Research on Hand Nerve Restoration

It’s Gemini season, with a pileup of planets in the sign of the twins. ♊️

Gemini rules the chest, arms, and hands in medical astrology, and Gemini’s ruler Mercury rules the nerves. Thus, this recent article from the BBC, about a therapy to improve nerve growth in the hands, caught my attention:

In an interview, one of the trial subjects, Melanie Reid, who is also a reporter at the BBC, said, "Everyone thinks that for a spinal injury, all you want to do is be able to walk again. But if you're tetraplegic or quadriplegic, what matters most is working hands." (emphasis mine)

I’ll admit, I had not thought about it much before reading this. I would probably assume, without much thought, that walking would be more important. But as I think about it, I can see her point—hands are what define our human differences from most animals. The dexterity and range of expression and activities allowed by hands really allow for our relative productivity in this world.

The electrical stimulation therapy, combined with rigorous physical therapy, improved hand function in 43 of 60 trial subjects who had spinal cord injuries. That’s a pretty great result! What an exciting new horizon of medical research!

Meanwhile, in the herbal world, there are plant friends that can improve neurological function and promote circulation to the limbs. Of course, I’m not saying herbs can restore movement when serious injury has caused paralysis. But they can be helpful as part of a holistic strategy or for milder cases! Not all of the herbs below will be for everyone, but here are a few of my personal favorite herbs for nerves:

• Lion’s Mane: promotes nerve growth. Technically, this is a mushroom, not a plant. But herbalism is a wide tent. 😉 There are two cautions for this herb:

  • 1) Don’t purchase just any old supplement. The mushroom must be boiled to deactivate irritating constituents and to activate bioavailability in the body. Many supplement makers simply dry the mushroom and put it in capsules or tincture it, ignorant of how to work with it. Taking the dried or tinctured mushroom will be fairly useless and could cause stomach pain. Check to make sure that it is boiled before it is further processed. The best option is a “double-extract tincture,” meaning it is boiled, then tinctured.

  • 2) Lion’s Mane can be stimulating for some. Take it in the morning, and start with small doses to see how your body reacts. (I learned this one the hard way, giving myself severe insomnia by enthusiastically starting with a large dose in the afternoon! 😜)

• Oatstraw / Milky Oats: soothes and restores nerve function. These both come from the same plant; Oatstraw is the dried leaves from the Oat plant, and Milky Oats is the white latex contained in the seedpods. Oatstraw is best in tea, and Milky Oats is best as a tincture. Oat has an immediate calming effect, but you will see best results if you take it daily for several months! This one is very safe, with a mild taste, and it can be helpful for a range of bodies, from children to the elderly. I give it to my children when they have growing pains.

• Boneset: stimulates myelin sheath growth in nerves and promotes circulation to limbs. Small doses are plenty; this is powerful medicine. Start with half a dropperful of tincture, or 1/2 tsp dried herb per cup of tea. If taking Boneset in a tea, drink it hot for maximum diaphoretic activity. (Diaphoretic means it promotes circulation to the extremities of the body). It is quite bitter, so be forewarned. Tincture may be easier to swallow! Take Boneset for 2 weeks, then give your body a break for 2 weeks. Avoid if you are taking blood thinning medications.

• Cayenne + Lobelia: this combination will push other herbal actions to the extremities. If you add a pinch of each of these herbs to an herbal blend, it helps ensure that the medicine can reach the far extremities, like the fingers and toes. These are also herbs you want to take in even smaller doses than Boneset: just 2-3 drops each is plenty! (Again, I learned this the hard way. HA!)

These are just a few herbal options to support nerve function!

Happy Gemini season!

I am not a medical provider. This is not medical advice. Always check with a licensed medical practitioner for the relevance of any interventions for your unique situation.