Willow Bark is sometimes aptly nicknamed “nature’s aspirin.” It contains a chemical called Salicin, which works identically to everyday aspirin and can help reduce pain, but doesn’t include all of the negative side-effects that are associated with over-the-counter aspirin, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), or similar painkillers. The horrible side-effects that people see often from normal pain reducers (like gastrointestinal or liver problems) are non-existent when ingesting willow bark. 

Willow bark is famous for reducing pain from various conditions that involve injury to the muscles or bones, and works as a natural fever reducer. From simple problems like sore feet or an occasional headache, willow bark is to the rescue. Even more chronic pain such as everyday back pain, arthritis, or other common issues with inflammation can be helped with the use of willow bark. In 2001, a study involving 200 participants with back pain was conducted and discovered that those suffering from back pain had a significant reduction in pain versus those receiving a placebo. Those who were given higher doses of 240mg compared to 140mg, reported less pain. Research conducted by the University of Maryland Medical Center states feeling the effects of willow bark may take longer to experience, but the effects can last longer compared to aspirin.

Willow bark is also known to regulate prostaglandins, reducing inflammation in the body. It inhibits cyclooxygenase (a prostaglandin synthesis), which can help reduce the pain of conditions like osteoarthritis. In 2004 a study published in the Journal of Rheumatology found that osteoarthritis patients who took willow bark extract with 240mg of salicin reduced their pain by 14% versus those that took a placebo. Willow bark has also been used for those suffering from the common cold or flu, to reduce fever and alleviate their symptoms. Willow bark can also be taken to reduce your risk of having a heart attack, simply by taking a low-dose every day. It contains salicylates that, like aspirin, help prevent clotting in the circulatory system.

Willow bark can be found in numerous stores, as either raw or in a ground up powder. It can be ingested in small doses with food or taken by itself. It also makes a great tea and you can always add it to your favorite beverage, or serve it hot in a mug with other delicious flavors like lemon, mint, or ginger. If you’re a DIY (do it yourself) kind of person, and you have access to a willow tree, you can also scrape the bark of the tree’s tinier branches (tearing off willow bark from the trunk can kill the tree). For whatever your needs are, when it comes to reducing pain and inflammation in the body, willow bark can be a good friend to have to help reduce painful symptoms.

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At Real Time Pain Relief, we not only care about the quality ingredients that go into each and every one of our products – but also about the people who buy them. We hope this blog, and the articles posted on it, become a valued resource for your own personal journey to better health. We know natural products that reduce your pain at the source are important to you, and for more than 17 years, our Real Time Pain Relief rub-on has been providing fast acting, targeted pain relief with natural ingredients to thousands of satisfied customers. From the useful information on this blog to our high-quality natural products, we hope you become one of the thousands of customers telling us they “Enjoy Living Again!”