Traditionally used to treat pain and inflammation from rheumatism and arthritis
Traditionally used to reduce fevers and for the aches and pains of colds and flu
Traditionally used to treat headaches
Traditionally used to treat low back pain
Traditionally, several species of the willow have been traditionally used by native North Americans for pain-relieving and fever-reducing purposes. The Cherokee, for example, used white willow bark for fevers. Greek physician Dioscorides wrote about willow in his first-century herbal, De Materia Medica. In Europe, it was used in antiquity for pain and fever. The salicylates from the bark of the willow are considered to be the active constituents and are precursors to the acetylsalicylic acid drug known commonly as aspirin.
Willow bark is official in the German Pharmacopoeia, and the country’s herbal authority, the Commission E, approves the use of willow bark for "diseases accompanied by fever, rheumatic ailments, (and) headaches." In Germany, willow is a common component of antirheumatic medicines as well as herbal formulas addressing fever and flu in children.
A post-authorization surveillance study examining the effectiveness of willow bark for back pain and arthritis examined results from 922 physicians, who observed 4731 patients taking the extract. The authors reported that average pain intensity decreased from 6.4 points to 3.7 points after 3 to 4 weeks and to 2.7 points after 6 to 8 weeks. Eighteen percent of patients were pain free at the end of the study. The authors concluded that the willow bark treatment "is well tolerated over a period of 6 to 8 weeks and results in a relevant improvement of chronic back pain and arthralgia up to freedom of pain".
According to a review by Steven Ehrlich, NMD and his colleagues, in another study, 200 individuals suffering with chronic back pain were given either willow bark or placebo. Those patients receiving willow bark had significantly improved pain compared to the placebo group.
Other studies have shown that willow bark effectively relieves headaches, providing a treatment that may be preferable to conventional drug therapies, which have been shown to have potential risks, including gastrointestinal bleeding and inflammation, heart attacks and high blood pressure.
Administration: 20-30 drops (0.7-1 ml) three to four times daily in a little water on an empty stomach.
Contraindications and Cautions:
Consult a health care practitioner prior to use if you have been diagnosed with a medical condition. Do not take this product if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not give to children. Do not use if you have allergies to aspirin. Do not use if you are on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy.
Ingredients:
Certified Organic
White Willow (Salix alba) |
