Stress is a fact of life. It is unavoidable. Some stress or pressure is good for you but too much can be harmful, affecting mind, body and soul. Left alone, stress can manifest into severe health problems. It can cause bodily problems such as loss of nutrients and decreases the function of the immune system in preventing diseases. A large number of techniques have been devised to help manage stress. One of these many techniques are the increasingly popular use of herbs.

The serious effects caused by stress can be reduced or even eliminated by the use of herbs. Particular herbs work well with controlling physical stress whilst others work well for psychological issues. Stress can be found in many forms such as stomach pains, shoulder pains, headaches and a weakened immune and nervous system.

Types Of Herbs For Stress

One particular herb is Hawthorne Berries. These work well with panic attacks or high pressure where the breathing becomes laborious or the heart rate increases. The berries are known as a calmant, easing breathing and heart rate. It is found in capsule form or as a herbal tea.

It is also possible for stress to affect the stomach, especially the digestive system, causing tightening pains, ulcers, acid reflux and loss of appetite. Common treatments are in the form of herbal tea such as chamomile or peppermint. Herbs such as these, are particularly soothing for the stomach and any irritation.

Another form of bodily stress can be found in shoulder pains and aches, where the muscles contract and tighten into knots causing pain. Valerian is a herb used for soothing aching and strained muscles. As aches and pains can often inflict upon sleep patterns, it is also useful in aiding insomnia. Wild Yam can help as a mucle relaxant, it is a vine-like plant which is also used as a hormonal tonic.

The most common form of stress is a tension-headache or migraine which can appear suddenly and sometimes last for days, causing discomfort and sometimes eye and ear conditions. Drinking water can aid dehydration but for severe headaches drinking herbal tea of willowbark can act as a very effective painkiller.

For aiding the nervous system that is causing problems, oats can be effective. Taken mixed into food or as a oatstraw tea it can help re-balance.

What’s The Best Way To Use Herbs

It can be harmful or even dangerous to use a selection of herbs in unison so a professional herbalist will be able to tell you exactly what to take and how. Mixing and matching may not be appropriate, on the other hand some herbs do work well together.

Adaptogenic Herbs

All of these herbal remedies are effective treatments to helping and controlling stress related conditions but the underlying fact is that measures should be taken to prevent the stress to begin with. Herbs can help in the prevention process if you choose ones with adaptogenic properties. Ginseng is a popular one which can help train your body to control stress over time, rather than synthetic alternatives that can only control stress short term. It is often used by athletes and to increase stamina and immunity. Maitake, a chinese mushroom is also adaptogenic, it stimulates the immunue system ans helps a user adapt to stress.

Although herbal remedies are traditionally an ancient system there is still great evidence in its ability to produce better and often safer results than conventional medicine. Herbs alone cannot control or prevent all stress and a management approach needs to adopted in order to achieve long term results.