Habitat:

White willow bark, as its name implies is a member of the willow family. Predominantly grown in Central and Southern Europe and Northern America.

Plant Description:

This deciduous tree grows to a significant height of 20-30m. It has long branches that drape toward the ground and the leaves are long, thin and narrow, with fine pale hairs on the underside of the leaves, which give rise to this tree its name.

Plant Parts Used:

It is mostly the bark that is used in herbal medicine (sometimes the leaves. The bark is harvested from 2-3 years old branches. It is collected during the summer months and dried for later use in decoction, liquid extracts, powder, tablets, and tinctures. The leaves are collected during the growing season and used fresh or dried in extracts.

Pharmaceutical use:

White willow is the original or natural Aspirin and has nearly the same indications as for its synthetic counterpart. Where these two compounds differ though, is that white willow tends to be milder on the stomach lining than synthetic Aspirin and has a reduced anticoagulant action. This herb has been used for millennia for natural pain relief, reducing fever and inflammation, and recent studies are proving the traditional indications of white willow to be correct. White willow bark is one of the herbs used for migraine and headache treatment.
The use of white willow bark is also indicated for fibromyalgia, post surgical pain, Crohn’s disease, warts treatment and any condition characterized by pain and inflammation. The active compounds in white willow, called salicylate glycosides, work as an effective anti-inflammatory by interfering with pain transmission in the nervous system and by treating the cause of inflammation.

Cautions:

Please be aware that herbs, although natural can interact with certain medications, and that they may be ill advised to use under certain health conditions. Please consult a qualified health practitioner for cautions pertinent to you.

No therapeutic claim is made or intended for AZENA products. Information is for educational purposes only.