Why Blue Vervain is good for chronic neck and shoulder tension and why every tattooer should have a relationship with it.
Often times plants visually show us how they work. If you look at blue vervain it looks like the flowers are moving up and out around what would be blue vervain’s neck and shoulders. Being a tattoo artist is TENSE, bending over for hours and focusing in to get these precise lines that will last a person the rest of their life is a lot of pressure. Whether it be tattooing or any other repetitive high stress occupation a lot of people suffer with chronis pain. I’ve struggled chronic shoulder pain for almost half my life. Only two things have given me relief, a magical massage therapist and blue Vervain. Blue Vervain is a bitter nervine, nervines work primarily with the bodies nervous system, hence the title. Specifically a nervine tonic, Blue Vervain works by strengthening and restoring the tissues. Like how it appears, it is specifically indicated for upper back, neck, and shoulder pain and TMJ.
Blue vervain is a digestive bitter as well. It stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin. Most people don’t realize that 95% of our serotonin is produced in our intestines. Bitter flavors stimulate bile help our bodies digest our food. A study shown on mice showed that low serotonin levels led to constipation.
I believe this can also be said for for Blue Vervain. If you think about how bitter makes you tense up and release the same can be said for blue vervain it will cause your nervous system and gut to tense up and help you digest stress and tension while releasing serotonin and dopamine. Often times people feel uplifted and almost high and relaxed when taking it. I’ve given capsules to several friends of mine who complain about shoulder pain and when I ask them how they’re feeling 30 minutes later they forgot they had it.
This particular species of Blue Vervain is Native to the US and Canada. It grows in damp marshlands and praires and on the side of streams. However Vervain is found throughout the world and goes back as far as Ancient Egypt called Tears of Isis and Rome and known as Junos Tears and used as an altar plant.
Most people take it as a tea or a tincture but the taste is absolutely unbearable. I’m an ampalaya (bitter melon) lover but this is too much. Because of the flavor, I started making caplsules of it https://www.tattoovigil.com/store/p/blue-vervain-capsules and they have been really helpful for my friends and family. To make capsules use the dried aerial parts and blend to a fine powder in a food processor, coffee grinder, magic bullet, etc. stuff to the brim of the empty capsules. Using a capsule machine is best however you can hand stuff each capsule with the end of a pen it’s just very time consuming. Don’t take it on a very empty stomach or it can cause nauseau be overwhelming. xoxo -Christina
