Category Archives: Herbs

Salvation doesn’t have to come from a lab

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Here’s some great insights from Mike Biltonen (my darling husband), about his journey to healing and health. 

Like most people, I’ve got skeletons in my closet. No, not the horrible Grateful Dead Greatest Hits Album (OK, I do actually own it), but things I’ve done that I don’t really talk about.

Way back in the day (the 80s) I used to lift weights with thoughts of becoming a bodybuilder or powerlifter. Not that I had the genetics to be truly great, but I was able to muster the enthusiasm to work out in the gym almost 7 days a week for four years. In those four years I built my strength to a point where I could benchpress 315 lbs, squat nearly 700, and deadlift a tad over 600. I even competed in a few meets.

1984

1984

When I realized I didn’t have the genetics, I took shortcuts. One of which was to use anabolic steroids for a short period of time. The whys and wherefors of this period in my life is another story, let’s just say that “no pain, no gain” and “that which doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger” were the mottos of the day. The combination of my desire plus the “assistance” led to me getting bigger and stronger, but it also lead to an overworking of my muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints, which lead to some (thankfully) short-term injuries. When you’re that deeply invested you tend to overlook the downside of assistance and focus solely on the upside (to wit, the PED scandals of recent years in pro sports). Alas, injuries were just a part of the price you paid.

Well, I finally gave up on bodybuilding and my body settled back into something of a normal state, until…. in 2003, I ruptured a bicep tendon in my left arm. The damage was most likely created from repetitive stress from pruning apple trees, but it’s also likely that my weightlifting year contributed some as well. Prior to the rupture I knew I had severe tendonitis in biceps of both arms. My orthopedist gave me several shots of cortisone that worked wonders right up until the left one gave way. It was repaired beautifully and my recovery was flawless (at least looking back on it). This was also about the time that I started to learn about and use holistic medicines. My wife turned me onto arnica (Arnica montana) and drinking Birch bark decoction as a way to reduce inflammation, relieve pain and increase healing. They reduced the amount of time I was on “strong” painkillers and, in fact, created distaste by me for them during my recovery time.

Three years ago, I ruptured the bicep tendon of my right arm, almost the same exact injury as before (except the other side). This time I had it repaired (different orthopedist) and the recovery didn’t go so well. Oh, I healed up fine, used the arnica, and was back in the water in no time. But this time I suffered from what’s known as “frozen shoulder.” In short, if the humerus bone doesn’t rotate properly in the shoulder socket, the whole thing ends up getting “frozen” creating friction and inflammation when you move it. There are exercises and PT one can do, but the pain is still there. I never stopped using the arnica, but this time around I have gravitated more and more towards holistic anti-inflammatories such as arnica, Topricin, and my lovely wife’s Pain Begone! – a magical salve of love, goldenrod, st. john’s wort and arnica. They all work wonders in different ways, but what’s most intriguing is how the Pain Begone! quietly eliminates any pain in just a few minutes. Really!

About 5 weeks ago I fell hard on my right shoulder…yep, that one. Of course, once the shock wore off, the pain was excruciating at times. It wasn’t as if something was broken, but more due to the inflammation resulting from just the shock of the injury, bruises, and maybe some deep contusions. So, I laid off doing anything with it for a while, but it didn’t get much better until I decided to use it again. Ironically, the pain itself was more of an issue when I wasn’t using the arm or when I was laying down, than if I was using it.

For the past week, I’ve been swimming daily, pushing myself just a bit more each time to see how far I can go. Of course, the new motion/rotation for my arms, especially my right one, means that there is stress and stress means inflammation and maybe some pain . There’s no doubt the muscles atrophied while I was trying to let it repair, so this isn’t a surprise and there’s some rebuilding work that needs to be done. What is cool is that without fail, using a combination of natural medicines really help my recovery after a workout. To start, I’ll use a massive infusion of Topricin plus Tiger Balm on my arm and sit in the sauna for a bit to let it soak in. Then I’ll shower it off and finish the routine with some Pain Begone! The inflammation stays at bay for the rest of the day. Life’s so much nicer when you know that safe, reliable and natural help is just a few steps away, outside, at the edge of the lawn, or (in my case) in my gym bag, courtesy of my wife and Know Your Roots.

2013

2013

Plantain to the rescue

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As summer rolls around, the earth is alive in all her glory, decorated with many shades of green, flowers and critters taking care of business. Unfortunately, some of the critters, i.e., wasps, mosquitoes, bees, and gnats are out too. One of my favorite remedies for the pain of a sting/bite is plantain. No, I am not referring to the banana’s relative. The plantain I’m referring to is a low growing herb found throughout North America but is not native. In fact, Native Americans called it “white man’s footprint,” because wherever white men went, it was left behind. Plantain grows in soil that has been heavily compacted by feet or other traffic. Frankly, it is everywhere. Just take a look at your lawn, sidewalk, or driveway; it is almost impossible not to find it in your travels. You can identify it by its five parallel veins running the length of each leaf. (Most leaves have a central vein with smaller ones branching out from it). You may find broad leaf plantain (Plantago major), with wide leaves and a tall seed head, or narrow leaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata), with long thin leaves and a small flower head that looks like a flying saucer. You can use either but I am more partial to the broad leaf variety.

Narrow leaf Plantain

Broad leaf Plantain

Plantain is best known for its ability to draw. That may come from its ability to draw up minerals from the soil in disturbed areas. It also draws things like dirt, stingers, insect venom, and infectious materials out of wounds. It’s amazing how fast it works when you apply it after a bee sting.

 

 

How to use plantain for bee stings?

  1. Remove stinger.
  2. Pick a few leaves of plantain from a clean source. Try to gather it away from the side of the road, away from places where chemicals are sprayed or areas that animals may relieve themselves (i.e., walkways).
  3. Make a fresh leaf poultice: Pick a few leaves and chew it well in your mouth, you want it to mix with your saliva.
  4. Put the poultice on the bite.
  5. Hold it on the sting site for a few minutes until you feel relief. Repeat if necessary. Like magic, the pain, heat, and swelling — even allergic reactions — disappear fast!
  6. Of course, if the person is allergic to bee stings. Seek IMMEDIATE medical attention if the person’s tongue swells, has difficultly breathing, you observe a sudden rash, or the person complains of nausea or blurred vision. Plantain is good but cannot ameliorate a severe allergic reaction.

Mathew loves how well it works (sadly, he has received his share of yellow jacket stings) and enjoys telling adults how to make a poultice. Unfortunately, while at camp last summer, he got stung and the counselors never heard of this remedy (they thought he was talking about the banana’s relative) and wouldn’t let him treat himself. They were too scared of the liability of putting a chewed up piece of weed on his skin. Therefore, they opted for putting a chemical on his skin. He was quit upset about their lack of knowledge or belief. Later, I simply instructed him to take care of his needs when faced with a similar situation in the future. Mathew knows plantain and is well versed in how to use it. I also told him not to instruct other children about it as their parents need to make the decision about whether to use it and besides other children may not have the same eye for herbs as he does. He agreed.

So before you need plantain to rescue you, get your field guide and go out and identify it. You will be grateful that you did. You never know when a bee or wasp may decide to sting you.

Peterson and Audubon have excellent field guide series.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.