Ethnomedical survey of some of the plants used for pain management in Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

This research is to evaluate the traditional pain management or treatment using plants in Lokoja. An ethnomedical survey on medicinal plants/recipes used in pain management was conducted between March and August, 2013 in Lokoja, Nigeria. Information on indigenous medicinal plant wealth of the people was obtained  using a scientifically structured questionnaire with key people who are recognized in alternative/traditional  medicine. Pain is called ‘oyizi’, ‘uwo’ and ‘irora’, in Ebira, Igala and Okun languages/dialects respectively. The  Ebira, Igala and Okun are the dominant tribes living in Lokoja where the survey was conducted. The  investigation yielded a total of 23 medicinal plant species represented by 23 genera from 17 families cited by 52  informants. Testing using Chi-square statistical test at 5% level of significance, there was significant  difference between the actual interviews conducted and collection rate depending on the differences in the sites where the interviews were conducted. The vernacular names of the plants were recorded in Ebira, Igala and Okun (the major local languages in Lokoja). From the ethnomedical survey result, Asteraceae is most  represented (17%), most of the plants are wild (65%) and shrub has the largest representation (39%). The  mode of administration (mostly oral or topical) and dosageregimen were also reported. The findings in this research have provided useful information for the monograph of the plants surveyed.

Keywords: Ethnomedicine, Management, Pain, Plants, Survey