Urtica dioica
Origin: The leaves and stem of the stinging nettle plant, a stalk-like plant found in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Dosage: Tea, capsule, tablet, tincture, extract or whole leaf; capsules, up to 1,300 mg daily; tea, 1 cup, three times a day; tincture, 1 ml to 4 ml three times a day; nettle leaf applied directly to the skin.
Claims: Reduces inflammation, aches and pains of osteoarthritis.
What we know: The antimicrobial, antioxidant, analgesic and anti-ulcer properties of stinging nettle have been studied in Germany and Turkey. Stinging nettle is high in potassium, calcium and magnesium and may be helpful for gout.
Studies: A German study shows that hox alpha, a new extract of stinging nettle leaf, contains an anti-inflammatory substance that suppressed several cytokines in inflammatory joint diseases. In a Turkish study, stinging nettle extract showed antimicrobial effects against nine microorganisms, as well as anti-ulcer and analgesic activity. Stinging nettle root extract combined with sabal fruit extract was shown to be superior to placebo for treating prostate hyperplasia (a precancerous condition), and was well tolerated.
Nettle may interfere with blood thinners, diabetes and heart medications, and lower blood pressure.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/06/15/nettlecl oth.ART_ART_06-15-09_B1_LRE6CEQ.html
I hadn't read the herbal's full description, so I was taken aback when I saw what I had gotten myself into the next day - but I had given my word and I was expecting to walk away saying "I told you it wouldn't work." I hadn't noticed the part about having the wrists tied and the whole backside exposed and bent over. She had to wear gloves to hold the bundle of nettles that were freshly picked. Even though the whisking was light, I waited until the stinging and itching was too much to stand, and she stopped after about three to four minutes. I hadn't expected the irritant to continue building still further in intensity for another five minutes after she stopped as it penetrated into the skin, so I was yelling and dancing in agony for over ten minutes. I was expecting nothing but a big disappointment, so the implications of having the wrists tied during urtication hadn't fully dawned on me.
The nettles left big welts, but they were nearly gone in 20 to 30 minutes. An hour later there was no trace at all of any redness.
The pain and itching was gone entirely from the nettles in a half hour, despite the extreme agony. All that was left was a mild tingling. But the biggest surprise (besides the incredible intensity of the agony of the urtication) was that when the discomfort was gone in a half hour, so was the chronic sprain and all my joint pain -- entirely gone, and the relief lasted for five full weeks; no NSAIDs or DMSO were needed; no pain anywhere -- the pain was very bothersome before - moderate to worse than moderate joint pain.
The 10-20 minutes of agony from the nettles was far, far worse than I had ever dreamed it would be; but the relief from all joint pain for so many weeks was even more noteworthy and totally unexpected; practically a miracle. The chronic sprain never returned and there were no negative side effects afterwards besides slight exhaustion from all the screaming and thrashing about -- and possibly a slightly elevated mood for days afterwards.
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