Many people living with polymyalgia-like discomfort look for gentle, natural ways to feel more grounded and comfortable while navigating their symptoms. Herbs often enter the conversation not as treatments for PMR, but as small additions that support daily routines, ease tension, or offer a sense of control. This article explores why herbs come up so often, what people typically hope for, and how to approach them realistically.
Herbs cannot treat PMR or replace medical care. What they can offer is mild support for comfort, sleep, stress, digestion, and general wellbeing.
Why Herbs Appear in PMR Conversations
People tend to explore herbs when they’re searching for everyday routines that help them feel more at ease. The warmth of a ginger tea, the calming scent of chamomile, or the grounding ritual of cooking with turmeric can make mornings and evenings feel more manageable. Many individuals also enjoy the sense of agency herbs provide — they feel like something gentle and accessible that can fit into almost any lifestyle.
Even though herbs do not influence PMR inflammation itself, they can play a role in helping people feel steadier and more balanced as part of their daily rhythm.
Herbs People Commonly Try
While none of these herbs target PMR specifically, they show up repeatedly in patient stories because of how they make people feel.
Turmeric and Curcumin
Turmeric is often associated with warmth and comfort. People describe using turmeric in soups, teas, or “golden milk,” and often say that the routine — slowly preparing a warm drink — helps ease them into the day.
Ginger
Ginger is praised for its soothing heat and its ability to make stiff mornings feel a little more manageable. Whether grated into meals or steeped as tea, people frequently mention that ginger makes movement feel gentler.
Boswellia
Boswellia receives attention in communities focused on joint comfort. People who try it usually hope for easier movement throughout the day, although scientific evidence remains mixed and not PMR-specific.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha appears mostly in discussions about mood and sleep rather than pain. People use it as part of an evening routine to wind down, calm the mind, and prepare for more restful nights.
Mediterranean Culinary Herbs
Rosemary, oregano, thyme, and similar herbs come up not as supplements but as flavorful ingredients in everyday meals. Their use often aligns naturally with Mediterranean-style eating patterns, which many people find energizing and enjoyable.
Chamomile and Lemon Balm
These herbs show up in bedtime rituals. Individuals often report that a warm cup of chamomile or lemon balm tea helps them settle into sleep more peacefully.
What Research Generally Shows
Most herbal research focuses on broad themes — comfort, digestion, sleep, or mood — rather than PMR itself. PMR is a unique condition, and there are no herbs with PMR-specific clinical evidence. Because of this, expectations should remain grounded. Herbs may support relaxation, a sense of warmth, or steadier sleep, but they do not alter the condition itself.
People typically notice the greatest benefit when herbs are combined with consistent daily habits such as balanced meals, gentle activity, and calming nighttime routines.
A Thoughtful Way to Explore Herbs
People who use herbs often describe a slow and mindful approach. Many begin with food-based forms — teas, spices, or cooked dishes — because they feel gentler and easier to integrate. Trying one herb at a time helps people notice which ones genuinely contribute to comfort.
Because herbs can interact with medication, especially supplements taken in capsule or extract form, most individuals check with a clinician or pharmacist before making them a regular part of their routine. This is especially important for those using medications that affect the immune system, blood pressure, blood sugar, or blood clotting.
A simple way to get started is to pay attention to how mornings and evenings feel. Some people keep a short “comfort log” to see whether certain herbs make a small but meaningful difference in stiffness, calmness, or sleep quality.
How Herbs Fit Into Daily Routines
Herbs often work best when tied to a comforting habit. A warm ginger-turmeric drink before stretching, herb-infused meals that brighten the afternoon, or chamomile tea before bed can become grounding rituals that support a steadier rhythm throughout the day.
These rituals don’t change PMR, but they can shape how people experience each day—making mornings softer, afternoons smoother, and evenings calmer.
Key Takeaways
Herbs do not treat polymyalgia rheumatica, but many people use them as gentle companions to daily life. Turmeric, ginger, chamomile, lemon balm, and Mediterranean spices are among the most commonly discussed. Their effects are modest and most noticeable when paired with consistent routines and nourishing habits. For anyone considering herbal supplements, checking with a healthcare professional is a wise step, especially when other medications are involved.
Support, not cure—that’s the realistic role herbs play for most individuals living with PMR-like symptoms.
just started a course of prednisolone for PMR and it says to avoid eating liquorice in the small print.
Really I have been on them 7 mg for 2 years November…I have never heard about Licorice before … I eat it… not a lot….weaning myself off of them 1 mg a month…. Medical THC …. Oil or Smoke
right. these herbs are meant to be a replacement for steroids.
I’ver used ginger and turmeric for 3 years as part of my regime as I have osteoarthritis. It didn’t stop me from getting Polymyalgia. Some cases simply don’t repond to so called natural treatment. As far a liquorice root is concerned, good luck, but it can react with certain drugs and too much can cause problems. i am not a herb skeptic and I have been taking homeopathic remedies since my twenties. i also practice visualisation, but I wouldn’t give much credence to natural medicine curing Polymyalgia, a disabling condition which only steroid tablets can relieve, often within hours. This is one for a qualified medical practitioner.
I started my prednisone and immediately (the same day) my pain was gone and I was manic, working out, walking 3 miles every day, with big expectations and dreams, I started working again even with the blurred and double vision and brain fog and loss of memory from the prednisone. I had energy again. I am now weaned down to 1 mg a day and my pain is MORE than it was to begin with and I am still having brain fog and double vision. I would prefer to try natural remedies and eastern medicine than to have a drug that masks the symptoms and one that also has such serious side effects. I am trying a different route of healing because our bodies are designed to heal with the proper care and feeding. Homeopathic medicine is not the same as herbal medicine.
The prednisone does work. I was weened down from 5mg to 0 over 2 months. About a week after I was totally off medicine, the pain slowly started to come back. I have been off 1 month and I must go back on prednisone. The pain keeps me awake, I am not any fun and my focus is the pain and not living. My side effects were minimal, but just the idea that it is affecting my bones is concerning, especially since I am over 60.
I was diagnosed with PMR 12 years ago, extreme pain in my hands, wrists, fingers, couldn’t use them, I was put on 25 mg. prednisolone and yes it cured the pain, I had to reduce it by one mg a month so that took over two years to get through it.
I was quite happy with this as it cured the pain, I was 59 yrs old and thought no more about it as I presumed it was ”cured” no, no, no.
So, 10 years on and it has returned big time !!! First off the blood tests to show it was PMG, and back on the Prednisolone Steroids, going down one mg a month again but this time before the end it all came back again, so upped the dose again, another 2 years of down 1mg a month.
I am 70 now and have just got to the end of another two years and as it has come back I have decided I wont tell my doctor as all he can do is more Steroids, yes the pain is relentless.
I have looked up about herbal possibilities and my local Healthfood shop wants to help, nothing yet has helped but I will now look at Liquorice root, Ginger and Turmeric, it all got to be worth a try ! ? Thank goodness since coming off the Prednisolone and eating carefully I have lost one and a half stone caused by Steroids, I’m just waiting to lose the pain now !
Hope this was of some interest to you, and good luck.
Try acupuncture. I have gotten much relief .
A qualified medical herbalist may help you. I saw one and immediately started on his treatment one month after diagnosis (Dec 23) and I am on it still. My neck, arms, hands etc slowly improved and now do not give me very much trouble at all although my hips and knees are not brilliant but only painful on stairs and some movement. Unfortunately I fell which made my hips worse (and I am probably still being affected by that) but overall I am now very very much better than I was in November 23.
I have by the way been on a keto diet and tried various therapies along the way but I think the herbal mixture has helped the most and it does contain liquorice.
Hi Izzy. Same story although the vision issue turned out to be Giant cell arteritis. Suggest a check for that early as it can have serious effects long term on vision. Cheers…Jim
I’m so sorry that you are experiencing these things.🙏
Charles,
My Polymyalgia rheumatica symptoms just started. Thank you very much for your concise straight forward information and experience about natural medicine.
I was looking for something “natural” because in the past I had to take Prednisone and the side effects were terrible.
Sincerely,
Jack
tjandj@sbcglobal.net
Good stuff, but how much is “a sliced ginger root”? Ten grams, 50, 100? Ginger root comes in all sizes.
I have had PMR for 4 years and on Prednasone all that time in different doses. Now I have to inject a shot of Actemra once a week or sometimes once every 10 days if the pharmacy is out of it which they were due to its use for Co-vid patients. My vision is blurry and my entire body hurts. I walk with a cane because of my lack of balance. I am frustrated and scared that I am loosing my eyes as I can barely see even with new glasses. This is a horrible disease and I feel as if no one really can help me. I try to stay positive but it ain’t easy! I would like to find a support group if anyone knows of one.
I have tried natural remedies as well.
Hi Brenda. I’m 75 and still pretty active. I’m coming off the prednisone (Yay), still getting some pain but now onto a drug called Actemra. That is designed to replace the steroids and so far so good. (A small pen style injection in the tummy every Monday morning) Still getting some pain but not as bad and I’m getting back to some light exercise which I found hard to do earlier. The blurry vision in my case turned out to be lousy thing called Giant Cell Arteritis…..needs to be investigated as the long term effects on eyesight aren’t good. I’m Ok now but that came a side effect of PMR and not welcome news. Anyway things are looking brighter!!!!….cheers…Jim
Hello Brenda
My name is Sheila. I also have PMR. I am a certified Life Coach that works with people with auto immune disease.
First session is at no charge, feel free to contact me @ kaligirl53@gmail.com
Celestial Seasoning makes a tea, TEAHOUSE ORGANICS GINGER TURMERIC. Think this would help or do you need to make it yourself with real ginger or turmeric?
I started on COPD Herbal treatment from Ultimate Life Clinic, the treatment worked incredibly for my lungs condition. I used the herbal treatment for almost 4 months, it reversed my COPD. My severe shortness of breath, dry cough, chest tightness gradually disappeared. Reach Ultimate Life Clinic via their website at http://www.ultimatelifeclinic.com . I can breathe much better and It feels comfortable!
How many of the people with Polymy are also on cholesterol lowering medicine?
Hi everyone, I am an acupuncturist and I’ve been treating someone with suspected PMR for a couple of weeks (symptoms line up perfectly and initial blood work seems to confirm it, we’re just waiting on a rheumatology consult). Firstly, I feel for you all. This is an incredibly difficult condition to live with. Severe pain and restricted movement came on suddenly, she stopped sleeping well and her quality of life deteriorated quickly. I found this page as I was looking for more information on the disease and how other people are treating it. From my experience as an acupuncturist and herbalist, and from what I have observed in my patient, diet is important, but ginger and turmeric tea isn’t going to cut it. A comprehensive anti-inflammatory diet is a good starting place (you can google that to get lists of foods). Acupuncture helps. In my patient’s experience, the first few treatments briefly eased the pain. We just had our 7th session and she is having days were the pain is tolerable (not gone, but can participate in activities), and we are starting to see slight improvements in range of motion. She is also getting chiropractic treatment.
Like other inflammatory diseases, especially with auto-immune or immunodeficient aspects, treatment really needs to be an “everything all at once” approach: food, sleep, gentle movement like Tai Chi or Qigong (easier on the joints than most yoga styles), stress reduction, meditation. Go deep into this work and the benefits will come, but they come slowly. Even though PMR symptoms come on suddenly, which is strange for an internal inflammatory disease (and may have to do with viral triggers, which Mayo Institute suggests is a possible factor), certainly from what I see in my patient, what I’ve read, and what I see in other similar diseases, PMR did not actually start when the pain started. It has been building for a long time. That means healing will take time too. Do not be disheartened! Dedicated yourself to the things that nourish your life – time in nature, healthy food, sleep, mindfulness, movement, friends and family, creative pursuits – and lean on treatments like acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropractic, massage for extra support (because you can’t do it all on your own and you are not meant to – humans heal best in community, in connection with others).
Awesome reply! Thanks
The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Taking the whole spice is pretty useless as it contains >1% curcumin. Some products will concentrate the curcumin but the long-standing problem has been absorbability.
Two natural products have solved this problem: Meriva Turmeric (Source Naturals) and CuraMed (Terry’s Naturally)
MY MIL was diagnosed with PMR some years ago and was on Prednisolone for years, yoyoing from 25mg and being weaned down to nothing but the pain kept coming back. Now she’s 80 and the GP says its not PMR and wont prescribe the steroids. She now takes Tumeric and Boswellia Serrata, both bought from a popular online shop. She says the Boswellia does help with the shoulders but not so much with the other joints. Hope this is helpful to others.
Just a suggestion, in case nobody has tried it. I’ve been dealing with PMR for a few weeks and, after the 6-day dose pack of Methylprednisilone was done (helped A LOT) the doctor is requiring a blood test before possibly starting low-dose Prednisone. Meanwhile (and I’ve used it on and off for a few years for previous constant pain), I’ve been using Kratom with excellent results. Find a reputable dealer (Kona is who I use) and read about it. Red Vein strains are the most potent.