19/04/2026
From this month's blog on arthritis and joint pain, our herbalist Sue Pitt says "If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, you may naturally turn to over the counter anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen. These certainly do help to reduce the pain and swelling in the short term, but they can have problematic side effects which mean their use should be kept to a minimum. As herbalists we take a more holistic approach. We do have great anti-inflammatory herbs, but we would also aim to improve the circulation to the joint and to make sure that the removal of toxic wastes from the body is working efficiently. This might involve optimising liver and digestive function and using diuretic herbs.
One of the best herbs we use for arthritis is nettles – which is perfect for harvesting at this time of year while the leaves are young and fresh. I am a coward, so I use rubber gloves to avoid being stung, but others seem to have the knack of harvesting without them. The leaves can be used to make nettle soup and can be drunk freely as a herbal tea either fresh or dried.
A tincture of nettles may well form part of a herbal prescription for arthritis too. Research has shown that people taking nettles may need 50% fewer anti-inflammatories to control their symptoms. This is because they reduce the cytokines which stimulate inflammation as well as being diuretic and a great detoxifier. If you are feeling brave you could also try a traditional approach of using nettles to sting the skin all around the joint. I can see how this might work by increasing the circulation to the area and also distracting from the pain by altering the neural pathways to the brain – but I think you might do better to take them as a tea!"
Read the whole post at https://traditionalherbalist.com/2026/04/10/herbal-approach-to-joint-pain-and-arthritis/
