My story:
Over the past few months I have developed a great many aches and pains; firstly I developed tennis elbow (epicondylitis) from, of all things, something I really enjoyed! Aerial hoops. I had been doing aerial hoops for a year and a half when I suddenly noticed it hurt to pick up a cup of tea. I had to give up this activity even though it had given me so much joy, yet it was slowly damaging my body.
A couple of months later I fell on my coccyx and dislocated (subluxated) the bone. The doctor all but fobbed me off, telling me there was nothing that could be done to help me. I needed to do very little, lie down, rest and take pain killers to manage the pain for 8-12 weeks. I couldn't sit, couldn't drive, could barely walk or stand. It was a miserable period where I mostly lay on my side watching TV. This of course put the rest of my body out and I ended up with hip, back and neck issues. Five months later my coccyx still causes me discomfort to sit.
I also have sore ribs just under the breasts where, I assume, bras press on my rib cage causing pain and swelling. I've had xrays and MRI's, regular checks and no one can find the cause of this pain.
Plus I am prone to the odd migraine caused by stiff neck and shoulder muscles, which cause stress and tension to the point where I cannot move my neck without my head feeling like it's been hit with a sledgehammer.
All up I'm like some crazed walking wounded where it aches just to exist and it frustrates me to the point of misery at times.
Of course the doctors like to prescribe me pills to manage my pain and it costs a small fortune visiting all manner of specialists trying to find solutions. However, I don't want be popping pills just to face the day, so I looked up natural remedies and am sharing with you in hopes you also find some natural relief.
Majority of what ails me is caused by inflammation of the muscles and joints so I researched natural anti-inflammatories.
Spices: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, turmeric.
It is suggested that eating a half teaspoon of one of these spices daily aids in reduction of inflammation. You might find them hard to eat by themselves so try adding them to a meal each day, or add turmeric, ginger or cinnamon to a beverage such as chai tea or a green smoothie.
Essential oils: chamomile, clary sage, ecalyptus, frankinsence, >lavender, majoram, >peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood, thyme, vetiver.
>good for migraines
Essential oils should NOT be used directly on skin or ingested (read here for essential oils & pregnancy) due to their potency (one drop of peppermint oil is equivalent to approx 20-30 cups of tea). When using an essential oil you should do one of a few things: add a drop of oil to a warm or cold compress and apply to the area; add a drop to a cloth for wafting under your nose; place a couple of drops in an oil burner with water to scent the air; add a drop or two to your bath or add an appropriate massage oil to your bath or body; add a drop or two to at least 20ml of carrier oil before applying to skin. Using essential oils this way means a little goes a long way.
Foods: leafy greens, beets, broccoli, berries, kidney beans.
Colourful foods are high in antioxidants and antioxidants are great for assisting and protecting the body. Eat as many of these good foods each day.
Note: I have been using turmeric in beverages, herbs in my meals and vetiver essential oil as a massage rub onto my inflamed areas. While I am a fair way from feeling better I have found the vetiver is working well in relieving aches and swelling and is a natural alternative to Nurofen and Voltaren.
P.S. Use these remedies for a while, not just for a couple of days. When I stopped using the essential oil rub because I was feeling better, the ache in my elbows came back slowly. It takes a while for your body to heal so give it time.
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