When people ask me how I got interested in natural energetic medicines, I think back to my childhood, when I spent my time walking through the trees and farm fields on the family land in Wisconsin, taking in the lush green sights and the fresh crisp air.
This love of nature turned into a semi-professional career as a certified arborist, where I expanded my tree identification and pruning skills along with some natural area maintenance and study. A fellow nature lover and herbalist showed me how plants have “buddies,” meaning we often find certain species always growing near each other. This resonated as perfectly logical, efficient and beautiful to me then, as it does now. As the true wilderness dwindles, the vacant lots, drainage ditches and retention ponds flourish, creating the perfect environment for some really fantastic plant medicine! I’m not saying one should go out and harvest city burdock for medicinal use, but the observation of these natural phenomena really helps me as an herbalist.
In the next chapter of my life, I transplanted to Illinois to start naturopathic medical school. I can still hear Dr. Carlos Quezada, a colleague at the school, telling me that if I like plants and herbal medicine, I “better study the Chinese herbs and materia medica because it is the most complete study of plant medicine.” That is an understatement, and I enrolled in the master’s of Oriental medicine program in addition to the naturopath program soon after that conversation. Thus began some of the most intense plant medicine training I could have ever imagined.
Every plant–and really every item we ingest–has flavors, temperatures, and actions, and they enter specific meridians of the body and work their healing properties in a particular fashion, which can be subtly altered and crafted depending on which plants are being used together. Just as in the natural setting where certain species grow near each other to provide harmony and benefit to each other and the local environment, using three or more herbs together in a
formula is often safer and more effective than just a single herb or even a single constituent of an herb. In this way, the formulating of an herbal recipe is more in alignment with the natural setting.
Currently I have unlimited formula crafting possibilities with the wide variety of Herbal Vitality tinctures available at Nature’s Medicinary. This product line is based out of Sedona, and they source their herbs ethically and cleanly.
Lately I’ve been enjoying the great response I’ve been getting with anti-inflammatory herbal formulas that bring relief for back pain. These can stand alone or be used along with acupuncture for longer-lasting effects and more efficient healing time. There are some showcase herbs in the Medicinary for back pain, including curcuma longa (turmeric), which is a go-to for many and is in many herbal prescriptions.
One of my favorites is dipsacus sylvestris (teasel) for a weak and achy lower back. Do you know this plant in nature? It’s one of those noxious invaders that most landscapers dislike because it is so difficult to clear, but those plants usually make the best herbal medicine! It’s tall, with erect, straight and strong stems, much how we want the long bones of our bodies to be.
The energetics of dipsacus are soft and harmonious, supporting the liver and kidneys, which are the organs that nourish muscles, tendons, and bones. It is a yang and blood tonic, building up these vital bodily substances gently, and the blood-building property indicates that it strengthens all the sinews and bones. It’s good for aged people and women with back pain and heavy periods, or after recently delivering a baby. The yang strengthening indicates what a powerful healer it is; stimulating the yang of a person greatly enhances the healing power. The gentleness of it makes it great for chronic issues, but the immediate action upon the liver and kidneys makes it good for acute situations like sprains, strains and fractures. Of course, dipsacus has buddies in the field and in herbal formulas.
I am always available for herbal consultations to create the best formula for your needs, and in my next article I will explore the plants that work well with dipsacus.
Namaste,
Dr. Katie Borchert