Pain is all too common in our clinics, let's take a look at three amazing herbs we have at our disposal that offer analgesic and sedative effects and can be applied across various sources of pain.

Californian Poppy

Californian Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) originates from the state of Californian in the United States and is in fact their state flower. With striking golden petals and standing around 60cms tall Californian Poppy is part of the Papaveraceae or Poppy family. The aerial parts of this plant contain a number of isoquinolines alkaloids with the main ones being californidine and eschscholtzine which give it a sedative and hypnotic effect.¹

Californian poppy exerts anxiolytic, analgesic, hypnotic and mild sedative effects. Traditionally prescribed as an analgesic to reduce pain and bring about calm sleep.² The Eclectic physicians saw it as an "excellent soporific (sleep inducing) and analgesic" baring similarities to that of morphine but without the side effects of opiates.³  Traditionally used in children to relieve pain of colic and enhance sleep especially with whooping cough. Also, for migraines, depression, nervous bowel, stress, anxiety and neuralgia.³  Therefore key indications include pain associated with nerves such as neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, sciatica as well as for toothache and tension headaches, emotional stress, anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia.⁴

Corydalis

Corydalis turtschaninovii (Corydalis) originates from Siberia and is derived from various species of the Papaveraceae or Poppy family with the small corm or tuber that is used. This tuber contains around 20 alkaloids with the most potent analgesic being tetrahydropalmatine (THP). THP appears to interact with the dopaminergic system and not the opioid receptors. THP has demonstrated analgesic effects in headaches, dysmenorrhea and neuralgia in clinical studies.⁵

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considered Corydalis to be bitter, warm, a little pungent, calming and relaxing.  It is believed that pain is related to blood stagnation and that in releasing constrained Qi will in turn release the pain. Making Corydalis useful for the treatment of pain and in particularly organ pain and the cardiovascular system. They also consider Corydalis to exert hypnotic, mild sedative, analgesic, antiarrhythmic and spasmolytic actions.⁶

In Western herbal medicine Corydalis is applied for the management of pain, especially visceral treating conditions such as congestive and/or spasmodic dysmenorrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. Also for palpitations and cardiac arrhythmias, emotional stress and anxiety, insomnia and tension headaches.⁵

Jamaica Dogwood

Jamaica Dogwood (Piscidia piscipula) indigenous to Central America, Mexico, Florida and West Indies stands as a medium-sized deciduous tropical tree. Piscidia denotes "fish-killing" and in West Indies the young branches and leaves are known to be a poisonous narcotic to fish.⁷ Jamaica dogwood is part of the Leguminosae family and key constituents in the root bark include complex isoflavones such as erythbigenin, jamaicin, piscerythrone, ichthynon, piscidone and rotenoids such as rotenone.⁸

From a TCM prospective Jamaica Dogwood is cool, calming and relaxing, astringent and pungent.⁷ In Traditional Western herbal medicine Jamaica dogwood is considered analgesic, antispasmodic and mildly sedative being prescribed for pain relief especially nerve-generated pain, nervous excitability, spasms and insomnia. Useful in conditions such as neuralgia, sciatica, trigeminal neuralgia, migraines, nervous tension, toothache, earache, rheumatism as well in spasmodic conditions such when there is muscle spasm, asthma or dysmenorrhea. Emotional stress and anxiety.⁵ 

References 

1. Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine. 289; AB Arcanum, Sweden. 1988
2. Felter HW, Lloyd JU King's American Dispensatory, 18th Edn, 3rd revision, 1905 reprinted Eclectic Medical Publications, Portland, 1983. 2 Cheney RH Quart J Crude Drugs 1963;3: 413-416
3. Bone K. A Clinical Guide to Blending Liquid Herbs. St Louis, Missouri: Churchill Livingstone; 2003
4. Bone K. The Ultimate Herbal Compendium a Desktop Guide for herbal Prescribers. Wariwck, Queensland: Phytotherapy Press; 2007
5. Chang HM, But PP Parmacology and Applications of Chinese Materia Medica. World Scientific, Singapore, 1987 2 Yang Z, Shao YC, Li SJ et al. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2008; 29(7): 781-8
6. Holmes P. Jade Remedies A Chinese Herbal Reference for the West. Vol 2. Boulder, Colorado USA: Snow Lotus Press Inc; 1997
7. Holmes P. The Energetics of Western Herbs Treatment Strategies Integrating Western and Oriental Herbal Medicine.  3rd Vol 2.  Boulder, Colorado USA:  Snow Lotus Press Inc; 1998
8. Mills S, Bone K. The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety.  St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005