Kratom as a Pain Relieving Herb

Analgesic / Pain-Relieving Effects of Kratom Kratom is famous as an herbal remedy for chronic pain. When a person has chronic pain with little or no relief over the course of a long period of time, the nervous system in the body eventually builds what are called “sympathetic dorsal ganglion nests”. These “nests” of nerve growth near the spinal cord develop in response to chronic, high levels of pain. Essentially, if you think of the nerves like they’re highways and pain like traffic on those highways, sympathetic “nests” are built to route more and more pain information to the brain because there’s so much “pain traffic” on those nerves each day. In this regard, it’s good to be able to relieve pain so as to prevent the development of these sympathetic nervous system "nests". It serv...

Alternative Treatments for Whipworm Infection

Whipworm / Trichuris trichiura The whipworm infects humans primarily in areas of poor sanitation, with the highest burden of infection in children. Eggs deposited in soil mature over the course of 2 to 3 weeks under warm, humid conditions and they’re ingested as a result of poor hygiene. Larvae hatch in the small intestine and most migrate to the cecum, where they anchor to the mucosa and mature. Heavy worm burden can lead to rectal prolapse. Children may develop stunted growth and impaired cognitive development as a result of iron deficiency anemia compounded by the nutritional demands of a heavy worm load.  The worm can live for up to four years in humans. Diagnosis is made by the characteristic lemon-shaped eggs on stool microscopy, though sensitivity is limited at low parasite b...

Kratom / Mitragyna speciosa Overview of Medicinal Effects

Kratom Medicinal Effects Explained Let’s talk a little bit more about the medicinal effects of Mitragyna speciosa to help readers better understand this plant’s profile and personality. Mitragyna speciosa, also known as "kratom" is a medicinal tree that grows primarily in Southeast Asia. It has a broad range of medicinal action, but it is most often known for its ability to reduce physical and emotional pain through its opioid-action on the body. Kratom wants to help, but it does its best work when people are very clear about how and why they’re using it (Intention). As a medicinal pain-relieving plant in the same family as coffee, it can be mildly addictive for those who don't cycle between different ve ins and strains (a topic we discuss in greater detail in other posts), but krat...

Alternative Treatments for Hookworm Infection

How to Get Rid of Hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) Hookworms infect more than 400 million people worldwide, with the highest prevalence in tropical regions of South America, Africa, and Asia. The infection lifecycle begins with infective larvae penetrating the skin, passing through the bloodstream to the lungs, and eventually reaching the small intestine, where adult worms can live for up to ten years if treatment does not reduce the worm load. Symptom burden tracks with parasite load. Light infections are often asymptomatic and, as we’ve noted elsewhere, light worm loads can even be beneficial for human health. Heavy infections cause iron deficiency anemia, as adult worms feed on intestinal epithelial cells and blood. Chronic infection can produce fatigue, a...