Back pain is a theme that comes up so much people have stopped talking about it, mostly. Every now and again, though, a flare up takes us past the usual discomfort into truly miserable territory and we look for help.
Recently there have been requests for pain salve—something to help with pain in the back. Arnica, birch oil, saint john’s wort, these are all pain relieving and healing for muscle pain. I whipped up some salve and heard back that it was very helpful, relaxing tense muscles, allowing sleep, soothing pain.
Thinking back on my own long term bout with back pain, though, inspired me to share not just the salve recipe but a couple of other remedies I’ve encountered.
First and chief among them – stretching. I used to have chronic back pain from sitting at my desk for long hours, not moving much. Even getting a standing desk and alternating with an exercise ball didn’t resolve it. Bottom line: I was not moving enough. Walking when I could helped a lot, but more valuable than that was yoga.
I keep a daily practice of vinyasa-style yoga and have done for years. I am no guru. As a busy working mom, getting to the yoga studio on their schedule wasn’t always working so I took a 200 hour yoga teacher training class to set me up for a home practice that I could do before leaving for work in the morning. I maintain that no amount of salve could ever substitute for the relief and wellbeing that yoga has given me.
Okay I am officially off the yoga soap box!
The salve proved to be very effective for the two people that requested it this year. In the second case, applying it liberally with massage. Never estimate a massage, I say.
Arnica, one of three active ingredients in this salve, has long been used for muscle pain. Increasing circulation, it helps heal bruises and injuries, eases joint inflammation and pain, and soothes skin inflammation.
St. John’s wort oil is rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, easing pain associated with arthritis, joint pain and muscle aches. The literature even mentions gout.
Our third ingredient is birch essential oil, which I add after blending the infused oils with beeswax. Birch oil is known to relieve pain, reduce swelling, and boost blood flow. Plus, it has a lovely, bright scent.
The recipe:
Arnica St Johns Wort salve with Birch oil
- 2 ounces st johns wort flowers infused in olive oil
- 2 ounces arnica flowers infused in olive oil
- ~¼ cup shaved beeswax or about ⅛ cup beeswax pastiles
- ¾-1 teaspoon vitamin e oil
- ~10 drops birch oil.
Combine oils and beeswax in double boiler over simmer until beeswax melts. Test the firmness in the freezer for a minute before removing from heat. Add vit e and birch essential oils. Decant. A post that describes the process of making salve in detail is here.
You’ll note that much of what I have here is purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs. I have no affiliation with them beyond being an avid customer. I think their practices are reliably ethical and I love their customer service. There are many other herb purveyors online to choose from.
There’s also an article about gathering St Johns wort in the garden here for the curious.
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