Hey gang: I know, I know. I’ve been M.I.A. again. This past two weeks, in addition to starting physical therapy on my neck & back, I managed to multi-task and was teaching fashion design to young teenage girls at a 
two week summer camp. Was rewarding, but in order to make it through, my back needed some serious TLC. I received two raindrop therapy sessions, and a prescription for natural pain killers from Dr. Yew, a Naturopath and co-founder of Yew-360 Wholistic Health & Wellness, which saved me from popping any of the high dosage, blood thinning meds prescribed by my regular doctor. Dr. Yew graciously agreed to share this info with you all, so check out his informative post below and visit his website: www.Yew360.com –XoXo Raw Girl
Peace, fam! I’m known as “Dr. Yew”, Naturopath and co-founder of Yew-360 Wholistic Health & Wellness. I’d like to offer some input on the herbal approach to the mundane but underserved topic of injury recovery, particularly from accidents.
Now if you are from or in the “DMV” area, you know our roads are NO strangers to reckless drivers and car accidents. For those of us who are trying to live as close to a healthy, natural lifestyle as our environment allows, one of the most disruptive forces is that of unpredictability. Car accident victims become subject to emotional and physical trauma, and most often, to the same medical system we work so diligently to avoid! In these instances, however, awareness is our greatest ally in our battle to do what’s best for our bodies, minds, and spirits. In conjunction with that previous statement, there are many natural alternatives to the treatments given for the common aftereffects of a crash. These effects can include pain, swelling, bruising, insomnia, and damaged tissue to name a few. So don’t worry; here’s a few wholistic suggestions I’ve found to be useful in helping the recovery process:
- One of the primary post-accidental issues is preventing an internal clot that may cause a serious health threat such as a stroke. This is administered via blood thinning drugs which can have a detrimental effect on the kidneys. Many times, however, we’re not told to avoid the blood thickening fried foods, meats, dairy products, processed salts, etc., which may even be given to you by the hospital! Aspirin is made from a constituent found in white willow bark, so prescription aspirins can be substituted by a strong white willow bark extract. A good natural combination to help keep the blood fluid is garlic, hawthorne (leaves, flowers, and berries combined), and cayenne. These are generally safe and effective plants that work to clear obstructions from the arteries and support the circulatory system. They can also help to lower blood pressure as well. Make sure you drink plenty of water!
- There are also herbs to help reduce pain and swelling that are much safer than the standard Vicadin, morphine, and other narcotic drugs offered. Firstly, let me say it’s always useful to get a spinal evaluation from a chiropractor to help deal with pain that may especially be in the back, neck, head, or extremities. This can save lots of money, time, and energy if something is out of place. Along with the regular physical therapy, other remedies that may be useful are a strong homeopathic arnica supplement (to reduce general pain/bruising), a valerian and/or kava kava root extract (to help nerve/muscle pain & insomnia), and anti-inflammatory herbs such as goldenrod, mugwort, dandelion, gravel root or chickweed (to reduce acid that causes inflammation and bring down swelling). Again, make sure you drink plenty of water!
- Lastly, you want your body to be able to regenerate from any physical harm done by the force of the impact. Most commonly, back and spinal injuries tend to be the culprit. As my rebuttal, I turn to a Caribbean favorite – Irish moss! Yes, a drink made from this works wonders because of its high nutritional content. It provides a flurry of minerals the body needs to regain its power. The recipe for “Raw Irish Moss” can be found on my website, www.yew360.com, and you can also add strengthening foods or herbs to this gel in making shakes, smoothies, or other foods to enhance its effect. Some favorites include chia seeds, hemp seeds, avocado, aloe vera juice (promotes healing and inflammation reduction), African mahogany bark (excellent fortifying tea for the spine), moringa, spirulina, berries of all kinds, and bananas.