Herbs

Herbal supplements can be found in capsule or powder form, or as teas. If you are making your own herbal tea, use 1 tsp. of herb per cup of hot water. Cover mixture and steep for 5-10 minutes, or 10-20 if you are using roots. You can safely drink 3-6 cups of tea daily.

Muscle Relaxants

• KAVA KAVA: Recognized by some doctors as a safe alternative to Xanax and Valium.
• BLACK HAW: relieves muscle spasms and is similar to aspirin
• VALERIAN ROOT: Widely researched and documented as a sleep aid, valerian has been given a number 1 rating for safety by The American Herbal Products Association.
• WILD YAM: Long used to treat menstrual cramps; generally taken as a tea.
• JAMAICA DOGWOOD: Used to treat muscle inflammation and spasms; little research has been done on it and excessive amounts can be toxic. Do not use with sedatives.

Anti-inflammatories

• BROMELAIN: 500 mg three times daily
• BOSWELLIN: 150 mg three times daily. Has been proven in clinical trials to help alleviate low back pain
• CURCUMIN: 400-600 mg three times daily; sometimes mixed with ginger, curcumin has not been studied in clinical trials, but herbalists use it as an anti-inflammatory.
• MSM: Has not been researched, but herbalists use it as an anti-inflammatory.
• ST. JOHN’S WORT: 300-500 mg capsule three times daily; interacts with a wide variety of medications and should only be taken under the advisement of an herbal specialist.

Pain Relief

• WHITE WILLOW BARK: effects are similar to taking aspirin
• DEVIL’S CLAW: 400 mg three times daily. Used to treat arthritis, research shows devil’s claw may boost the effectiveness of conventional drugs.