Viewing entries tagged with 'varicose'
COMFREY Symphytum officinale
Comfrey was first brought to my attention after the birth of my son more than thirty years ago. My domiciliary midwife, the wonderful Joan Donnelly was a staunch advocate of eating weeds and comfrey was one of her favourites. She was a picture of health and as well as her weed salads she used to knock back tablespoons of cayenne pepper to keep any bugs at bay. Undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with and she was a guiding light in the homebirth movement in this country. But I digress... comfrey also a force to be reckoned with, there's no getting rid of it once it establishes itself. Every little rootlet will grow a new plant. I used to curse it when my garden was tiny. Now I welcome the huge clumps it makes and I have created gardens around it. In early spring when I am planting seedlings or planning to make a comfrey tea for the garden I can never get enough of it! It has had some very bad press during the last few years for causing hepato-toxicity in laboratory experiments with rats, but there's no need to throw out the baby with the bath water. Problems can occur from ingesting the roots, in quantity. Topically it is one of our most marvelous healers for all manner of wounds and injuries from the skin through to the ligaments and the bone, nicely backed up by placebo double-blind trials I might add! For more details read the full post.
WITCH HAZEL Hamamelis Virginiana
It's a funny shrub, my hamamelis virginiana. The skinny branches arch up in an ungainly manner, reminding me of an awkward teenager. No longer a cute little kid and not yet a robust and fully developed adult. Even when it wears it's spiderlike flowers it still manages to look out of place somehow. I suppose it is out of place here in my garden. This variety originates from North America as an under-story plant in great forests. It was a favourite of the Indian Nation. One of their trusted medicines quickly adopted and commercialised by the colonials. Becoming a staple as the essential ingredient in 'Ponds' cream. Back in the day I used witch hazel extract to cleanse and tone my skin. That's all there was, and as a little girl I remember watching my mum apply 'Ponds' cream to her face every night. I don't know if it was the 'Ponds' but her skin is wonderful and she still has hardly a wrinkle! One of the most appreciated attributes of this plant is it's astringent activities, the bark being high in tannins. This makes it brilliant for healing and soothing haemorrhoids and varicose veins. It makes more sense to me now as I look at the long spindly branches, and clumps of strange flowers. It's signature is there as clear as day for the observant eye. For more details read the full post.
LAWN DAISY Bellis Perennis
Who hasn't at some time made a daisy chain from the common lawn daisy and worn it as a circlet or crown. Bellis Perennis as it is officially named, is another fabulous healer spreading itself at our feet. As we tread on this unassuming little plant it bounces back unaffected. A trauma remedy par excellence, here is it's signature. The Daisy works on the muscular fibres of the blood vessels and venous congestion. It's similar to arnica. Less exotic hence more available. Overlooked and underused, in my opinion. A homeopathic gem in pregnancy and post-partum, when bruising and trauma is extreme. There has not been much medical interest in this wee daisy, although it's use by herbalists has been recorded since the 16th century. For more details read the full post.
Biochemic Tissue Salts for Pregnancy
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If I had understood the support that biochemic tissue salts offer I would have taken a course of them during each of my pregnancies. A whole being is being created from scratch, and uses the nutrition the pregnant woman takes in and also uses her own stores of minerals, elements and vitamins. For more details read the full post
Varicose Veins - reducing the discomfort
Varicose Veins - Reducing the discomfort -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by Jill Dunn - MHSc Complementary Medicine, Registered Naturopath, Registered Medical Herbalist, Registered Nurse (Non-practising) What are varicose veins and what causes them? Varicose veins are dilated, tortuous veins that may have their origin in the deep saphenous veins that run up the back and front of the legs.
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