Herbal Remedies

As many of you know, I suffer with scoliosis (aka curvature of the spine) and experience daily pain with it. I like to be open and honest about it on my blog because I know from people people I've spoken to over the Internet that my posts help to bring some comfort and support to others who also suffer from scoliosis pain. Today I've decided to talk about herbal remedies and explore whether or not they're worth looking into for different medical complaints. 

What are Herbal remedies and where can I get them from?

Herbal remedies are made from plant materials that are used to treat disease and help maintain good health. They have been used since the beginning of human history. There are different traditions that use plants as remedies. Herbal remedies (often referred to as herbal medicines) have been used in the UK for centuries. Today they are used mostly as a complementary treatment (given alongside conventional treatments). Herbal remedies can be brought from trusted websites such as napiers.net.

Are herbal remedies effective?

Results from studies show us that:

• St John's wort can alleviate depression

• echinacea may prevent or reduce the duration of a cold in adults

• an extract of hawthorn, used in addition to conventional treatments, can benefit people with chronic heart failure

• ginger can relieve the sensation of feeling sick and vomiting

• Melissa officinalis(lemon balm) andSalvia officinalis(sage) may improve mental ability in people with Alzheimer's disease

• horse chestnut seed extract can treat the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency (where blood in your veins doesn't flow properly)

The scientific evidence for the use of herbal remedies is often conflicting and although the symptoms of some illnesses improve with some herbal remedies, the best evidence doesn’t prove that herbal remedies cure illnesses. (Information from Bupa)

Joints & Backache

For me, I'd be looking at herbal remedies to help my back pain and from researching Flexiherb and Napiers Joint Ability are two that stand out, with Flexiherb going to be my own personal choice I think. FlexiHerb is a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the relief of aches and pains in muscles and joints. It is traditionally used for: backache, rheumatic pain, muscular pain and other general aches and pains, so I think that's pretty much what I'm after.I'm going to be ordering mine but whilst I wait for it arrive I'd love to know if any of you have tried any herbal remedies before? And if so - what did you think to them? :)Please note: I am not qualified in this area. Information source is mostly from Bupa UK. Please speak to your own GP for further advice in this area.