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Turmeric Eased Nerve Pain

Taking turmeric supplements eased the pain of post-shingles nerve irritation.

Q. I’ve been clipping articles from your column for years. I checked them recently to find how to relieve severe lower back and hip pain. I used some turmeric on food, and thirty minutes later I noted an internal warming sensation in the affected back area and a reduction in pain. I later took turmeric capsules and completely cured all of the pain.

About a month later my wife suffered from severe pain and loss of the use of her left arm and hand. Just lightly touching certain areas caused her to cry out in pain.

Years ago she suffered from shingles in that same arm. We therefore suspected that she had postherpetic neuralgia. Since this is an inflammation of the nerves, we decided to try turmeric.

A couple of hours later, on our way to our family doctor, my wife said that her arm felt hot, and the pain was not as severe. Our doctor wanted to schedule an MRI, but it was unnecessary after continued turmeric use. She was completely free of pain after about two weeks.

Have you ever heard of this use of the spice? Maybe this information can help other sufferers.

A. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties (Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, Feb. 2009). Readers have found that this yellow spice has helped with nerve pain, osteoarthritis and psoriasis. Instead of clipping articles, you may want to consult our book, Recipes and Remedies from The People’s Pharmacy, with more details about using food as medicine.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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