does anyone have any herbal remedies for lymphedema in the ankles?

Butcher’s BroomBroom is one of those indefinite common names that tends to make the field of herbal nomenclature such a difficult one. The name was originally applied to several plants whose tough stems and rigid leaves made them useful for sweeping up debris. Used without a qualifying adjective, broom refers to the previously discussed Cytisus scoparius L., a common roadside plant in the Pacific Northwest, distinguishable by its showy yellow flowers. Spanish broom or gorse (Spartium junceum L.) is another yellow-flowered leguminous shrub that flourishes in parts of California. Although both plants have been used in folk medicine, neither is the so-called butcher’s-broom that is, so to speak, “sweeping the country” at the present time.Butcher’s-broom, also known as box holly or knee holly, is a fairly common, short evergreen shrub (Ruscus aculeatus L.) of the family Liliaceae, native throughout the Mediterranean region from the Azores to Iran. Butcher’s-broom, too, has a long history of use in herbal medicine. As early as the first century, Dioscorides recommended butcher’s-broom as a laxative and diuretic. The seventeenth-century apothecary-astrologer Nicholas Culpeper suggested that a decoction of the root be drunk and a poultice of the berries and leaves applied to facilitate the knitting of broken bones. However, the drug never became popular in either Europe or the United States and was seldom mentioned in standard references on drugs.Then, during the 1950s, French investigators showed that an alcoholic extract of butcher’s-broom rhizomes (underground stems) produced vasoconstriction (blood vessel narrowing) in test animals. Further studies identified the active principles as a mixture of steroidal saponins, the two main ones being identified as ruscogenin and neoruscogenin. They apparently produce their vasoconstrictive effects by direct activation of a-adrenergic receptors. Japanese researchers have isolated twelve steroidal saponins, including seven new ones, two of which have cytostatic activity on leukemia HL-60 cells.Limited clinical trials in humans have, in general, provided support for the effectiveness of the drug in venous disorders. In addition to its vasoconstrictive effects, the extract was demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory properties.Such studies convinced certain European drug manufacturers that butcher’s-broom extract is superior to some of the conventional plant remedies, such as extracts of horse chestnut and witch hazel, which are marketed for their supposed beneficial effects on venous circulation. Consequently, they have made extracts of butcher’s broom commercially available in capsule form to treat circulatory problems of the legs and as an ointment or suppository to relieve the symptoms of hemorrhoids.Capsules containing 75 mg of butcher’s-broom and 2 mg of rosemary oil are now being sold in the United States, mainly through health food stores. One such product is being advertised as “a proven European herbal formula-said to improve circulation in the legs,” while another is being promoted with the claim that “millions of Europeans report it works wonders-particularly for women who often complain about a ‘heavy feeling’ in the legs.” The ads also state that butcher’s-broom is “rare” or “hard-to-find” which is not true.Although there may be some basis for cautious optimism concerning butcher’s-broom as a potentially useful drug, would-be consumers should recognize that manufacturers of butcher’s-broom products have never presented proof of safety and efficacy to the Food and Drug Administration and that therapeutic claims for these products are therefore illegal. Moreover, self-diagnosis and self-treatment of circulatory disorders, or any other potentially serious health problem, are certainly inadvisable.Parts UsedAerial parts, rhizome.UsesButcher’s broom is not used much today, but, in view of its positive effect on varicose veins and hemorrhoids, it could be due for a revival. In the European tradition, both the aerial parts and the rhizome are considered to be diuretic and mildly laxative.Other medical uses – Chronic venous insufficiency, Lymphedema, Swollen Ankles.Habitat and CultivationButcher’s broom is found throughout much of Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. Butcher’s broom is a protected species, growing wild in woodland and on uncultivated ground. Cultivated plants are gathered in autumn, when in fruit.How Much to Take Ointments and suppositories including butcher’s broom are typically used for hemorrhoids. These are often applied or inserted at night before going to bed. Encapsulated butcher’s broom extracts, often combined with vitamin C or flavonoids, can be used for systemic venous insufficiency in the amount of 1,000 mg three times per day. Alternatively, standardized extracts providing 50-100 mg of ruscogenins per day can be taken. Side effects and CautionThere are no significant side effects or problems if butcher’s broom is used in the amounts listed here.http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_butchers_broom.htm