White Willow Bark is botanically a part of the Salix species and is one of the most important active ingredients in most FDA registered natural homeopathic pain formulas. In Chinese medicine the use the bark of the white willow tree botanically known as Salix alba for centuries, because of its ability to reduce fever and relieve pain. Native North American Indians used the bark of indigenous willow trees as a medicine to relieve pain and lower fever, due to the active ingredients found in the bark of these trees.
The white willow contains salicin, which is converted by the body into salicylic acid and this is known as a natural form of aspirin. The first aspirin, which contained acetylsalicylic acid was formulated from the herb, meadowsweet. This herb contains salicin, which is a natural pain relief compound. Aspirin is today is chemically synthesized, and there are many people that prefer the pain relief of the bark of the white willow referred to as "herbal aspirin".
One of the other common ingredients in most homeopathic pain relief formulas is Boswellia, this can be known as boswellin or "Indian frankincense." The boswellic acids contained in the gummy resin from the bark of the Boswellia serrata tree has the active compound that can naturally relieve pain. This tree grows in the dry hills of India, has been used for centuries by traditional Indian healers, because of its anti-inflammatory properties. There are preparations made from a purified extract of this resin, which can be found in pill or cream form and are used to reduce inflammation associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Conventional NSAIDs nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen is the accepted treatment for joint inflammation, but Boswellia does not cause stomach irritation and provides the same effective pain relief naturally. These homopatic pain relief formulas work, because of the active ingredients that are naturally found in plants and trees, that can work as well as synthetic made drugs without the side effects.
Prostaglandin is a hormone like compound in the body that cause aches, pain, and inflammation, and the salicylic acid in white willow bark lowers the body's levels of prostaglandins. It can take longer for white willow bark to begin acting than taking synthetic aspirin; however its effect last longerand, unlike aspirin, white willow bark does not cause stomach bleeding or other known effects.
White willow bark assists in relieving acute and chronic arthritic pains because of its compounds that are able to lower prostaglandin levels in the body. There are arthritis sufferers taking white willow bark are able to reduced swelling and inflammation, and eventually increase the mobility, in the back, knees, hips, and other joints. |