Medicinal plants and natural fats that ease pain
Pain is the number one reason most people visit the doctor. Conventional allopathic treatments focus on medicines to relieve pain (painkillers). However, these medications can interfere with immune function and cause other conditions over the long term (more than 30,000 scientific articles address this topic).
Since pain is a debilitating symptom, being able to find the root of the problem and treat it is the most effective method to eradicate it. However, this is only possible in some cases because of the human body's complexity.
More than 40% of pain medicines come from plant components; the rest come from laboratory-made substances. People have used more than 400 medicinal plants traditionally to treat pain effectively. Most effective pain formulas combine anodyne plants, relaxing plants, anti-inflammatory plants, antispasmodic plants, hypnotics, and nourishing and tonic plants.
For example, the three most common anodyne plants are Jamaican Dogwood (Piscidia piscipula), Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus), and the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica). One of the most convenient ways to use these plants is to take tinctures several times a day for pain relief.
There are also several plants, especially antispasmodic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory herbs that work better for topical use; Many years ago I created my Mentholated Lard Pain Relief Rub With Aromatic Herbal Oils & Extracts, inspired by the White Flower Analgesic Balm from Traditional Chinese Medicine and Dr. Thomas’ Eclectic Oil to create an immediate pain relief effect.
Our ancestors traditionally used tallow and lard to massage areas of discomfort and pain. When a back seized up, an ankle swelled, or a chest grew tight with cold, people often rubbed rendered animal fat into the skin first.
Why Fat Made Sense as Medicine
For most of human history, nothing was wasted. People butchered animals whole, and rendered the fat into stable, long-keeping, creamy substances. These fats warmed easily, spread well, and held onto other ingredients, making them ideal carriers for herbs and warming agents.
They also made practical sense for massage. Fat provides “glide,” letting hands work deep into tight muscles without dragging on the skin. A warm, oily rub soothes on its own, and the act of massage, with its pressure and heat, brought comfort whatever was in the jar.
Common Traditional Uses
- Sore muscles and strained backs. Farm and field work meant constant aches. People kneaded warmed tallow or lard into shoulders, lower backs, and calves at the end of a long day.
- Sprains, bruises, and stiff joints. Gentle massage with a fatty salve was a common home response to twisted ankles, achy knees, and stiff hands, especially in cold weather.
- Chapped skin and cracked hands. The same fats protected weathered skin from wind, frost, and water, serving as everyday skin protectors and remedies.
Herb-Infused Salves
Our ancestors rarely used plain fat alone for pain. Rendered fat was gently warmed with plants believed to ease discomfort, such as:
- Arnica, for bruises and sore muscles
- Comfrey, famously nicknamed “knitbone”
- Cayenne or ginger, for warming stiff joints
- Rosemary, lavender, or juniper, for aroma and soothing warmth
- Beeswax, added to thicken the balm into a salve.
The fat carried the plant compounds, and people stored the blend in tins or crocks for use throughout the year.
Warning: Self-prescribing medicinal plants can have unwanted side effects due to drug interactions, body constitution, or health conditions.