Accessible Herbalism for Edema

Edema is stuck fluid: stagnant blood and lymph that isn’t flowing the way it should be. Puffy ankles and swollen fingers are just two ways this might show up for someone. It’s not just cosmetic – stagnations like this impair wound healing and healthy cellular function, and can put strain on the heart and kidneys. Fortunately, there are many common and inexpensive herbs for edema, and some of them might already be in your kitchen! You can start today to drain the excess fluid and restore healthy conditions to the body.

Along with a bit more movement and some changes to the diet, herbs can help with edema in a variety of ways. Some of them stimulate the kidneys to filter out more fluid from the body. Others give the blood circulation a kick, to disperse pooled fluids. Certain herbs even help to circulate lymph, the “second” circulatory system in the body. And of course, there are topical astringents that can work on the outward expressions of puffiness, restoring healthy skin tone.

Herbs discussed include: dandelion, parsley, nettle, calendula, red clover, ginger, garlic, witch hazel, willow, oak, rose.

This is part 3 in our Accessible Herbalism series! We’re sharing strategies for safely improving some of the most common health concerns, especially for marginalized communities. We want to empower people to take action in support of their own health and the health of their neighbors. The safe, accessible tools of holistic herbalism can fill in the gaps left by uneven access and affordability of conventional care. Working with easy-to-find, inexpensive herbs, with low risk of adverse effects and drug interactions, is something anyone can do.

We’re building a community health collective organizing tool out of this material as we go through the series. You can learn more about the project and find all the collected resources here:

Mutual Aid Resources

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