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Urtica urens, a shorter and more compact version of the common nettle, has more stinging hairs and can deliver pharmaceutical agents like serotonin and histamine. Urtication, or lashing with nettles, is a practice where people deliberately cause the plant to deliver its chemical compounds to their skin. This is considered an effective herbal home remedy for inflammatory disorders. Urtica urens is used in topical formulations, herbal remedies, liquid tinctures, and homeopathic medicine. Allergic reactions may occur in some people.
Urtica urens is the botanical name for an annual herbaceous plant native to Europe and Asia and now naturalized to most of North America. It is related to the perennial common nettle, but is much shorter and more compact. As such, it is known by several common names that distinguish it from its larger cousin, such as the dwarf nettle, the little nettle, and the lesser nettle. What the plant comparatively lacks in stature it makes up for in stinging ability as its leaves have a greater number of trichomes, or stinging hairs. This attribute may also mean that this species has more therapeutic value to offer, as each needle-like injector is ready to deliver a variety of pharmaceutical agents, namely serotonin, histamine, and acetylcholine.
While it may seem like this plant is something to be avoided, many people deliberately cause it to deliver its chemical compounds directly to their skin. All that is needed for this to happen is to lightly press a finger on the end of the hair or simply brush the blade. This practice is known as urtication, or by the particularly colorful term, lashing with nettles. However, contrary to popular belief, the plant does not drop the entire stinger, just its tip.
The payoff for compromising the urethra of the urtica in this way is counteracting the pain rather than producing it. In fact, many natural medicine enthusiasts consider this to be an effective herbal home remedy for a variety of painful inflammatory disorders, including arthritis and rheumatism. The mechanism behind this action is due to components found in stinging hairs, all of which act as neurotransmitters to regulate signals between nerve cells and other cells. The end result is temporary paresthesia, a “pins and needles” burning sensation at the entry site. Perhaps that is why this particular species is also known by the nicknames burning nettle and burning hazelnut.
There are several modes of administration for urtica urens. Topical formulations use the essential oil of the plant and are used to soothe various skin problems such as hives, rashes, and minor burns. Some encapsulated herbal remedies and liquid tinctures include nettle extracts for the treatment of gout, kidney stones, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and decreased milk production in lactating mothers. Urtica urens is also used in homeopathic medicine to treat many of the conditions listed above, as well as chickenpox and adverse reactions from eating shellfish. While internal use of this herb is generally considered safe, allergic reactions may occur in some people.
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