Dr. Christopher noted that the nervine herbs are good for nerve pain. I took him at his word and put my calming nervine blend into a salve, and it has become a favorite for that fiery, throbbing ball of pain that settles over an overused or injured knee.
Pain like that keeps you from a good night’s sleep and from moving and exercising during the day. This salve soaks into the inflamed nerves and lets them calm down. There’s no numbing; the throbbing simply stops. It has calmed nerve pain in knees, ankles and necks, and it has also eased the nerve pain that comes with shingles.
I’ve found it works quickly during the night, letting me get a good night’s rest when a knee or other joint is flaring up.
What a Good Nervine Salve Contains
A good nervine salve might contain these five herbs, in equal parts:
- Skullcap, 1 part. One of the most trusted nervine herbs, calming nervous tension.
- Hops, 1 part. A gentle sedative herb that eases restlessness and inflammation.
- Valerian Root, 1 part. A classic nervine, valued for calming irritated nerves and easing pain.
- Gentian Root, 1 part. One of the most bitter herbs there is, rounding out the blend.
- Black Cohosh, 1 part. Long used to ease nervous tension and carry the body through inflammation.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s simply equal ounces of all five. These are the same five herbs as the calming formula I use for sleep and for crisis, taken by mouth.
Lavender essential oil finishes the salve. It softens Valerian’s strong, earthy smell, and it is a nervine and an anti-inflammatory in its own right, so it adds to the calming rather than just covering the smell.
Putting It Together
Fully extract the herbs in extra virgin olive oil in a 150-degree oven for three hours, swap the spent herbs for fresh, and do it three times through. Strain, thicken with beeswax, and stir in the lavender oil at the end.
How to Use It
Rub it into the painful area as often as needed. At night, a good layer before bed is often what lets you sleep through.
Once the Pain Settles
Once the pain and inflammation are under control, it’s time to rebuild the injured area. A joint that has been compromised needs a steady program to clear the injury and restore its strength. For that I turn to the bone, flesh and cartilage formula in Knitting Bone, Flesh and Cartilage Back Together, and to Mullein and Lobelia to release a locked-up joint and move excess lymph fluid out of the area.
Hydrotherapy matters too. Anytime you have injury or illness, you have blockage, and alternating hot and cold water is all about clearing it. The hot water brings fresh blood to the area, and the cold sends that fresh blood driving through the blockage, like loading and firing a blood bullet. The more dramatic the change between hot and cold, the deeper that blood, with all its healing nutrients, will reach. See Hydrotherapy, the Ultimate Healing Tool and Knee Pain.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
