# Willow Bark for Chronic Pain



## wanderingstar (Dec 1, 1999)

I received the latest edition of the UK's ME (the english word for CFS) Association newsletter saturday, which is very good, and it has an excerpt on taking Willow Bark for chronic pain which I thought I'd share as it may be of some use to somebody (TORPEDO BUTT TAKE NOTE!)"Extract of Willow bark, a traditional herbal remedy, has been compared to placebo in a randomised trial in people suffering chronic back pain. The interesting results showed that nearly 40% of those receiving a high dose of the willow bark reported that their pain was completely relieved, compared to only 6% given a placebo. Side-effects were minimal, and the researchers concluded that Willow Bark extract may be a useful alternative drug for people who cannot tolerate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen/Brufen, or find other mild-moderate pain relievers ineffective" (American Journal of Medicine, 2000, 109, 9-14).I can't take NSAIDs anymore, and the alternatives aren't much use, so I may well give Willow bark a try if the pain becomes intolerable again. The excerpt doesn't say how much a 'high dose' is though, or what length of time the Willow Bark was taken for.







susan


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## squrts (Aug 14, 2000)

isnt that aspirn?


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## Guest (Jan 4, 2001)

Hi Susan & Denny,Denny, right you are. I just found this on Altavista. http://gic.simplenet.com/dr/herb/whitew.htm White Willow Bark (Salix alba)The white willow was introduced into the United States form Europe and can be found next to rivers and streams throughout the country. The bark is the part of the willow used, and is easily removed in the spring when the sap begins to flow. Willows have been used for centuries for pain relief and reduction of fever. The leaves can be chewed, and contain salicylic acid. This compound has been synthesized into acetylsalicylic acid, otherwise known as aspirin. Natural salicylic acid is nearly as potent as aspirin, however, the compound salicin from willow does not cause gastric or intestinal upset or bleeding as aspirin can, This is because willow does not block prostaglandins in the stomach or intestines.=====Looks like the "biggie" for the bark is that it doesn't cause the stomach upset or bleeding. Sorry, Susan. Didn't see anything about the dosage or how long to take it.calida


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