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Are you looking for a natural pain killer? As a big fan of foraging, I am always excited to find out about these beneficial herbs and plants.
Here’s some information about a natural painkiller that grows in your backyard and is similar to morphine.
Image Credit: wildlettuce.com
There are a lot of times and situations that can cause us to experience pain. If you want a natural pain killer, you may have some growing right in your own backyard. Did you know that wild lettuce is great at fighting pain?
From injury to disease, we all experience pain from time to time. I’ve had particular problems with knee pain. My wife has had issues with persistent back pain.
There are over-the-counter pain medications, but they come with side effects. Prescription painkillers run an even higher risk of becoming addicts. But sometimes the pain is just too much to try to bear on your own.
If you want some pain relief, you may need to walk no further than your back yard. Here, you may be able to find some Lactuca virosa. This is the scientific name for a leafy plant that grows commonly in North America and England.
Many people have used this as a natural alternative to addictive prescription pain medication. How would you know this plant if you saw it?
It is a tall, leafy plant and it has small yellow buds. It’s called opium lettuce, or “bitter lettuce”. It’s a wild cousin to the type of lettuce you buy from the grocery store to eat.
Opium Lettuce for Pain
It’s called opium lettuce because of the pain-relieving properties and sedative elements of this plant. It is known to produce a white substance on the stems and leaves, which you’ve probably seen before if you have ever encountered it.
This milky white substance is called lactucarium. It doesn’t have any opiates, but it has a similar effect as opiates when it’s used. It works on the central nervous system (CNS) the same way morphine does, and this is how it helps to regulate and reduce pain.
Back in the 19th century, people had already figured this out. Wild lettuce was being used then as a substitute to opium.
It really picked up popularity in the 1970s, however. There were a lot of people at that time looking for alternative pain relief, and it was also used recreationally at that time.
It has also been called “Prickly lettuce” or “Prickly wild lettuce”. Some people say the Native Americans used to use this tall, natural plant to help with pain relief, too. The plant is not addictive and it won’t cause an upset stomach, either, as opiates do.
Other Uses for Wild Lettuce
As is the case with many natural plants used for medicinal purposes, this one has other uses. Wild lettuce is also believed to help with things other than pain relief.
It can be used for:
- urinary tract infection (UTI)
- cough and cold symptoms
- ADHD and hyperactivity in children
- flatulence (gas)
- edema
- kidney disorders
- colic
- menstrual pain
- anxiety
- insomnia or sleep disorder
- anticonvulsant
Natural Pain Relief
Natural pain relief is appealing to people who want to live a more natural life in general, and also to people who are looking to wean themselves off of prescription medications for pain.
Of the many conditions people can experience, arthritis is one of them. Natural pain relief for arthritis can help many people with the condition come off prescription medications.
It can also help in a survival situation where you may not have access to your prescription medications.
It can also help you with natural pain relief for back pain. Back pain is a common type of pain that adults experience.
If you’re working hard in a survival situation, it may put a strain on your back, especially if you already have a back problem.
But in a true survival situation, you have to keep going. You can’t afford to sit around because of back pain. It could cost you your life.
Wild Lettuce Seeds
Far too many people are becoming dependent on prescription medications these days, and if you have some wild lettuce seeds, you can plant wild lettuce in your own backyard. Once planted, the seeds grow pretty quickly, like dandelions.
Another thing about the two that is similar is that when dandelions get big, they can look like wild lettuce.
There are some ways to tell the difference, however. For one, wild lettuce can grow up to 6 feet tall but dandelions will never get over about 1 1/2 feet.
Also, dandelions have only one flower on each stem. But wild lettuce will have multiple flowers on it and they are smaller flowers. The flowers of dandelions are only about 1/4 inch in diameter.
Harvesting Wild Lettuce for Use
If you want to use the wild lettuce for pain relief, you also need to know how to properly harvest it.
It’s best to do when it’s an adult, right after it has a flowering period. Usually, it will flower from June to August, but it all depends on where in the world you and the plant are.
If you cut the stalk and the milky sap comes out, then you know it is ready for harvesting. If it does not flow out easily, then it’s just not quite ready yet. You should wait a little longer.
That milky sap is going to be the most potent medical part of the plant. You will want to preserve this, and you can also use the leaves for tea. Some people just eat the leaves as well.
The leaves are very nutritious but also very bitter, so most people don’t like taking them this way. Instead, you can make an extract from it, or a tincture.
Natural Pain Killer when SHTF
If you are in a SHTF situation and pain kicks in, you can’t just run off to the doctor. There may not be any doctors or hospitals left for you to run to! Instead, you need to learn about natural painkillers to help you get through it.
If you can learn from this how to identify this natural pain killer that is similar to morphine, and you know how to spot it on sight when in the wild, this is going to help you in any survival situation.
You won’t get addicted to it, and you won’t develop a tolerance for it. This is always important, but especially during a survival situation where it could be very dangerous to you if addiction or tolerance occurs.
This natural pain killer is a great one. It is available in so many areas, and if you can learn to identify it, this could be a solution even in a SHTF situation. Have you ever heard of wild lettuce, and have you ever used it as a natural pain reliever?
