Nettle, Arthritis, and Urtication

February 11, 2001

The weather here changed yesterday, it was cold and the arthritis in my back

was killing me. I was reading up on arthritis in " The Green Pharmacy " and lo

and behold they mentioned Stinging Nettle and Urtication (the process of

slapping onself with nettles). Sooooo........I asked my sweetie if I'd get a

piece of nettle would he slap it up and down my spine so I could try it.

(LOL, he didn't even bat an eye). Went outside, cut a piece of nettle and he

slapped it up and down my spine 4 or 5 times. Viola! The pain was gone! Now,

I felt the nettle sting for hours BUT no big deal. It felt kinda good. Woke

up this morning feeling great!

:) :)

Dena

Exerpt from the book here:

http://www.mothernature.com/library/books/thegreenpharmacy/arthritis.asp

<<I'm the bass fiddle player in a five-member band called Durham Station. In

recent years three of our band members or their relatives have been using an

herb known as stinging nettle to relieve their arthritis pain. Although

stinging nettle does cook up into a tasty vegetable, these musicians aren't

eating it. Rather, they're stinging themselves with it by grasping the plant

in a gloved hand and then swatting their stiff, swollen joints.

This practice, called urtication--from nettle's botanical name, Urtica

dioica--dates back at least 2,000 years to biblical times. Although it's an

odd-sounding practice, there's no escaping the fact that it's been around so

long precisely because it helps so many people.

Not only does our banjo player keep a plant in his kitchen so that he can

self-urticate when his arthritis flares up, but he and the other

arthritis-afflicted band members are convincing nonmembers to try the remedy.

The guitar player's mother-in-law was unable to write because of arthritis in

her hands, but the sting of the nettle improved that. The fiddle player's

mother now has stinging nettle taking over her garden, and she says her

arthritis is " much improved. "

And just so you don't think that urtication is something that only crazy

musicians indulge in, my former secretary at the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) kept a nettle plant in the office. She would remove the

nettles and discreetly sting herself any time arthritis stiffened her

fingers.

Urtication often provides considerable relief. Sometimes the stuff works

pretty fast; I have seen arthritic swelling subside within minutes after the

stings were administered.

The Case for the Sting

I'm open to the notion that stinging nettle's anti-arthritic action is based

on distraction, meaning that the irritation of the sting simply takes

people's minds off their arthritis pain. That's an explanation you might hear

from doctors. But as a botanist, I have to say that I think what's going on

is more chemical than psychological.

The tiny stingers of the nettle plant actually provide microinjections of

several chemicals that are responsible for the stinging sensation that the

plant causes. One M.D. told me that many of these chemicals might also

trigger

anti-inflammatory action that would help relieve arthritis.

And there's strong folkloric evidence that stinging nettle has some specific

anti-arthritic properties. On every continent where it grows, stinging nettle

has developed a reputation as a treatment for arthritis. That might be a

coincidence, but I don't think so. >>

And:

<<Beyond stinging painful joints, there's another method of using this herb

to treat arthritis--steaming the fresh leaves and enjoying them as a

vegetable. You'll be relieved to know that although you do have to wear

gloves to harvest the leaves, the fuzzy stingers lose their sting when the

leaves are cooked.

The Rheumatoid Disease Foundation suggests that three milligrams of boron,

taken daily, may be helpful in treating osteoarthritis and RA. An analysis of

stinging nettle provided to me by USDA scientists shows that this herb

contains 47 parts per million of the mineral boron, figured on a dry-weight

basis. That means that a 100-gram serving of stinging nettle, easily prepared

by steaming several ounces of young, tender leaves, could easily contain more

than the recommended three milligrams of boron. (You can also get a good

portion of nettle in my Arthritis Soup; see page 56.)

According to the Rheumatoid Disease Foundation, boron is effective because it

plays a role in helping bones retain calcium. It also has a beneficial

influence on the body's endocrine (hormonal) system, and hormones play a role

in helping the body maintain healthy bones and joints>>

February 11, 2001

Wow Dena. Now you just used a word I've never heard before!!! Urtication. Gotta write that one down!!!

Elaine

-

cpdena

herbal remedies

Sunday, February 11, 2001 9:14 AM

[herbal remedies] Nettle, Arthritis, and Urtication

The weather here changed yesterday, it was cold and the arthritis in my back was killing me. I was reading up on arthritis in "The Green Pharmacy" and lo and behold they mentioned Stinging Nettle and Urtication (the process of slapping onself with nettles). Sooooo........I asked my sweetie if I'd get a piece of nettle would he slap it up and down my spine so I could try it. (LOL, he didn't even bat an eye). Went outside, cut a piece of nettle and he slapped it up and down my spine 4 or 5 times. Viola! The pain was gone! Now, I felt the nettle sting for hours BUT no big deal. It felt kinda good. Woke up this morning feeling great! :) :)DenaExerpt from the book here:http://www.mothernature.com/library/books/thegreenpharmacy/arthritis.asp<<I'm the bass fiddle player in a five-member band called Durham Station. In recent years three of our band members or their relatives have been using an herb known as stinging nettle to relieve their arthritis pain. Although stinging nettle does cook up into a tasty vegetable, these musicians aren't eating it. Rather, they're stinging themselves with it by grasping the plant in a gloved hand and then swatting their stiff, swollen joints. This practice, called urtication--from nettle's botanical name, Urtica dioica--dates back at least 2,000 years to biblical times. Although it's an odd-sounding practice, there's no escaping the fact that it's been around so long precisely because it helps so many people. Not only does our banjo player keep a plant in his kitchen so that he can self-urticate when his arthritis flares up, but he and the other arthritis-afflicted band members are convincing nonmembers to try the remedy. The guitar player's mother-in-law was unable to write because of arthritis in her hands, but the sting of the nettle improved that. The fiddle player's mother now has stinging nettle taking over her garden, and she says her arthritis is "much improved." And just so you don't think that urtication is something that only crazy musicians indulge in, my former secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) kept a nettle plant in the office. She would remove the nettles and discreetly sting herself any time arthritis stiffened her fingers. Urtication often provides considerable relief. Sometimes the stuff works pretty fast; I have seen arthritic swelling subside within minutes after the stings were administered. The Case for the Sting I'm open to the notion that stinging nettle's anti-arthritic action is based on distraction, meaning that the irritation of the sting simply takes people's minds off their arthritis pain. That's an explanation you might hear from doctors. But as a botanist, I have to say that I think what's going on is more chemical than psychological. The tiny stingers of the nettle plant actually provide microinjections of several chemicals that are responsible for the stinging sensation that the plant causes. One M.D. told me that many of these chemicals might also trigger anti-inflammatory action that would help relieve arthritis. And there's strong folkloric evidence that stinging nettle has some specific anti-arthritic properties. On every continent where it grows, stinging nettle has developed a reputation as a treatment for arthritis. That might be a coincidence, but I don't think so. >>And:<<Beyond stinging painful joints, there's another method of using this herb to treat arthritis--steaming the fresh leaves and enjoying them as a vegetable. You'll be relieved to know that although you do have to wear gloves to harvest the leaves, the fuzzy stingers lose their sting when the leaves are cooked. The Rheumatoid Disease Foundation suggests that three milligrams of boron, taken daily, may be helpful in treating osteoarthritis and RA. An analysis of stinging nettle provided to me by USDA scientists shows that this herb contains 47 parts per million of the mineral boron, figured on a dry-weight basis. That means that a 100-gram serving of stinging nettle, easily prepared by steaming several ounces of young, tender leaves, could easily contain more than the recommended three milligrams of boron. (You can also get a good portion of nettle in my Arthritis Soup; see page 56.) According to the Rheumatoid Disease Foundation, boron is effective because it plays a role in helping bones retain calcium. It also has a beneficial influence on the body's endocrine (hormonal) system, and hormones play a role in helping the body maintain healthy bones and joints>>Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and toprescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian ShillingtonDoctor of Naturopathyian_shillington