Natural Herbal Beauty

Neckache can be as mild as a passing discomfort from sitting or lying too long in one position to a more serious and chronic condition, requiring patience and care to correct. Because the neck is one of the most sensitive parts of the body—it is the conduit for all the blood supply and nerve signals to the brain— a problem with the neck can produce symptoms in the head, such as headaches, dizziness, aching eyes, blurred vision, and jaw ache. A mild ache in the neck can be put right simply by massaging the area with your hand until the pain goes. A more severe ache, such as a “crick” or stiff neck (where the head has become “stuck” at an uncomfortable angle and is painful to move), or neck spasm (torticolli) need more complex treatment. But natural therapies have a particularly good success rate whatever the severity. (more…)

Headaches (and to a lesser extent, migraines) are a widely experienced form of pain and the most common type of “referred pain.” This means that although a pain in the head can obviously result from a bang on the skull, the more usual cause of a headache is a problem elsewhere in the body. Muscle tension in the neck and shoulders, for example, or in the case of migraine, an (illogic response to food are frequently to blame. (more…)

Classic migraine is much more than just a bad headache. It is a severe and often disabling pain in the head—usually on one side only—accompanied by sometimes alarming symptoms such as altered perception, a feeling that the skull is in the grip of a tightening vise, pins and needles or numbness, nausea and vomiting, and an inability to do anything. Symptoms can come and go and last for hours— sometimes even days. No two people usually experience the same symptoms, and one person can experience different symptoms on different occasions. (more…)

Feverfew is extremely helpful against headaches, even migraines, and is of great benefit to those who suffer from arthritis. This herb relieves fever and stimulates weak appetite in a convalescent. It helps ease symptoms of the common cold by increasing the fluidity of mucus caught in the lungs and bronchial tubes. Although not as powerful as dong quai, feverfew stimulates uterine contractions, relieves cramps, and brings on menstrual flow.

DESCRIPTION AND PARTS USED

This hardy herb attains a height of two to three feet. The slender trunk of each stem branches out into several stems that bear alternating toothed leaves of a golden-green hue. The noted English herbalist Gerard described what he called “Featherfew” with these words: “It be tender, diversely tome and jagged, and nickt on the edges.” Feverfew flowers are small and similar to daisies in appearance, with yellow centers and white, rayed petals. (more…)