Evidence supporting the use of: Prickly Ash (Unspecified)
For the health condition: Ear Infection or Earache
Synopsis
Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 1
Prickly Ash (commonly referring to species in the Zanthoxylum genus) has a history of use in North American Indigenous and traditional herbal medicine, particularly among Native American and early European-American practitioners. It has been used for a range of ailments involving pain, circulation, and inflammation. For ear infections or earache specifically, ethnobotanical records suggest that traditional healers sometimes employed Prickly Ash bark as a poultice or in infusions, sometimes applying it topically around the ear or using it internally to address general complaints of pain or inflammation, which may have included earaches. However, direct documentation of its use specifically and consistently for ear infections is sparse.
There is no robust scientific evidence (such as clinical trials or pharmacological studies) supporting the use of Prickly Ash for ear infections or earache. Most references to its application for ear-related complaints are anecdotal or come from traditional herbal texts. The purported benefit may be related to Prickly Ash’s general anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties noted in some laboratory studies, but these effects have not been specifically evaluated for otic conditions. Therefore, the evidence supporting its use for ear infection or earache is weak and primarily rooted in tradition rather than science.
More about Prickly Ash (Unspecified)
More about Ear Infection or Earache
Other ingredients used for Ear Infection or Earache
myrobalanbetel
blackberry
chamomile
Coptis chinensis
forsythia
garlic bulb
ginger
goldenseal
onion
Indian tinospora
mustard seed
oregano
plantain
rosemary
schizonepeta
sphaeranthus indicus
thyme
xylitol
mullein
xanthium (cockleburs)
gastrodia
papaya
Indian bael
neem tree
nut grass
alpinia galangal
clerodendrum indicum
ferula assafoetida
hedychium spicatum
anise
blackboard tree
caesalpinia crista
myrrh
sweet flag
sweetgums
morinda
zanthoxylum
eucalyptus
paw paw
melaleuca alternifolia
indigo leaves
geranium
Achyranthes
Anamu
Alchornea
Asafoetida
Aerva lanata
Alsonia scholaris
Asteracea
Abuta
Amor seco
Blepharis
Balsam
Bishop's Weed
Butea monosperma
Barleria
Bitter Grass
Bombax
Bergenia
Borneol
Coconut
Calendula
Cinnamomum
Calotropis gigantea
Cajuput
Centipeda
Calamus
Costus
Celosia
Didymocarpus
DIVI-DIVI
Devil's Club
Erodium cicutarium
Elephant's Head
Euphorbia
Eugenol
Goldthread
Garlic
Little ironweed
Mallow
Poppy
Vervain
Other health conditions supported by Prickly Ash (Unspecified)
Abdominal PainAcid Indigestion
Appetite (deficient)
Arthritis
Backache
Bites and Stings
Boils
Bronchitis
Bruises (healing)
Canker Sores
Chest Pain
Circulation (poor)
Colds (general)
Colds (prevention)
Colds (with fever)
Congestion
Congestion (bronchial)
Congestion (lungs)
Constipation (adults)
Cuts
Diarrhea
Digestion (poor)
Dyspepsia
Ear Infection or Earache
Eczema
Fever
Glands (swollen lymph)
Gout
Headache (general)
Headache (sinus)
Headache (tension)
Hemorrhoids
Inflammation
Insomnia
Itching