Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD
Edited by: Breanne Brazeale
Stinging Nettle, scientific name Urtica dioica, and commonly known as nettles, has a long history of folk usage for food and medicine. For hundreds of years, nettles have been used to treat lung issues. The aerial parts of the plant (the leaves), are used in herbal preparations. Steaming, cooking or drying removes the “sting.” Nettles make a delicious substitute for greens like spinach and collards in cooked dishes. Some have said it is good for the gut. Nettles are high in vitamins including C and A, minerals like silicon and potassium, as well as fiber. Because it is used like other greens, it will help with anemia. Green plants tend to have iron in them.
I want to tell a story about my discovery of one use of nettles. I was treated for tendonitis several years ago by a family doctor in Tuscaloosa, Dr. Elliot Rampulla. He specialized in alternative treatments, and one of his focuses was pain management. Unfortunately, he died at age 66 when he was hit by a car while riding his bike! He was so excited when I came to see him; he spent almost an hour with us! My daughter needed a physical in order to Brazil, so he did that as well. One thing I learned from him before his passing was Prolo-therapy.
I had a severe tendonitis in my right arm from trying to take notes by hand in my second year of medical school. I had been in pain for months, and it was so severe I often had trouble sleeping. I tried wearing a band around my arm that helps with this type of tendon issue. It did nothing.
Dr. Rampulla began Prolo-therapy, a procedure in which he loaded a syringe with glucose water and stuck it in my arm all around the painful areas of the tendon. He injected me about 15 times. My daughter Beth, who accompanied me, said my face went white. She thought I was going to pass out! I didn’t, thankfully. He said it would hurt more for three days and then go away. He was exactly right! My elbow was chronically inflamed and was just sitting there, not recovering. There is science behind this extreme-sounding procedure! When the doctor injected me with the glucose, temporarily increased the injury to the spot in a way which caused an enormous increase in the inflammatory response, which in turn, ended up healing the area.
So where do stinging nettles come in? We can use similarly them to Prolo-therapy. You can take the nettle branch and flog someone many times over a tendon in the same way he stuck me with the sugar water and it will help the inflammation in the tendon heal! I actually flogged one of my patients with nettles who had a severe inflammatory arthritis in her wrist from overuse. It significantly reduced the inflammation. Unfortunately, my patient had to continue her job, and the overuse continued, so it did not heal. I have not had the opportunity to try it on anyone since then. I have only tried it on wrists, and would like to try it on other joints like shoulders or knees. It is important to know that it does sting for a few hours to a couple of days, depending on the person.
I got some stinging nettle at an herb conference and planted it in a nursery area near my front door and it has thrived. It can be invasive, so we will move it because it has tried to take over the space. It is important to plant it in an area where you will not accidentally brush up against it. I have an extensive property, so I will find I spot for it where I can keep it tamed! I am happy to give some nettles to anyone who would like to take a few plants home. Just let us know.
Please check back for more updates on the uses of nettles, videos on using this herb to fight inflammation through flogging, and more!
It is important to never attempt treatment like the ones described above without proper care from a trained physician or other qualified practitioner. The things mentioned here on AgroshareMD.com are my experiences and opinions only and are not to be used as a substitute for medical advice from your own care provider.
