Herbal Healing, Pain, Joints & Injuries

A&R Salve for Painful Joints

Dara Dietz

Arthritis & Rheumatism Salve: a salve pack for painful, inflamed and arthritic joints

Members often ask me for the A&R Salve by name, so here it is in one place. A&R stands for Arthritis & Rheumatism. It is our Joint Support formula made as a salve. Dr. Christopher taught that this formula should be made both ways, as an extract to take by mouth and as a salve to work right at the joint, and we make it both ways. Laid on as a pack, it goes straight to where the pain is.

The Herbs in A&R Salve

  • Hydrangea Root. Dr. Christopher called it the solvent of solvents; there was no greater aid, he taught, for getting rid of stones and inorganic mineral deposits throughout the body.
  • Yucca Root. Long used to ease arthritic pain and reduce swelling and inflammation in the joints.
  • Mormon Tea. An aid for reducing swelling and inflammation, long used as a blood purifier and for rheumatism.
  • Chaparral. A strong blood purifier and anti-rheumatic, long used in rheumatism and as a poultice for body pains.
  • Black Walnut Hulls. A powerful cleansing herb rich in organic iodine, antiseptic and anti-fungal.
  • Burdock Root. One of the best blood-purifying herbs in nature.
  • Sarsaparilla Root. A tonic blood purifier, useful in rheumatism that stems from impure blood.
  • Wild Lettuce. A mild, calming herb long used to ease pain and nervousness.
  • Valerian Root. A nervine that calms and feeds frayed nerves and eases pain.
  • Black Cohosh. A nervine and antispasmodic that feeds, regulates and strengthens the nervous system.
  • Lobelia. Removes obstructions and congestion, especially in the blood vessels.
  • Wormwood. The most bitter herb there is, a stimulating tonic and antiseptic.
  • African Bird Pepper. A circulatory stimulant that brings fresh blood to the joint and carries the other herbs where they need to go.

How It Works

This combination brings together herbs that detoxify; herbs that act as a solvent for calcium deposits the body has accepted but not assimilated; herbs that relieve pain; herbs rich in organic calcium the body can actually use; and herbs that fight fungus and infection.

An arthritic flare can often be calmed in a few hours with the salve. For a joint that has been stiff and painful for a long time, there is a longer rebuilding job to do, and steady overnight packs with the extract taken by mouth bring gradual relief.

How We Make It

The herbs are fully extracted in extra virgin olive oil in a 150° oven for three hours, then the spent herbs are swapped for fresh and the same oil is run through again, three times in all. Beeswax is then added to bring the infused oil to a salve.

How to Use It

  • As a pack: spread the salve on flannel, lay it over the painful or inflamed joint, and hold it in place with Press’n Seal wrap. Dramatic results often appear when the pack is left on overnight.
  • For a flare: lay a thick layer of salve over the whole joint, wrap it with gauze, and leave it on.
  • With the extract: for joints that ache every day, take Joint Support extract, ½ to 1 teaspoon in a cup of hot distilled water, two to three times a day, while you use the salve packs.

Pairs Well With BF&C Salve

A&R Salve takes down the inflammation so healing can begin, and BF&C (Bone, Flesh & Cartilage) knits the damaged joint back together. The two work very differently and work well together. Use both as packs over extremely painful or crippled areas.

My Story: A Finger Shooting Bullets

I do a lot of work with my hands: embroidering, painting and all types of crafts to keep myself occupied. I woke up one morning and my index finger was shooting bullets of pain I did not know it had the gun to shoot. On a scale of 1 to 10 it was well into the 9 range. I could hardly stand to touch it, and I could not bend it or move it at all without a lot of pain. I laid a thick layer of the A&R Salve over the entire finger, wrapped it with a roll of gauze and tried to ignore it. By lunchtime the pain was gone, and it did not come back. That was about four hours.

More on Joints

This information is provided for educational purposes as part of traditional herbal practice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any health condition.

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Published by Dara Dietz

Dara D Dietz is co-founder with her Husband of H.E.A.L. Marketplace, a private Natural Healing Association. As a teacher and counselor she has been supporting the members of H.E.A.L. with Natural Healing information and herbal supports since 1998. She continues to maintain strong ties to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Since healing her own kidney ailments she has assisted thousands of people in discovering and using natural herbal remedies. Dara has written and compiled numerous articles on a wide variety of natural healing topics. Drawing from her own healing experiences and borrowing from the vast wisdom of natural healers long departed, she continues to provide H.E.A.L.’s international membership with down to earth natural healing wisdom in H.E.A.L.’s bi-weekly newsletters. Dara and her husband currently reside in Rutherfordton, North Carolina.