Roots of Healthy Living

What do you know about St. John's Wort? Living in the northwest it comes up a lot as an herbal remedy for seasonal depression. That's about all I knew.

Many people have found it very helpful with treating anxiety, stress, depression, chronic fatigue, etc. It is also wonderful for treating damaged nerve endings due to wounds, burns and other skin related injuries. I discovered this personally this past month or so.

In a recent herb class the teacher produced some olive oil that had been infused with St. John's Wort and shared a story where it had helped someone recover from nerve damage. Now, (I don't believe in coincidences) the week before I had suddenly lost the feeling down the front of my right leg. It had happened over night and I hadn't told anyone. Well, my hand shot up and I asked if it would be appropriate to try it on my leg. She actually gave me some oil to take home. I applied it that night and by the next morning it had already begun to work. It took about three weeks and the feeling in my leg was completely recovered. Amazing.

It is important to apply the oil where you think the nerve damage occured, not necessarily where you are numb. For example, If you had recent surgery or an injury in a certain place and all of a sudden you can't feel in another area...treat the area of the surgery or injury first.

In my case, I had a scar on my leg and was certain the damage there was what was causing the nerve damage. It worked like a charm.

So, how do you make an oil infusion? Here is a basic simple recipe that works for just about any herb or combination of herbs.

Recipe for St. John's Wort Infused Massage Oil
*Get a clean sterile glass jar (you pick the size, small pint jars work great)
*fill the jar with plant material a couple inches from the top
(with St. John's Wort use 70% flowers and 30% leaves)
They can be fresh or dried...doesn't matter (dried need a little extra room to reconstitute)
*Cover with good quality olive oil an inch above plant material
*Put in a dark place and shake twice a day for two weeks
*Strain, bottle in dark glass bottles and your ready to go!

Note: There are a lot of healthfood stores that carry bulk herbs, or you can find them online. Two of my favorite online sources are Wholesome Botanicals and Mountain Rose Herbs.