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Black Cohosh Click images to enlarge |
Black Cohosh Scientific Name: Cimicifuga racemosa Part Used: Root In a Word: Arthritis Cure Uses: Reduces pain and inflammation in chronic arthritis, both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, especially active in joint problems of an auto-immune origin Click here for info on Black Cohosh as a Female Tonic History The Native Americans treated painful joints with Black Cohosh to great effect. In Lloyd’s Drugs and Medicines of North America we find several references to both Native American and Colonial use of Black Cohosh for problematic joints. "History of its Uses. - The aborigines of America already discovered medicinal virtues in this plant; finding it, as they did, growing in various parts of the country, they soon learned to use and value it highly for a variety of complaints, chief among which were rheumatism and amenorrhoea. In rheumatism they depended much more on a decoction of the roots externally than internally. A hole was made in the ground, into which they put a kettle containing a quantity of the hot decoction. The rheumatic limbs were placed over the kettle in such a manner as to receive the influence of the steam. It is probably that the effect of the heat had considerable to do in subduing some of the more annoying symptoms of rheumatism. J. D. O’Connor (1858) used it successfully in rheumatic and neuralgic pains. He used it in chorea with as much confidence as he did quinine in intermittent fever. Dr. Simpson, of Edinburgh, in his own case, found it repeatedly to cure an attack of lumbago with wonderful rapidity. Well before the Civil War, doctors were using Black Cohosh to treat joint inflammation. Dr. F. N. Johnson found it extraordinarily efficient in acute rheumatism. In twenty of the worst cases the results were satisfactory in the highest degree, every vestige of the disease disappearing in 2, 8 or 10 days, without inducing any sensible evacuation or leaving behind a single bad symptom. An equally enthusiastic follower says, We have no more doubt of the efficacy of cimicifuga in the early stage of acute rheumatism than we have of the power of vaccine as a preventative of variola." As has been established, well before the Civil War, doctors were using Black Cohosh to treat joint inflammation. At the time this was known as rheumatism, today we separate rheumatism into a wide variety of conditions. However, whether the joint problem is as a result of wear and tear (osteo-arthritis) or the immune system attacking a joint (rheumatoid arthritis) the problem involves inflammation of the joints. When the joints are inflamed, Black Cohosh can be used to reduce the inflammation. Science Black Cohosh is thought to work on two levels. Firstly, it comes from a family of plants well known for their ability to deaden pain. Two well known relatives, Anemone and Aconite, are famous for their ability to block pain. Black Cohosh contains similar compounds to those found in its relatives. So, Black Cohosh acts as a painkiller. Beyond this, Black Cohosh contains a collection of steroid like compounds that are thought to be at the root of its anti-inflammatory activity. These compounds are thought to act locally (applied) and generally (taken internally) to reduce joint inflammation. Practitioners’ Advice Joint problems tend to be chronic. That is they do not go away. Even if they do go away, they certainly do not go away overnight. Joint problems’ requires management and often times, management for long periods of time. It is for this reason herbal medicine is ideal for those that have joint problems. Herbal medicine is mild medicine. It can be used for long periods of time and does not damage the body in the process. Unlike chemical drugs for joint problems, herbal medicine will not burn a hole through a stomach. It is in this light practitioners see Black Cohosh. It is one of several herbal medicines that can be used to safely and effectively improve chronic joint problems. It does not work in all cases, but it does work in most cases. It must be used for a period of three months before its action can be judged. As it is a general tonic, and specifically a female tonic, general health will be improved along with the health of the joints. If it has been used for four months and no improvement is experienced, its time to move on.
QUICK REVIEW History: Native American folk medicine Science: Contains several anti-inflammatory compounds Practitioners opinion: Must be used long term Directions: Tincture (1:10, 60% alcohol): 1ml 3 times daily Black Cohosh as a Female Tonic Scientific Name: Cimicifuga racemose Part Used: Root In a Word: The Menopause Plant Uses: Found effective in reducing the severity of all symptoms associated with the menopause Black Cohosh is a Native American plant found growing in rich open forests from the East Coast to the West Coast of the USA. The Native Americans gathered its roots and used them to improve general health and more specifically the female reproductive tract. Conditions such as debility, chronic coughs, poor digestion, as well as irregular menstruation were treated with Black Cohosh. As ginseng was the Asian cure all for men, Black Cohosh was the Native American fortifier of the female frame. The belief was that as Black Cohosh improved the vital forces of the body the gynecological functions were carried to higher ground in the process. The Early American Eclectic physicians were rather keen on the plant and were responsible for lifting it from a domestic medicine to that of world acclaim. They used it to improve general health and normalize the female reproductive tract. Dr. Fyfe MD, writing in 1911, echoes the Eclectic Physicians sentiment in regards Black Cohosh. "Cimicifuga is a remedy of great value in the treatment of many abnormal conditions of the reproductive organs of females. The influence of the drug on these organs is toward normal functional activity". The Eclectics felt that regardless of what the female condition was, Black Cohosh would improve it. Menopause, irregular menses, infertility, and habitual miscarriage were regularly treated with Black Cohosh. Where as it is true the general health affects the female reproductive tract, it is also true that the female reproductive tract impacts the body. Estrogen, the chief hormonal product of the ovaries, effects the tissues that make up the other systems of the body. ...if the reproductive tract is negatively impacting the nervous system, Black Cohosh is an excellent choice to correct the problem at the source. Some women suffer from extreme emotional ups and downs during their menstrual cycles. Estrogen affects nervous system function. Black Cohosh was previously the tonic of choice when it came to treating what we would now term PMT. Dr. Felter, MD., said this of it, "Black Cohosh is a good remedy in nervous troubles. Few agents are better in hysteria, and nervous hysterical females are often radically cured by it. It is slow in its action, but permanent in its effects. It may be necessary in some cases to continue the treatment for some time, but it usually does quite nicely." The good doctor indicates that if the reproductive tract is negatively impacting the nervous system, Black Cohosh is an excellent choice to correct the problem at the source. The Native Americans, the Eclectic physicians, and contemporary herbalists are in accordance in regards Black Cohosh. It is seen as an excellent daily tonic when the female reproductive tract is in need of a bit of shoring up. How Black Cohosh accomplishes this feat, for the most part, remains a mystery. On the scientific front, Black Cohosh has been found to contain chemicals that effect the female reproductive tract, two noted examples being formononetin and cimicifugoside. Formononetin, an isoflavonoid, has been shown to stimulate the production of oestrogen and to have an anti-cancer activity. Cervical, breast, and uterine cancer kill a lot of women. The predisposing factors for these dread diseases are still unclear. However, one thing is for certain, cancer in the family increases the risk of developing one of these cancers. As a consequence of Black Cohosh's tonic nature and its proven anticancer constituents, modern herbalists suggest that, those who are vulnerable use Black Cohosh in their anticancer regimen. Beyond this, formononetin has been shown to be a fungicide. Candida albicans, a fungal infection more commonly known as thrush, makes more than one woman’s life a misery. The presence of this anti-fungal agent may explain why some plagued by thrush experience an improvement while using Black Cohosh. There was a day when heart disease was, for the most part, a male disease. As women have taken their rightful place in the work place, they too have become subject to heart disease. It is interesting to note that another compound found in Black Cohosh, cimicifugin, has been found to reduce blood pressure. High blood pressure being a risk factor for the development of heart disease. Beyond this, cimicifugin has been shown to increase coronary circulation to the heart which may make Black Cohosh of interest to women who have already developed heart disease. Practitioners’ Advice This is a realistic alternative to HRT! If you are interested in going the natural route, this herb makes that possible. Though we do not fully understand the complex manner in which Black Cohosh works, the rave reviews it has received past and present, the limited amount of research available, and its non-toxic nature suggests it is an excellent tonic for women in the menopause. As Doctor Felter said, it works slowly, but it works well. Clinical trials in Germany have established it to work as well as many of the chemical HRT products on the market minus the side effects. It works and a lot of women swear by it.
QUICK REVIEW History: First used by Native Americans to ensure gynecological health Science: Found to reduce menopausal symptoms Practitioners opinion: A realistic herbal alternative to HRT Directions: Tincture (1:10, 60% alcohol): 1ml 3 times daily |
