Natural Pain Relief From White Willow Bark

White willow showing light underside of a leaf.

White willow bark has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years and has chemical properties that are being tested for their immune boosting, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pain-reducing effectiveness. It is widely known as the aspirin herb because it contains salicin, an aspirin-like chemical.

The use of willow bark for the treatment of pain and inflammation can be traced back to 400 BC. It is widely available today as a natural herbal remedy for headaches, lower back pain, fever and arthritis. It is also sometimes recommended for flu, bursitis, menstrual cramps and more. Although white willow bark shares many characteristics in common with aspirin and has many of aspirin’s side effects, it may have advantages over aspirin in that its effects may be more long-lasting. Its effectiveness for different types of pain can also vary from person to person.

White willow (Salix alba)  is commonly known as European willow, a deciduous tree found in North America, Asia, and parts of Europe.

How Do You Take White Willow Bark?

White willow bark is available in capsule form and loose for infusions in tea. 

For medicinal white willow bark tea, boil one to two teaspoons of bark in eight ounces of water and let steep for ten minutes.

When You Shouldn't Take White Willow Bark

White willow bark is not recommended if you are under 16, pregnant, or nursing. Any change in medication should be discussed with your physician.

Willow bark may interact with anticoagulants (blood-thinning medications), beta-blockers, diuretics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and potentially others as well. Consult a medical professional with any questions you may have.

White Willow Bark and Your Pets

Although aspirin and white willow bark are poisonous to your cat, there are instances where white willow bark has been used successfully as a pain treatment for dogs.

Dogs, cats and other animals can have very different responses to drugs and foods than are commonly expected in humans. As with any medication, consult your veterinarian before attempting to diagnose or treat your dog.

Historical Reference to Willow

In the 1600s, Culpepper advocated willow bark for a number of ailments: "to stanch bleeding of wounds, and at mouth and nose, spitting of blood, and other fluxes of blood in both man and woman, and to stay vomiting..." 

He promised it would keep one thin, remove warts, and cure "dandriff", and also that it "stays the heat of lust in man or woman, and quite extinguishes it, if it long be used" and if one boils the leaves or bark in wine, he might "drink as much as you will, so you drink yourself not drunk."

Modern medicine discounts most of these claims.

Note: Common Poisons and Your Pets

While we are talking about pets, please remember that any aspirin-like substance can kill your cat, and chocolate, onions, avocado and macadamia nuts are toxic to your dog. Please be careful so your pets can be healthy members of your family for many years to come.

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salix_alba_leaves.jpg