Strained muscle, tendon.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: ?? herbs for strained achilles
From: Willi Schoch <wschoch.mus.ch>
Date: 14 Oct 1995 10:57:15 GMT

> I briefly learned that there are poultices/plasters that can relieve (and maybe heal) a strained muscle or tendon. Anyone have any info to share on this? Which plants, and how to prepare and apply?
> My bummin' achilles appreciates your replies.

I have made very good experiences with a combination of bugle, archangel and woodruff which I prepared from fresh plants (alcoholic extraction). Those herbs don't really work for that purpose if they are dried, and maceration does preserve the qualities of the fresh plants. From that extract I make a salve with herbal mucilage from slippery elm and comfrey. If it is prepared with care, this ointment keeps for two years in sealed jars.

Maybe this is not of great help for your strained tendon, as one has to collect the herbs in spring. Yet it is consideration to have certain preparations in stock for the year - and this ointment is excellent for all kinds of problems with tendons and muscles - and it is very likely that there is some use over the year. My friends love this ointment and come to me when they have such problems.

This may be an unusual approach to many people, but I love to go to the woods and collect my own herbs. This gives me a closer realtionship with the plants and also teaches me more respect. To me healing is more than just going to a shop and buying some herbs. And many herbs should really be used fresh or be macerated in alcohol in its fresh state.

Analysing that formula: the comfrey is the healing agent and the angelica ("archangel") drives its action deeper. The others (bugle, woodruff, slippery elm) look to me like decoration - but I will try bugle (Lycopus) one of these years for sprained muscles etc. As to his comment on the fresh/dry issue - well, you can't really compare herbs you buy, dried, to herbs you pick, fresh. My dried herbs are just about as potent as they are fresh, and dried herbs are easy to store. -Henriette.