I know, I know…. I am supposed to be writing about natural back pain relief. But I have been suffering with the dreaded “Spring Cold” and, being the naturalist that I am, I did some research about – shall we say – Grandma’s cures. And then I thought that since you visit here for natural treatments for back pain, it is likely that you also may have some interest in treating other (more minor) aliments naturally.

So, here are some natural remedies I found for colds. Many are from the website www.Health.com. So these may show me some ways I can ease this darn cold. I will follow-up later with results of whatever I try.

Are Herbal Remedies Safe ?

The good news is that, in general, most of these compounds won’t hurt you, says Dr. Campbell (although it can’t hurt to check with your doctor).

And there may be another upside to herbal supplements. “I believe that most of the over-the-counter products just mask symptoms, which is great to get you through the day,” says Dr. David Leopold, MD, who is the director of integrative medical education at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine and a faculty member with the Scripps Natural Supplement Conference, in La Jolla, Calif.

“But a lot of the natural oral supplements are working more with the body, maybe stimulating the immune system and also helping the body to heal.”  And: “I don’t recommend that any of my patients take any of this stuff every day, but as soon as they have a little runny nose and a scratchy throat, they should hit it hard.” By the way, this is my only herbal pain relief product.

Seven Herbal Methods to Ease a Cold

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C may be the most studied of the available alternative remedies. Study results have been mixed, but experts seem to more strongly support vitamin C than other remedies.

Even the purported benefits of “Airborne” may have more to do with its vitamin content than other ingredients. “There’s nothing intrinsically wrong or right with the product,” says Steve Gardner, litigation director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “It’s an extraordinarily expensive vitamin-C delivery system. If there’s any benefit, it may be from the vitamin C, which for some people might reduce the severity or duration of a cold, but won’t prevent one.”

The recommended everyday intake of Vitamin C is 75 milligrams per day for adult women and 90 milligrams per day for adult men. Dr. Leopold recommends that people with colds take a gram or so of vitamin C several times a day, depending on what other medical conditions they may have.

2. Echinacea

The herb Echinacea purpurea is one of the best known and widely available herbal cold treatments. Recent study results have not been supportive, but its effectiveness varies depending on the preparation.

Two studies funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found no benefit from echinacea in a juice formulation or in an unrefined combination of root and herb.

However, Dr. Leopold recommends mixing 15 to 20 drops of an echinacea tincture with warm water four or five times a day (or as directed on the bottle).
“It tends to be a little more potent than pills,” says Dr. Leopold.

3. Goldenseal

There may be even less evidence for the effectiveness of Goldenseal, an herb that Bob Martin, a 60-year-old teacher from Placitas, N.M., swears by. He takes it and echinacea three times a day at the first sign of a cold. He only gets sick if he doesn’t dose himself in time.

“Goldenseal hasn’t been studied as much, but I don’t think that there’s any inherent problem to using it as long as somebody doesn’t have an allergy to it,” Dr. Leopold says.

4. Ginseng

Although this popular Asian herb is taken mainly to boost energy, stamina, and overall health, researchers have begun to examine its efficacy in fighting the common cold.

A 2005 study conducted by Canadian researchers found that taking ginseng every day reduced the severity and duration of cold symptoms, and appeared to
prevent colds as well.

5. Nasal Rinsing

Long popular with the holistic crowd, daily rinsing is believed to fend off cough, sniffles, and sore throat.

A well-publicized study recently found that children who rinsed with a saline nasal wash six times a day (I can’t imagine getting them to do that! ha ha) had an improvement in cold symptoms and fewer recurrences.
In the study, 401 children ages 6 to 10 were randomly assigned to standard medication or to nasal wash with modified seawater solution (Physiomer) plus standard medication.

However, it may be counterproductive to rinse every day when you’re healthy. A 2009 study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology found that daily rinsing can deplete the nose of protective mucus, and actually increase your risk of getting a cold and other infections.

6. Pelargonium Sidoides

Though less well-known than some other herbal cold remedies, extracts derived from this plant have been shown to decrease the symptoms of acute bronchitis.

In one study, published in the journal Phytomedicine in 2003,  468 adults with acute bronchitis lasting less than two days, were given either a placebo or an extract of the roots of Pelargonium Sidoides. Those in the latter group were told to take 30 drops three times a day for a week.

The treated patients saw quicker resolution of symptoms including pain during cough and fever, and were able to return to work in an average of 4.7 days (compared to 6.3 days for those taking the placebo).

7. Zinc

A 1996 study found that zinc lozenges reduced the duration of the common cold from 7.6 days to 4.4 days. Other studies have been mixed, but some Doctors do recommend the supplement.

However, there may be some risk with Zicam Cold Remedy products. In 2006, the manufacturer of the zinc spray paid $12 million to settle 340 lawsuits from consumers who claimed to have lost their sense of smell after using the product. And in June 2009, the FDA warned consumers to stop using three Zicam products due to the risk of a loss of the sense of smell.

So, that finished my information gathering for today.  I am going back to bed now.  Who knows, after spending excess time in bed over the next few days, I may need even more focus on back pain relief ideas. Learn about the only herbal pain relief product I swear by here.

I did find some cool natural treatments for minor injuries and irritations.  I will put them in my next post.

I wonder, did you find this helpful or interesting?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Or better yet, share this with your friends…….