| 4 star (1) | 100% |
Dreadfulwitchdoctor (Texas) on 08/03/2016: 
I decided to add wood betony since I had some and I know this herb is useful for nerve issues, particularly related to the head. I do feel I get a slight improvement from this addition. I make a tincture from the dried herb and a menstruum of 50% Everclear and 50% distilled water. You could also use straight vodka. I let it sit for about six weeks then strain into a dropper bottle. I take a dropperful a couple of times a day but it would probably be better if I upped that to three.
The wood betony got me thinking about other herbs for nerve pain/damage and realized I should use St. John's Wort. I'd never used SJW for nerve problems before, but I have read that it's excellent both internally and externally for that purpose. I do know that it loses potency quickly when dried, so I ordered some from a source I know to have fresh, high quality herbs and started making tea with it. I am in the process of making a tincture from it as well, since my understanding is that you can get a quality tincture if you make it shortly after the SJW is dried. But I may just continue drinking my tea (and add the wood betony to my infuser) since I think the surface contact is helping as well. I've been letting it cool enough that I can take a large sip and hold and swish it in my mouth to bathe the inside surface of my mouth with SJW. I let my herbal teas infuse for about 10 minutes, covered.
I've been using ALA almost exclusively for at least a couple of years now, but the addition of both of these herbs, especially the SJW, has done a lot to alleviate the residual discomfort.
