" BE NOT AFRAID OF GROWING SLOWLY, BE AFRAID ONLY OF STANDING STILL' - Chinese proverb
I certainly do not stand still. I do not even sit still. My Nanny used to call me her ' jack rabbit' I want to live life to the fullest. Even if my body rests, my mind is still active. This is me. I do not always like this part of me. Believe me, I am better now than in the past. Do you often feel this way ? What has caused a shift in me has been my meditation otherwise known as 'my quiet time' Often my quiet time is sitting on the sofa in a warm sweater and wool socks ( at this time of the year) knitting and needle crafting. Time is precious. The time with friends and family is always precious.
As I get older, my patients get older. One common complaint of the older female patient is frequent urination. In medicine since the 19th century this is termed interstitial cystitis. Most of the time there is no underlying pathology ( disease) and NO urinary tract infection detectable. I have had a pleasant woman describe her condition as 'the nervous bladder' condition. Psychosocial stress, anxiety and depression do play a role. There are signs and symptoms:
1. no evidence of urinary tract infection
2. frequent urination; progressive as the years go on
3. suprapubic pain
4. chronic pelvic pain
5. blood in the urine ( hematuria) sometimes
6. pain in the urethra, relieved when competed urination
I have not seen any conventional treatment work completely. Whether you try amitriptyline ( an anti depressant), intravescicular treatment with DMSO or even have a surgical treatment ( hydrodistention) , I do not see significant improvement in all patients. So what do you do ? Some women seek other forms of medical treatment. Some try acupuncture, massage, and herbal or botanical treatment. I feel if conventional medicine does not offer a solid treatment, or the treatment does not agree with you --you have the right to seek other means. After all this is your body. Let's go back to Mother Earth.
The botanical treatment for interstitial cystitis is beyond my wildest dreams. There are five or six therapeutic goals for treating IC with herbs or botanicals
1. Soothe the inflammation
2. Relieve pain
3. Relieve inflammation
4. Relieve stress
5. Improve bladder circulation
6. Improve bladder tone
For each of the above, there is a botanical activity. Respectively, these are
1. mucilage for soothing
2. spasmolytic or analgesic for pain
3. anti inflammatory for inflammation
4. anxiolytic for anxiety
5. lymphagogue for bladder circulation and
6. astringent tonics for bladder tone
For each activity and goals there are at least four or five botanicals. I will discuss the botanicals that have not already been discussed for other treatments of other diseases. I am doing this for two reasons. I do not think I want to be repetitive and both you and I need to learn new botanicals. It is all about learning.
So lets begin,
A compulsion of mine if I do not know about the herb, I first check to see if it is present in James Duke's Handbook of Medicinal Plants for the Bible. Hollyhock is not a medicinal plant mentioned in the bible. Usually I prescribe demulcents agents for the respiratory system. The one herb I use for the respiratory system is Marsh Mellow. Hollyhock has similar properties to Marsh Mellow. The flowers of Hollyhock are used medicinally. There is a lot of mucilage in the flowers in addition to tannin and the pigment, althaein. The flower is a brilliant red ( see photograph) I know som,e herbalists add it to cough medicine. This red color fascinates the children and thus children drink it. I add wild flower honey to this mixture for any child loves honey.
Until tomorrow...more hollyhock
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