Willow Herbal Pain Relief

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Pain plays no favorites. It affects rich and poor alike, old and young, members of every culture and ethnic group. No one is exempt, but some seem to suffer more than their share of it. Whether it’s a momentary sharp twinge or a dull, throbbing ache, however, pain does serve the useful purpose of warning us of actual or potential damage to our body. Having attended to the medical problem, though, we’d just as soon the pain disappeared. Sometimes, it doesn’t, and sometimes it’s so severe that it’s difficult to function. Today, drugs, surgery, acupuncture, electrical stimuli, and biofeedback all are available for combating pain, but in times past, people often turned to plants for relief from their suffering. One group of plants, the willows (Salix spp.), not only have a long history as pain relievers but are indirectly the 'parents' of America’s most popular over-the-counter analgesic.

Feeling pain

When we cut a hand or sprain an ankle, the pain we experience seems instantaneous, but actually a split-second delay occurs before we register it. Pain receptors (free nerve endings found in most body tissues except the brain, especially in skin and connective tissue) at the site of the injury transmit pain impulses to the spinal cord, where chemical pain messengers proceed both to the brain and back to the pain source, thus causing pain sensations.

The pain of our cut hand or injured ankle is acute pain, also called fast, sharp, pricking, or electric pain. It is sudden in its onset but doesn’t last long. This kind of pain is usually not felt in deeper tissues. Chronic pain, also called slow, aching, throbbing, or nauseous pain, is the long-term or recurrent pain experienced in arthritis or certain cancers. It is usually associated with tissue destruction, and it may occur either in the skin or in deep tissues or organs.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen reduce the transmission of pain impulses to the brain by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins, hormonelike substances associated with pain and inflammation. Most bathroom cabinets in America probably hold a stash of these drugs for relieving minor aches and pains and the discomfort of colds or flu. In the past five years, their use in the United States has increased by more than 50 percent. Although quite effective in many situations, these drugs can have serious side effects: gastrointestinal irritation and bleeding in the case of aspirin and ibuprofen, liver damage with acetaminophen.

When pain is severe and unrelenting, however, stronger painkillers are called for. Opiates (including opium, heroin, methadone, morphine, and codeine, all derived from opium poppies, Papaver somniferum) work by binding to pain receptors and inhibiting the release of chemical pain messengers to the brain. They relieve chronic pain that NSAIDs can’t touch, but because they can be addictive, they must be dispensed by a physician.

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