Is there an herb that is a muscle relaxant?

Question

i have cfids and fibro and am tired of the prescriptions.

Answer 1

There are many herbs which are muscle relaxants.  They include:  1) Scullcap (an excellent choice);  2) Hyssop; 3) Lavender; 4) Horseradish; 5) Valerian (from which Valium was originally synthesized); 6) Chamomile; 7) Passionflower (also known as Passiflora); 8) Cramp bark; 9) Kava kava; 10) Linden flower; 11) Blue vervain; 12) Cayenne; 13) Licorice; 14)  White willow bark(from which aspirin, or salicylic acid was originally made); 15) Lobelia (but be careful w/ lobelia b/c it is subtoxic.  This is to say, "Yes, you can overdose on lobelia, so either know what you're doing or consult with a professional herbalist!"); 16) Devil's claw (another of your best choices); 17) Horsetail (an extremely high source of natural silica).  There are many, many others, but I think 17 should be way more than enough to get you started.  I'll also say this, better to address the cause of your maladies, than merely try to relieve the symptoms.  I COMPLETELY understand the part about being tired of the prescriptions, however.  It is possible to go along way towards healing fibromyalgia and CFIDS, but you may not get the encouragement you need from your allopath.  I hope you know this.  Blessings to you.  I know what you're going through, as I deal with an immense level of fatigue b/c of diabetes.

These quotes were taken from http://hubpages.com/hub/Muscle-relaxants...

Valerian: Valerian is one of the primary herbs to consider when you need pain relief coupled with muscle relaxation. It is an anti-inflammatory and will help relax spasms. It also induces sleep.

Chammomile: Is a muscle relaxer, best used in combination with other herbs.

Licorice: Anti-inflammatory, works much like steroids.

Kava Root: Pain relief

White willow: Pain relief

Horsetail: Pain relief

Cramp Bark: Anti-spasmotic

Cayenne Pepper: External applications of poultices provide topical pain relief.

Devils Claw: Reduces pain and is an anti-inflammatory

Passiflora: Muscle relaxer

Rub lobelia extract on the affected area to relieve spasm

Answer 2

I agree with siemieo, nothing beats a doobie.... but there are many herbs, a pretty comprehensive list of which someone's already posted, that will provide benefits. Keep in mind though that herbs arent quite as "cut and dry" as prescrition medication and can affect people differently, you'll want to experiment to see what works best for you.

Answer 3

yes it is called marijuana, it is now legal for medicinal use in california. just make sure you have some cheetos handy

Answer 4

This may be too out there for what you need...

Pedicularis is a plant that has specific muscle relaxing properties. Small doses relaxes muscles fantastically. Too much can make you fall a asleep. Great for tired overworked and tense muscles. It is not a plant that you can find in stores. Herbal communities find, harvest and make their own as it has very specific parameters for harvesting.

It is a parasitic plant meaning it needs to be near other plants to survive, feeding off of the others nutrients. In that way it can adapt some properties of that plant. This is why it is selectively harvested to make sure the pant has been feeding off of non-poisonous ones. So you wouldn't want a pedicularis plant that grew next to poison ivy.

Take it as a tincture or some will take it as a tea.

I would search out herbal communities in Northern California  for possible supplies or on the web. Ask them their source and the conditions around harvesting as that will tell you what's the nature of the plant

2 species to look for for muscle relaxing benefit....

Pedicularis groenlandica "Elephanthead"

Pedicularis densiflora "Indian Warrior"

Answer 5

tobacco is a muscle relaxant, it also improves your concentration...

not very recommendable though

try a hot bath and then pass cold water on your muscles and back into your hot bath, it does wonders

Answer 6

The most effective one is of course curare - the name for 3 classes of plant extracts used as poisons for darts.  In fact they are not primarily toxic in that you stay alive if your respiration is maintained because what happens is that your muscles are unable to work till the drug wears off.

Answer 7

kava kava is a good one.

Answer 8

magnesium in combination with potassium

750 mg and 100 mg respectively

I know they're minerals but what the heck.