39 Flower Remedies for Every Emotion

If you are living too much in the past, maybe honeysuckle will help? Gloomy? Try some mustard flower! Flower remedies represent a combination of herbalism and homeopathy. Their main therapeutic effects are found on the emotional level.

The best known flower remedies are the Bach flower remedies originated in the l930s by Dr. Edward Bach, an English physician. In recent times, Australian wildflower remedies and Californian flower essences have also become available; these are sold mainly in health food stores and by various practitioners.

The usual dosage of a Bach remedy is two to four drops of the composite preparation in a teaspoonful (plastic) of water at least four times daily, taken before meals and especially as the first and last thing daily. Hold this solution in your mouth and under the tongue for some time; store remedies in a cool place.

Reference guide for the selection of Bach flower remedies:
• Agrimony: Suffering or worry hidden by smiling face.
• Aspen: Apprehension, vague fears of unknown origin.
• Beech: Intolerance, arrogance, tendency to be overcritical.
• Centaury: Susceptibility to influence and exploitation, weak will, timidity.
• Cerato: Lack of confidence, doubt, constant requests for advice.
• Cherry Plum: Uncontrolled temper, desperation, fear of loss of mind.
• Chestnut Bud: Slowness to learn, lack of observation, repetition of mistakes.
• Chicor: Possessiveness, self-love, self-pity, attention seeking.
• Clematis: Indifference, dreaminess, lack of interest.
• Crab Apple: Feeling of being unclean, shame, self-dislike; the cleanser.
• Elm: Occasional feelings of inadequacy, too much responsibility.
• Gentian: Discouragement, self-doubt, negative attitudes, depression.
• Gorse: Hopelessness, despair, despondency.
• Heather: Self-centeredness, love of talking, inability to listen.
• Holly: Envy, suspicion, revenge, hatred, jealousy.
• Honeysuckle: Living too much in the past, homesickness.
• Hornbeam: Mental and physical weariness.
• Impatiens: Impatience, irritability, mental tension.
• Larch: Lack of confidence, expectation of failure, feeling of inferiority.
• Mimulus: Fear of known things, shyness, timidity.
• Mustard: Deep gloom or depression of unknown cause.
• Oak: Onward struggle despite despondency/despair.
• Olive: Mental and physical exhaustion or weariness.
• Pine: Self-blame, self-reproach, guilt, false humility.
• Red Chestnut: Fear and anxiety for others.
• Rock Rose: Terror, panic, extreme fear.
• Rock Water: Self-criticism, rigidity, self-denial.
• Scleranthus: Uncertainty, indecision, hesitation, lack of balance.
• Star of Bethlehem: After-effects of shock and trauma.
• Sweet Chestnut: Extreme anguish, hopeless despair, loss of faith.
• Vervain: Overenthusiasm, fanaticism, nervous tension, strain.
• Vine: Dominance, leadership, craving for power, ambition, inflexibility.
• Walnut: Helps in changes, link breaking, protects.
• Water Violet: Aloofness, reserve, pride.
• White Chestnut: Unwanted persistent thoughts, worry, inner mental arguments.
• Wild Oat: Dissatisfaction at not having found goal, uncertainty.
• Wild Rose: Resignation, lack of interest, apathy.
• Willow: Resentment, bitterness, “not-fair” attitude.

• Rescue Remedy (a composite of Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose, and Star of Bethlehem): Use for shock, terror, upsets, fright, accidents; give frequently in all emergencies; apply externally on wounds.

Natural Allergy Relief: Alternative Allergy Therapies

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is based on the idea that diseases can be cured by giving the substance that causes the disease back to a person in extremely small amounts. This is a similar to the principle used in immunotherapy, except in much smaller doses that have proven to be beneficial with using allergy shots.

Asthma
Three well-designed studies show little to no benefit of homeopathic remedies in the treatment of asthma.

Allergic rhinitis

Some studies show a benefit of homeopathy in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, with benefit over anti-histamines such as chlorpheniramine or equivalence to cromolyn nasal spray. However, numerous other studies show no benefit of homeopathy compared to placebo.

Despite some encouraging results in some small, selected studies, the overall evidence for homeopathy is weak, while evidence for conventional medications in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma is very strong.

Other Techniques

Chiropractic-Spinal Manipulation

More than 100 patients with asthma were studied while being treated with "real" or "fake" chiropractic techniques. There were no differences between the two groups in terms of their asthma symptoms. However, one of these studies did show that the patients who received real chiropractic treatment had decreased sensitivity to an irritant medication (methacholine) used to detect severity of asthma. Another poorly-designed study on chiropractic techniques in asthma showed mild increase in a measurement of lung function in the group receiving treatment, although no symptoms were measured.

Breathing Techniques/Yoga

Breathing techniques and yoga can be beneficial in terms of mental well-being and improvement in quality of life scores for asthmatics. However, studies on techniques such as Buteyko breathing, Sahaja, Hatha and Pranayama yoga fail to show any consistent improvement in asthma symptoms or definite improvement in lung function testing. No studies are available for allergic rhinitis.

Biofeedback/Hypnosis

All studies reviewed on the use of biofeedback and hypnosis in the treatment of asthma were of poor study design and failed to show any benefit.

Miscellaneous Holistic Therapies

There are no well-designed studies on the use of the following for the treatment of asthma or allergic rhinitis, and therefore these techniques should not be considered useful:
aromatherapy
chromotherapy
Bach's flowers
anthroposophy
Hopi candles
hydro-colon
urine therapy
clinical ecology
iridology
While it would seem reasonable to make CAM part of an overall treatment regimen, it does not make sense for these unproven techniques to replace proven conventional therapies for potentially serious diseases (such as asthma). CAM appears to help with the mental and spiritual well-being of patients, which is not to be under-estimated. However, there is no definitive scientific basis for using CAM as the only treatment for asthma or allergic rhinitis. Always consult with a physician before utilizing CAM, especially if using this in place of prescribed therapies.