Go with the Flow

By Keith Stelling

For many people with disabilities, one of the most significant health complications they deal with is the compromise to circulation.

Anyone whose mobility is reduced for long periods will eventually experience poor circulation to the extremities of the body, especially the legs and feet. We depend on the circulation of the blood to provide oxygen to our tissues and cells, and to take away the waste products of metabolism (including carbon dioxide). Accumulation of toxic wastes in the tissues can contribute to increased pain. It may also be the cause of malnutrition, because the blood also supplies the cells with the food they need. No amount of vitamin and mineral supplementation will be effective if the delivery system to the cells themselves is deficient.

This is why improving circulation can be of great benefit to the entire body, and may even be the crucial factor in long-term healing from a disabling condition.

The holistic approach of herbal medicine has always considered the improvement of the body’s circulation of great importance. Unlike orthodox medicine, which seldom even considers the problem until it has become critical, herbalists have developed many strategies for using medicinal plants to improve the efficiency of the blood delivery system. No matter what your primary health condition, the herbal practitioner, who is trained to look beneath the presenting complaint to the underlying causes of disease, will likely want to use medicinal plants to improve circulation. That is one reason why a consultation with a qualified herbalist may provide the key to long-term health improvement.

But there are also some things you can do on your own that will have considerable benefit.

One of the simplest herbal treatments for the circulation is the foot bath. This approach is especially suitable for people with reduced mobility because it not only stimulates the flow of blood to the feet and the head, but it also pulls toxins out of the body through the feet.

Over my years in practice as a medical herbalist, I adapted the following preparation from an old book by the famous nineteenth-century herbalist, Isaiah Coffin. Although an American by birth, he worked much of his life in the textile mill communities of the English midlands. The mid-nineteenth century was a time when few people could afford the high fees demanded by orthodox doctors. Employers did not offer sick leave, and every day off work due to illness meant the loss of income critical for the support of the family.

During the terrible cholera epidemics that swept the country in those years, Coffin treated hundreds of patients using herbal preparations. And he did not lose a single patient with his cayenne pepper and hot brick wrapped in cider-vinegar-soaked cloths. In contrast, his orthodox colleagues were killing most of their patients by administering the deadly chemical, mercury.

Fortunately, it is not really necessary to ingest the cayenne pepper by mouth. It is just as effective when applied externally using the foot bath. A quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper (Capsicum minimum) is added to a bowl of hot water (bath temperature), along with half a cup of apple cider vinegar. (Care must be taken not to breathe in the acrid fumes, which will make you sneeze.) The feet can then be soaked in the preparation until the water is no longer hot.

This is a ritual that you will want to repeat a couple of times a week. It will feel good at the time and will leave a warm sensation in the feet and lower legs, ultimately having a positive effect in improving circulation to these extremities. (If you do it too often, you will begin to feel irritation to the skin, so judge for yourself how often is appropriate for you.) Incidentally, this foot-bath formula is perfect for anyone who has caught a chill from sitting too long in a drafty place or for the initial stages of the flu.

Another approach, if you are fond of hot food, is to sprinkle a little cayenne pepper from a pepper shaker onto some of your meals. Cayenne is a central circulatory stimulant and its effect will be felt throughout the body.

Another important herbal technique is the application of liniments and lotions. Having your feet massaged with oil of lavender (Lavendula officinalis) can be tremendously uplifting. Lavender possesses special relaxing qualities that become airborne when the essential or volatile oil is exposed to the air. This beautiful plant, which can be grown in Canada if given some protection over the winter, was a favourite of the Elizabethans for "lifting the spirits."

The wonderful thing about lavender oil is that its uplifting effect will not be limited to you, but will also be felt by the person doing the application. In fact, even someone passing by can receive its relaxing therapy through the olfactory nerve. That’s why I have often advised patients to take a little bottle of lavender oil to the hospital with them. It can transform the mood of a whole hospital ward, and any patient who is still confined to bed will especially benefit from its relaxing power.

Circulation to the feet and lower legs is also improved, of course, by having them massaged. And remember, it is equally pleasant to have one’s hands massaged as well.

Relaxant herbal remedies can be of great benefit to anyone facing the daily frustrations that often come with a physical disability. When we are dependent upon others, we are also often in danger of absorbing their frustration and irritability, too. An ongoing state of nervousness can sap our energy and undermine the body’s attempts at self-healing.

One very valuable medicinal plant with a long European history of use in calming the nervous system (as well as the stomach) is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). In Germany, an old preparation known as Melissengeist was widely used like smelling salts in the nineteenth century. Today, the dried herb is available in health food stores and even in tea bags. As much as three cups a day can safely be used.

German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) is another calming herb, also widely available. It is especially helpful for anyone with inflammation of the digestive tract, because it possesses special properties that promote the formation of granulation tissue (part of the body’s healing process) on all surfaces with which it comes into contact.

Similarly, linden flowers (Tilia europaea or americana) make a very pleasant beverage, with the additional benefits of lowering elevated blood pressure and maintaining the smooth lining of the arteries.

All three of these herbs are excellent substitutes for coffee and tea or caffeinated soft drinks, all of which stimulate the nerves and increase irritability.

Another major problem often affecting someone whose mobility is restricted is constipation. Because waste material is not being eliminated, the accumulation of toxic substances in the body is inevitable. Laxatives - even the herbal kind - are habit forming and are best avoided. A good herbalist can advise on a remedial diet that contains large quantities of fibre, including grated raw vegetables, brown rice, lentils and whole-grain breads.

Most health problems respond well to a balanced whole food diet that avoids refined carbohydrates (white flour and sugar) and eliminates all forms of chemical additives. For most people, this is a tall order, requiring a lot of reorganization in the kitchen along with a fair bit of re-education, self-discipline and persistence. But in nearly every case, the extra effort pays off. Since nutrition is perhaps the most important tool in preventative medicine (Hypocrites wrote: "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food"), it makes a lot of sense to learn to practise a whole-food regime and to stick to it.

I once worked with a person using a wheelchair whose seemingly random epileptic seizures were actually related to digestive problems. After some months of recording and careful observation by the family, it became apparent that each seizure was proceeded by an uncomfortable accumulation of gas in the abdomen. Normally, a person gets up after a meal and resumes activity so that the bowels are no longer folded in two and the gas is easily dispersed. But when this is not possible, sharp abdominal pains may be experienced after eating.

There are two things that will help in such a case: the first is the use of herbal "carminatives" - plants that are known for their digestive properties and especially the elimination of flatulence.

Many traditional cultures insist on ending the meal with one of these. An Indian restaurant, for example, will usually offer a little plate of anise seeds when the bill is paid. The French custom is to drink a liqueur such as Benedictine (based on a combination of carminative herbs) at the end of the meal. This was invented by medieval monks to help handle the heavy stomachs that resulted from the rich and bountiful medieval monastic cuisine.

But you don’t have to get soused to get rid of your gas. A plant as simple as dill seed will do just as good a job, and it has proved its effectiveness with infantile colic in the form of dill water, a boon to generations of mothers.

These are just a few of the herbs that could increase your health and comfort. There are many others, and well-trained herbalists are often capable of bringing about real improvement in chronic, long-term conditions.

But take care not to be misled by the hundreds of new herbal products lining the aisles of your drugstore. Over-the-counter remedies mean you have to self-diagnose and self-prescribe, and because your pharmacist and medical doctor will admit to very little experience with botanical medicine, it makes sense to give yourself the benefit of a proper consultation with a qualified herbal practitioner.

A list of practitioners across Canada is available from the Ontario Herbalists Association (call 1-877-OHA-HERB or visit www.herbalists.on.ca). A natural practitioner will take time and care to determine which herbs are best for you and which ones might contribute to improvement in a specific long-term condition.

The main advantages of using medicinal plants are that they tend to lack the side effects of harsh chemical pharmaceuticals, and that their method of action inside the body encourages natural mechanisms of self-healing. Even if you cannot expect to improve your mobility, many simple herbal treatments can simply improve your quality of life.

(Keith Stelling, MNIMH, is a retired member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists of Great Britain. He has practised herbal medicine in Stoney Creek, Ontario, for many years, and he is the founder of the Canadian Journal of Herbalism.)