Couch Grass

Overview. Couch grass is a common creeping perennial grass of temperate Europe, Asia and North America, now naturalized worldwide, often regarded as a troublesome garden weed. The long, pale, jointed rhizome is the part used medicinally and is dug in spring or autumn, dried, and prepared as a decoction, tincture or fluid extract. It has a long history in Western herbal medicine as a gentle urinary demulcent and diuretic, valued for soothing an irritated bladder and urethra without the harshness of stronger diuretic agents.

Clinical Notes. Traditionally used since Dioscorides for urinary issues osmotic diuretic effect from mannitol silica content supports tissue repair requires copious fluid intake theoretical risk of potassium depletion with diuretics

Clinical Notes. Couch grass rhizome is one of the mildest and safest urinary remedies available, and for that reason it is often reached for first in cases of simple cystitis, urethral irritation, or the burning, frequent urination that follows concentrated or acidic urine.

Action and Therapy. A mild diuretic with slightly aperient properties, and a demulcent of value in irritated conditions of the genito-urinary organs. It is of special value to lessen the frequency and pain of urination ... a remedy for dysuria and strangury. It may be used when inflammation is present, and is highly valued in chronic cystic irritability, cystitis, pyelitis, incipient nephritis, prostatitis, and in any condition in which an excess of mucus, pus, or blood is passed in the urine. Indirectly it acts as an alterative by washing away broken-down material by way of the renal organs.