As a sufferer of severe Raynaud’s where my finger joints would go purple and black every winter, I’ve given a lot of thought to this condition and tried all kinds of treatments for it till I finally found something that really worked.

Creams that have lanolin (sheep fat) work the best to create a layer of protection from the cold, and the topical application of Winter Cherry, Spikenard, Datura and other herbs that create warmth locally, are necessary as you will have to keep your fingers and toes as warm as possible.

However, despite all that, the basic condition persists in those whose body temperature and therefore metabolism  isn’t stable.

For those whose body temperature has fallen chronically beneath the norm, herbal teas that warm up the body – Rosehips and Nettle for example, can help. For those who are running a higher than normal temperature, Chamomile is a tea that can help.

But those are very temporary fixes and their effect is limited.

To truly get your fingers and toes back to normal, hormonal rehabilitation through balancing body temperature is the only thing to do. It took me all of three years to achieve, but it did finally happen.

These are the herbs I took regularly and which are part of my Herbal Treatment for Raynaud’s Syndrome:

Mistletoe

All the work of making hormones and then transporting them to where they’re needed, and then using them the way they’re supposed to be used – the whole process is dependent on the body maintaining a stable temperature.

A drastic change in temperature starts off new processes and you don’t want a new one starting off while the previous one is still half-way done.

Mistletoe has all the nutrition as well as intelligence and energy to support the body’s own temperature balance mechanisms in getting back up to efficient.

If you’re wondering how that mechanism gets out of order in the first place, it’s over-stimulation and over-adrenalizing with inadequate sleep and rest and recovery. Remember puberty? It probably started then, habits developed then, Mistletoe can help us break out of.

Although Mistletoe in a dose of a drop or two of the concentrated extract will help heart rate and blood pressure stabilize in the moment, its true healing effects can be experienced when taken in small doses over months, maybe even a year or more. A break of a week or two or a little more in-between would be good idea though.

Cactus Grandiflora

is an efficient balancer of the nervous system frequency and in doing that stabilizes the function of the heart. This tones up circulation everywhere without causing any sudden increase in circulation and the subsequent drop. It is exactly that sort of instability that is counter-productive to treating Raynaud’s Disease.

Herbs that boost circulation, like garlic for example, should always be taken in responsible doses and as part of food rather than in strong herbal extract form when you’re trying to get the body to keep its temperature stable – which is what we’re trying to do with this herbal treatment.

Gelsemium or Yellow Jasmine

is a relaxer and calmer of the nervous system too and helps stabilize the extremes of temperature that cause Raynaud’s symptoms. It has the added usefulness of being helpful in moments of stress as a cooler of the brain and overheated nerve endings.

 

 

 

Pulsatilla or Pasque Flower

relaxes the tight and taut nerves in and around the abdomen, including the digestive system and the reproductive system. When this area is all tied up, the body cannot really do much. The reproductive organs are connected in many ways to the hormonal glands in the brain and need to be relaxed so the glands can do their job of maintaining temperature balance.

 

 

Gotu Kola

has the nutrition and intelligence required to support healing and balance all over the body. In this herbal combination it offers vital nutrients that make it possible for nerves and muscles to interact with each other without the sudden cramping and release associated with undernourished nerves and muscles.

 

 

 

 

Wheatgrass 

 is rehabilitation for the liver and in fact all organs in one way or another. Its simple powerful nutrition makes it possible for the liver to get back into robust function managing hormonal balance in the blood, which in turn supports the maintenance of a stable temperature of the body.

 

 

 

The Fig

has natural sugars and nutrients that comfort and replenish a body depleted and tired by instability in temperature and hormones. This contributes to a feeling of well-being and satisfaction in the nervous system and prevents the sudden nerve-shock that comes just before Raynaud’s attacks.

 

 

 

 

The White Willow

is a famous pain-killer and the source of Aspirin. In this herbal treatment it is used for its effect on circulation and the consequent lessening of inflammation and pain anywhere in the body. Taken as first-aid it works as a pain-killer, taken in small doses regularly over weeks and months, it helps clean up the circulatory system in a gentle but thorough way and prevents the coagulation in blood vessels that promote Raynaud’s Disease.