Basic Categories of Herbs

If you are going to use herbs to support your unique body, you might want to learn some of the categories herbalists use so that you can make good choices. This is not a comprehensive list but is more focused on the symptoms of EDS and hypermobility disorders.

Adaptogens

This category describes plants that help your body adapt to stress, build endurance, strengthen immune function and maybe even speed recovery from injuries. Most adaptogens are thought to “normalize” your body (that does not mean fix EDS!). For example, if you have low blood sugar, an adaptogen may help raise it, but if your sugar is high, an adaptogen may help it be closer to normal. Adaptogens can help normalize the nervous system, hormone systems and immune systems. Some common Adaptogens include ashwaganda, rhodiola, eleuthero and echinacea, yellow dock.1 One thing I would emphasize about adaptogens and EDS – don’t try a whole bunch of them in a week! Try one at a time and give it some time to work. Although I use echinacea regularly to prevent colds and illnesses, I will tell you that ashwaganda is my favorite adaptogen to keep my body, energy and moods from swinging wildly. Take some time to find out what might help you.

Adrenal Tonics

Herbs that support your adrenal function and counteract fatigue. It is pretty easy to overtire your adrenal system in stress mode. An adrenal tonic can help nourish and support these important glands that are right above your kidneys and responsible for so much of your hormone function.

Analgesics

Herbs that relieve or reduce pain. Common herbs include corydalis and white willow bark. I make an anti-inflammatory tincture every summer to take all winter and white willow bark is always part of it.

Anti-inflammatories

These herbs help lower inflammation and are essential to the happiness of most of us. People with EDS can suffer many injuries so inflammation is often high for us. Anti-inflammatories include St John’s wort, turmeric, pineapple, ginger and hops.

Anti-depressants

These herbs can help relieve mild depression. St John’s wort, green tea and rosemary are included. Every time I have to take an antibiotic, I not only use probiotics for some time after, I include St John’s wort to right my emotional systems. I do have to say that these are not the same as antidepressant or antianxiety medications. They are better at gently re-balancing your systems than intervening quickly.

Calmative

Mild sedatives include catnip, lemon balm, linden and chamomile. So far, the Corona virus shelter-in-place time has included lemon balm tea with honey for me every night. Most calmatives are also considered nervines.

Nervines

There are calming nervines like valerian and lemon balm, stimulating nervines like kola nut and tonic nervines like wild oats. Many of the calmative plants are also considered nervines. The purpose of nervines to produce an effect in an acute situation. For example, when I am upset or anxious, I turn to motherwort or lemon balm. But their real gifts are to re-balance your systems so that your nerves can work better.

Sedative

Calming herbs that can relieve nervousness or stress and include skullcap, kava kava and California poppy. These herbs are not designed to be taken each day but should be used for specific spasms and pain. I use kava kava when I have a series of tiny TL seizures and it seems to help.

There are many other groupings of herbs and their actions but I find these are the categories most often needed by us and help sort of understand the actions of herbs so that you can choose what might be best for you.

This information is not intended to take the place of personalized medical counseling, diagnosis and/or treatment by a trained physician. Herbs and other botanicals are presently classified by the Food and Drug Administration as foods, not as medicines.