smelling to humans and noxious to bugs.
The combinations work better than the single oils. Make your
own or use an all-natural commercial preparation. Note that eating
sugar and sweets increases your attractiveness to many insects!
(Caution: Although pennyroyal essential oil is widely used for
insect repellants, I recommend against this use. It can be toxic
even in moderate doses and is specifically contraindicated for
so many people - especially pregnant women. It is powerful and
can effect people and pets in the vicinity of the user.)
3. Muscle aches and pains liniment for external use: Arnica,
witch hazel and St. John's Wort tinctures in combination and
essential oils of camphor, eucalyptus, rosemary and clove bud
are all excellent. Note that some people are sensitive to arnica:
STOP if adverse symptoms result. Do not use arnica on broken
skin.
4. Poison Ivy and Poison Oak liniment for external use. Jewelweed
(impatiens) specifically neutralizes the Rhus toxin and works
well. Use fresh or tinctured, but jewelweed can be hard to find.
Other remedies include grindelia, combined with echinacea, calendula
and white oak bark. See the Poison Ivy Page for more
ideas.
5. Echinacea tincture. Don't leave home without it. Internal
and external antibiotic, provides temporary boost to the immune
system. Good in case a cold threatens. Antidotes poison.
6. Ginger capsules. Great remedy for tummy upsets, including
motion sickness, morning sickness and gas. Helpful for menstrual
cramps. Alternatives: fennel and peppermint.
7. Bentonite clay or charcoal tablets, for diarrhea. These
are to assist with detoxification, in case of poisoning. (Of
charcoal, take 4 every hour, of bentonite clay, take 1 teaspoon
in water, 3-4 times per day). Drink a lot of water. Helpful herbs
include blackberry root or leaf (root is preferred for its greater
astringency: simmer root for 20-40 minutes or steep leaf for
tea for 10-30 minutes). Similarly, use wild strawberry root or
leaf. Raspberry leaf provides a very mild remedy for diarrhea.
Slippery elm tea also provides a fine remedy (but is still an
endangered plant!). Blackberry and strawberry root and leaf also
will reduce internal hemorrhaging. Cooked white rice works wonders
at reducing diarrhea.
8. Meadowsweet tincture or aspirin. Fast acting, anti-inflammatory,
pain-killers. Willow bark tea works well.
9. Thyme essential oil. A "must bring" for camping.
Two drops in 4 ounces of water for mouthwash for toothache or
sore throat. Same recipe used externally for crabs, lice, and
all external parasites. Two drops placed in recently boiled water,
inhale the steam for cold, flu, or bronchitis.
10. Rescue Remedy or Five Flower Formula. Outstanding emotional
support for all trauma. Very safe. Don't leave home without it.
11. Cayenne capsules. Proven styptic. Open and apply externally
to stop bleeding. (Yes, it does burn, but it works). It will
also warm cold feet, sprinkled inside your boots. Alternative
styptics: comfrey and yarrow. Comfrey is perhaps the finest internal
anti-hemorrhage we have and is great externally as well, but
it recently has come under FDA criticism (read some good herbal
texts and decide for yourself. Me, I think it's a great herb).
12. Bug bite and itch relief. Witch hazel, plantain, grindelia,
comfrey and St. John's Wort all provide relief from insect bites
and general itching. Tinctured combinations of these seem to
work best and are applied directly to the skin. Juice from the
plantain is mildly effective and it grows throughout this region
(just crumple the leaves and rub onto the skin). Lavender essential
oil may be applied directly to the skin and works well. It enhances
any tincture combination.
13. Relief from bruises. I think of these as wounds where
the skin is unbroken, often accompanied by discoloration. Useful
herbs, typically applied topically in tincture form, include
Tienchi ginseng, hyssop, myrrh gum, prickly ash bark, cayenne,
calendula, comfrey and arnica. Make your own, use an all-natural
commercial preparation like BruiseAway, or obtain a "dit
dat jao" from a Chinese herbalist. Helichrysum italicum
essential oil, applied neat, works very well and is non-irritating.
Application of the tincture combination, jao, or essential oil
immediately following the bruise may prevent the bruise from
forming. Do not use these remedies on the eyes or mucous membranes
and wash thoroughly after use.
14. The hardware: Band Aids, Bandages, inch surgical tape,
small scissors, single edged razor blade, tweezers, cold pack
(cools on impact), ace bandage, bandana. Eye cup (or shot glass).
Carry case (soft sided, waterproof) for the kit.
So go ahead, assemble a kit for yourself, your friends, or
your family. They make great gifts. Remember, these are suggestions
only and are based upon the assumption that any first aid kit
will have space and weight limitations. There are other choices
for all of the categories given. If you are sensitive to any
of the suggested remedies, don't use them. Read, listen to your
body, and educate yourself. Use common sense and seek additional
assistance when necessary.
(Oh yes, the echinacea is helpful when it comes to snakebite.)
Herbal Pain Management
by
Susan W. Kramer, Ph.D., Esq.
I'm an athlete. I've been pushing my body and stretching it
past its limits since I was seven years old. I've trained and
competed in fencing, I've been running all my life, I love my
daily martial arts training, I, hike, bike, run and swim. I love
it all...the only thing I don't like is the PAIN. I don't like
when it stops me.
Oh, I know that pain is important! And that it serves a vital
purpose of protecting me. Pain helps me to know my limits. Pain
guards me against major injury. Although it is not pleasant I
would not want to eliminate it altogether. For me, minimizing
pain, particularly post-workout and chronic pains, keeps me in
the games I love. Managing my pain increases my enjoyment of
my activities and enables me to function at a higher overall
level. Effective pain management reduces and sometimes completely
eliminates any downtime.
For my pain, I want the remedies to be as natural as possible.
I have found that natural remedies have fewer side effects without
sacrificing effectiveness. I also have found natural solutions
to be comparatively inexpensive and easier on my system. What
I have managed to avoid by using herbs is the variety of side
effects associated with synthetic pain-killers such as stomach
distress, drowsiness, or liver toxicity.
There are some basics you need to know when you consider using
herbal products.
Herbs come in a variety of forms that include liniments, salves,
and oils to be rubbed into the skin, as well as, pills, capsules,
tinctures and teas that may be taken internally. Many athletes
find that they can effectively manage most pain issues through
the use of external applications. For some, internal use of herbs
for pain management is reserved for severe or chronic pain.
St John's Wort over the last year has received tremendous
media attention for its ability to combat depression when taken
internally. Interestingly, St John's Wort applied EXTERNALLY
is an excellent anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory. It reduces
nerve, joint and muscle pain. It has the unusual quality of normalizing
and "resetting" nerve function following trauma. Specific
applications include muscle cramps (both from trauma and overexertion),
tennis elbow, runners knee, shin splints, and shoulder and neck
pain. Wait, there's more....it's also effective for reducing
pain from arthritis, sciatica, and fibromyalgia. St John's Wort
may be applied as a liniment or oil, but seems to work best in
combination with other herbs.
Arnica combines well with St. John's Wort as a topical treatment
for injuries and bruises. It is anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
It should only be used on UNBROKEN skin. A strong caution on
internal use: NEVER take the oil or tincture internally. Internal
usage of Arnica is limited to homeopathic preparations which
are available at health stores or from health practitioners.
A topical combination of Arnica and St. John's Wort, like
AchesAway, provides surprisingly effective relief from aches and
pains.
Meadowsweet and Willow Bark are two herbs that both contain
salicin. Salicin is the analog (or natural blueprint) for salicylic
acid (aspirin). These herbs are anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
Like aspirin they may be taken internally or applied externally.
Some people take crampbark internally, as a potent anti-spasmodic
for deep-seated chronic pain, or yucca internally, as an effective
anti-inflammatory for arthritis.
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts that can greatly
enhance any pain management system. They are only used externally
and must be diluted in a carrier for application to the skin.
Many are highly aromatic. Camphor essential oil reduces pain,
inflammation, and swelling. It is specific for skin, joint and
muscular inflammations. Eucalyptus essential oil is specific
for aching muscles and arthritis and also is anti-inflammatory.
Clove Bud kills pain, is good for muscular aches and pains and
also treats arthritis and rheumatism. These essential oils are
best diluted in a natural carrier, such as grain alcohol (not
isopropyl or rubbing alcohol) or a natural, plant-based oil (such
as grape seed oil). They are used in combination with the herbal
remedies above, for quicker and more effective pain relief.
A word about safety. If an herb does not work for you or causes
any discomfort, don't use it. Not every herb is for every person.
Don't use essential oils internally (except possibly under the
guidance of a qualified practitioner). Alcohol-based liniments
applied to broken skin will burn, so heal the skin first before
applying. (Herbal healing salves, like HealAll, can greatly
accelerate the process.) Finally, be smart. Read and follow
directions.
Herbal pain management can safely, naturally and effectively
enhance your athletic performance and can greatly increase your
comfort. Topical applications can provide immediate and surprisingly
effective pain relief. Internal remedies can address severe and
chronic pain. Often though, rest and just taking it easy, can
be the best remedy of all.
FIRST STEPS TO USING HERBS
TO STAY HEALTHY
by
Susan W. Kramer, Ph.D., Esq.
In today's complicated world we rush through our days attempting
to juggle personal and professional concerns. We tend to lose
touch with ourselves as we strive to meet the needs of others.
Pulled in different directions, we easily can lose our inner
balance.
Herbs are one means for regaining and maintaining our inner
balance. We can use herbs to rebuild compromised immune systems,
to detoxify from unhealthy diet or environment, and to enhance
our ability to deal with the stresses of everyday living. We
additionally can use herbs to increase our energy levels, to
reduce hormonal distress and to aid in recovery. This is something
that we can do for ourselves, with limited outside guidance.
As a practicing Herbalist, it is my privilege to assist people
in making choices, from the simple to the complex.
Using herbs, we can increase resistance to disease and infection.
Herbs such as astragalus and echinacea stimulate the immune system
and thus contribute to our general well-being. Think of taking
immune builders several days before traveling, in anticipation
of a stressful event, or when those around you are getting sick.
We can use herbs to gently deal with stomach distress. For
simple overindulgence, peppermint and ginger are ideal digestive
aids. Both reduce indigestion and nausea and ginger reduces motion
sickness. Fennel seed, which is thoughtfully offered in local
Indian restaurants, reduces gas and indigestion. One can take
these herbs when in distress, or to avoid anticipated discomfort.
(Pregnant women in their last trimester should avoid using ginger.)
Using herbs, we can more easily cope with stress. Chamomile
tea helps us to take that necessary breath and to relax. This
is a wonderful herb that is emotionally soothing and calming
to the stomach. Available at the grocery store in tea bags, it
is a great travel and office herb. It is unexcelled for regaining
your balance at the end of the day. Feeling depleted or run-down?
Try to reduce your intake of caffeine and sugar, improve your
diet, and consider taking nettles. Nettles rebuilds the adrenals
while adding numerous vitamins and minerals, and makes an excellent
tea.
A 1998 United States study, prompted by e-coli outbreaks,
focussed on the anti-bacterial effects of common spices.
Spices such as ground cloves, cinnamon, rosemary and basil (to
name just a few!) were found to sharply reduce the growth rate
of e-coli bacteria. Including spices like these in our
cooking (as people have done for centuries!) may add protection
as well as flavor.
These are just a few of the many herbs available that assist
us in regaining and maintaining balance. You can buy them in
bulk, in alcohol based tinctures, in capsules or in tea bags.
All of the herbs listed above are considered tonic herbs, are
widely available, and can be taken safely over long periods of
time. If you are considering other herbs or addressing long term
health issues such as chronic fatigue, do not hesitate to read,
ask questions, go to a class or workshop, explore other resources
on the web , or contact an herbalist or another qualified
health practitioner.
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Assembling an Herbal First Aid Kit