Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

Stinging Nettle Reverses Paralysis of Bell’s Palsy

Botanicals like stinging nettles or celery are unusual Bell's Palsy remedies.

Q. My friend is 19 years old. One night she was watching TV with her mother and the right side of her face went numb. Her doctor diagnosed it as Bell’s palsy and said she would just have to suffer with the paralysis for eight weeks, until the problem ran its course. She was relieved it wasn’t a stroke, but she had to tape her right eye closed every night since she couldn’t move the lid.

I heard that stinging nettles could be used to help palsy, and thought immediately of her. She bought a small bottle of stinging nettle tincture and placed one eyedropper-full twice a day under her tongue.

She felt sensation in her face with that first dose and continued to take it until the bottle was empty. Then she went to see her doctor and greeted him with a huge smile! He concluded that her eye muscles were still a bit slow, though Jenny had not even noticed. She was smiling and winking long before he’d said she would be. I hope this helps someone else with Bell’s palsy.

A. Bell’s palsy is a sudden weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face. The cause is unknown, and there is no specific test or treatment. A doctor’s diagnosis is needed to rule out other more dangerous conditions, such as a stroke.

Symptoms of Bell’s palsy, in addition to the weakness or paralysis, can include numbness, excessive tearing of the affected eye, loss of taste, and drooling. Treatment is controversial. Corticosteroids like prednisone may reduce the likelihood of chronic problems, but most patients do recover within a few months without medication.

Stinging nettle extracts have been studied for symptoms of prostate enlargement as well as for allergies. We had not heard that this herb could be helpful in Bell’s palsy, but your friend’s tale is fascinating. We heard this story several years ago that is equally unusual:

“I read an article you wrote about celery easing blood pressure. I don’t have high blood pressure but I swear that celery helped cure my Bell’s Palsy.

“Several years ago I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy and was horrified when my specialist told me that it could last for 3 months to 3 years. The first few days I rarely slept because I was searching online for a cure. (There isn’t one.)

“About a week into my search I found an article about a lady who ate celery several times a day. Her symptoms got better every day.

“I ate celery several times a day for two weeks and noticed things getting better. I continued this for two months and my symptoms stopped altogether. I can’t explain it (nor could my doctor) but I am convinced this cured my Bell’s Palsy.”

We suspect that many health professionals would say that the condition was getting better on its own regardless of the celery. On the other hand, celery certainly can’t hurt and if it helps, so much the better.

We welcome other stories about treatments for Bell’s palsy. This condition largely remains a medical mystery.

In preparation for our new website, our commenting system will be temporarily offline. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
4.6- 18 ratings
About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.