The May Resilient Roots Report

Hey Herbies!

First of all, I hope to see you at the Feral Folk market this Sunday at West 6th’s Farm in Frankfort. (scroll down for more info). I’ll be hanging out at the information table - please come say hi!

I am still working through my back pain and related issues, and therefore have to cancel my plans for having a series of workshops here this summer. Instead, I am hoping to host women’s health workshops at the Home Sweet Home midwifery office in Berea. I’ll send out a separate update when we get those plans finalized.

So what’s up with my back? Among several issues with my spine, I have Spondylolisthesis - which is perhaps the most difficult word to pronounce for something that basically means one of my vertebrae has slipped forward and out of place. When the neurosurgeon gave me this news last week, it was a lot to take in, especially when she explained that a spinal fusion is the only way to fix it; however, the goal is to prolong the need for surgery as long as possible by trying to manage the pain.

I started to freak out a bit, and then I remembered that I have beat challenging diagnoses before. More than 15 years ago I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and about 5 years ago I was diagnosed with a rare disease - Eosinophilic Esophagitus (EE). I believe both of those cases were tied to a food allergy (wheat/gluten), and the medical solution was to have me take meds for life when all I really needed was an elimination diet! In the case of EE, even the medical literature supported an elimination diet, but it’s not recommended by most doctors because it doesn’t have good patient compliance.

This is an important point - patient compliance is a huge issue. It takes a lot of time to figure things out, and often a lot of money too, and I know that not everyone has access to those resources. (which is also why I’m passionate about free clinics - scroll down to bottom of email for more on this).

Thankfully, I found the work of Dr. Stuart McGill, who uses a patient-directed approach to healing back pain. He has a very specific list of movement recommendations and a core strengthening protocol that he has used to successfully treat 95% of the patients in his clinic without surgical intervention. I have been doing the McGill protocol for a few weeks and have gone from not being able to walk without pain to being able to walk about 30 minutes. (Its amazing how quickly life can change and you’re celebrating a 30 minute walk when you used to walk 30 miles in a weekend).

For folks who suffer from back pain who are interested in learning more, please listen to McGill’s interview on the Huberman Lab podcast. I am frustrated that none of the medical practitioners I have encountered are familiar with his methods (he’s Canadian), but I am glad his book and videos are easy to follow!

Herbally, I am taking St. John’s Wort tincture, which helps calm the sciatic nerve, and solomon’s seal, which helps support the discs. I am also using a combination of St. John’s Wort and Arnica oil extract topically. I’ve found all of these preparations very helpful and frequently recommend them to others.

Finally, I want to shout out some love to my wonderful friends who are supporting me in a variety of ways. Just this week, my friend Lisa came to visit and prepped and planted our high tunnel with peppers - I am so grateful! We were thrilled to find some kingsnakes mating (or something?) when we pulled back the silage tarps! Kingsnakes eat copperheads, so I am always excited when I see them around. A good omen.

Thanks for reading and take care,

Lauren

Coming up

• Sunday, May 11th, the Feral Folk market is the THE event of the season!! I’ll be volunteering at the information table and happy to answer all your herbal questions!

• Tuesday, May 13th is KY Gives Day! This year, I’m raising money for the Sheltowee Trace Association, where I serve as a board member. The Sheltowee Trace is the long distance hiking trail that runs through the Daniel Boone National Forest and into Big South Fork. I’ve spent a lot of time on this trail over the years, it’s very near and dear to my heart. Due to all the federal budget cuts, organizations like the Sheltowee Trace that exist to preserve and protect our trail systems are more important than ever. Hiking has always been a mainstay of my herbal practice because it brings me into being with all the shady forest herbs and the natural environment.

Garden

• I have skullcap (S. icana and maybe laterifolia - both medicinal), wood mint, elderberry, a bee balm (Monarda bradburnia), milk thistle, motherwort, meadowsweet, St. John’s Wort, and cutleaf coneflower for sale now - you can reply to this email if you want to buy some! I will also have a variety of interesting and medicinal basils available in a couple of weeks.

• Here’s a separate post about how to grow some of these herbs and a link to a more detailed spreadsheet if you really want to nerd out:

  Herb growing recommendations

Herbs

• I recently published this post about mutual aid and community care, which is a really important part of my herbal work. You can read all about it here:

Herbal mutual aid and community care

Reminders

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Disclaimers and such:

• Any health info on this page is given for general knowledge and awareness and should not be considered medical advice. I have to tell you to discuss herbal medicine with your doctor before taking it, even though most doctors don't know anything about it. Please also discuss herbs with a trained herbalist, especially if you are taking medications that have a narrow therapeutic window (for example, birth control pills) or have chronic health conditions.

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