Health Tip of The Week

Natural Health Tips to Reduce Pain from Inflammation

Inflammation is part of the body’s natural healing process, even though sometimes it may be painful. Consider this: When you cut yourself, the area around the cut gets red, warm, and swollen. This is your body’s natural response, enabling immune cells and other blood cells to travel to the area and repair the damage.

Inflammation can either be internal or external

Inflammation happens externally as the result of an injury, and it also happens internally as the result of disease. When the body tries to heal itself, it increases enzyme action as well as swelling in the injured area so that cells can travel there more efficiently. This response makes the area warm. It can also be painful-swelling causes the tissues to stretch, while the immune response releases chemicals that attract and stimulate the blood’s white cells to fight infection. Sometimes this response is all that is needed and the body heals. However, occasionally the inflammatory response causes more pain and damage than the original injury. Rest, ice, compression and elevation are often prescribed to reduce inflammation and avoid further damage after an acute injury.

Internal inflammation is difficult to recognize

How can you tell if there is internal inflammation? Pain is a good sign that inflammation is present. Especially in chronic diseases, the body is attempting to repair itself. Sometimes it succeeds and the tissues heal. Other times the inflammation process becomes chronic as with arthritis, asthma, heart disease, ulcerative colitis, allergies, and many other chronic conditions.

Tips to reduce internal inflammation

Reducing internal inflammation can be as easy as removing the irritants. It is almost like removing a splinter from the skin. While the splinter is there, the body will create more and more inflammation until the splinter is pushed out. As soon as the splinter is gone, the healing process can begin. Toxins and waste products are irritating to the body. Decreasing the toxins brought into the body and assisting the body in eliminating waste products can lead to a reduction in pain and inflammation. Here are some dietary tips to reduce internal inflammation:

1.  Drink water to carry away waste products

The body needs water to carry away waste products. Clean water instead of coffee or soda gives the body clean water in the bucket to do its cleaning with. Drink plenty of water everyday.

2.   Avoid foods that cause allergies or sensitivities that cause inflammation

These foods, which vary person to person, cause inflammation in the intestinal tract by stimulating the immune system. By eliminating the foods the body has made antibodies to, the inflammatory chemicals decrease and there are fewer toxins in the body.

3.   Regulate the immune system with acidophilus and calm down inflammation

Sixty percent of our immune system is based in our intestines. By tonifying the immune system in the intestines, inflammation calms down.

4.   Increase your intake of essential fatty acids (omega 3 oils)

Deep water fish (or wild fish) are a great source of essential fatty acids.

5.   Eat hormone- and antibiotic-free meats, poultry and fish to avoid toxins

Meats that are raised with hormones and antibiotics retain these chemicals even when cooked. The body then needs to process and eliminate them while digesting the food. By avoiding these toxins, you lessen the burden on your body.

6.   Eat a whole foods diet high in vegetables, fish and whole grains to detox and heal

Vegetables contain natural antioxidants and minerals that are necessary to decrease inflammation. Brightly colored vegetables are very high in vitamins and minerals that the body can use to detoxify and heal.

7.   Avoid inflammatory foods

These foods include coffee, chocolate, dairy, sugar, potatoes, corn, peanuts, and wheat. All these foods are difficult for the body to digest and create inflammation.

See what happens. With less inflammation, your pain will decrease and your body will heal more effectively. And you will experience numerous additional benefits from these simple dietary changes.

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The Benefits of Lavender

Have a look at our 20 reasons to use Lavender Essential Oil – a remedy for aching muscles, acne, bugs & bacteria, burns, cuts & wounds, earache, eczema, fatigue, fevers, giddy spells, palpitations, headache, insomnia, long haul travel, menstrual cramps, moths &
mosquitoes, sandflies, scabies, shingles, sinusitis, stress & anxiety and sunburn.

1. Aching Muscles
If you’ve spent a back-breaking afternoon in the garden, jump into a lavender bath to soothe aches & pains away. Apply Epsom salts & a few drops of Lavender Oil to the bath and soak away the tension.

2. Acne
Lavender is one of the most valuable oils for the treatment of acne, according to aromatherapists. “It inhibits the bacteria that cause the skin infection, helps to rebalance the over-secretion of sebum, which the bacteria thrive on, and reduce scarring”. Add a few drops of
lavender oil to a plain cream sold by chemists and use as a moisturizer or cleanser.

3. Bugs & Bacteria
French laboratory studies in the early 20th century showed that lavender is a powerful antibacterial in dilutions of 5 per cent or ess it is lethal to bacteria that cause typhoid, TB & diphtheria. Combined with Lemon Balm, for its clinically tested anti-viral properties.

4. Burns (minor)
After you have cooled the area by immersing it in running cold water for 5 minutes, gently stroke on neat lavender oil. Pain relief is almost immediate, and burn usually heals without scarring.

5. Cuts & Wounds
Apply lavender oil to sooth pain, prevent bacterial infection and aid scar-free healing. Apply neat.

6. Earache
Warm a bottle of lavender oil in hot water for a minute or two, then gently massage a few drops into the skin around the ears and throat. For babies & small children, add 2-3 drops of the warmed oil to a little olive oil and massage in the same way.

7. Eczema
Stroke infused lavender oil (a few drops of lavender oil & carrier oil) into dry, itchy skin—small children will find this especially comforting or add a few drops of lavender oil to calamine lotion,
shake before use.

8. Fatigue
Add 5 drops of lavender oil to a hot foot bath and relax while your feet soak in it. The soles of the feet are particularly porous, so lavender reaches your bloodstream very quickly, exerting its stimulating and soothing effects on various systems of your body.

9. Fevers
For babies or small children, sponge them down very gently with tepid water to which you have added a drop of lavender oil. Take care not to let them get chilled. This works for adults too.

10. Giddy Spells, Faintness or Palpitations
Make your own smelling salts—sea salt , lavender oil, peppermint oil & basil oil.

11. Headache
The distilled water of Lavender (Hydrosol) Mist around your head, is refreshing and soothing. Alternatively, make a compress of a piece of cause or muslin soaked in icy cold water then sprinkled with a few drops of lavender oil and apply to the forehead, or massage a few drops into the forehead, temples and nape of the neck.

12. Insomnia
In a number of small studies, elderly psychiatric patients have been shown to sleep better and be more alert during the day when their sleep medication is replaced with lavender oil either dropped on their pillows, or placed in a diffuser on the ward. To help to induce sleep, put 3 or 4 drops of lavender oil on your pillow. For babies, add 1 drop of lavender oil & geranium oil in carrier oil and massage into a babies back or a few drops in their bedtime bath.

13. Long-Haul Travel
Combine lavender, rosemary, Neroli, frankincense & clary sage, into your hand luggage and roll it over your pulse points to help you keep a clear head during those endless hours in the air.

14. Menstrual Cramps
Massage a few drops of lavender oil into your lower abdomen or apply a hot compress onto the area, which a little lavender oil has been sprinkled.

15. Moths, Midges & Mosquitoes
These annoying little insects all hate the smell of lavender. To prevent bites, splash yourself with lavender hydrosol before you go out at sunset or to bed, put 3-4 drops of oil on your pillow or soak cotton wool ball in the oil and leave it on a saucer in front of the window. Lavender oil is also a terrific remedy for insect bites, soothing itching & inflammation: dab it on to them neat as soon as possible. To keep moths off your clothes, hand lavender bags on you coat hangers or keep them among your sweaters and refresh them with a drop or two of lavender oil from time to time.

16. Scabie
This infestation by a tiny mite burrowing into your skin causes intense itching. Rub the whole body with neat lavender oil, then following every day until better with a mixture of lavender oil and
alcohol. Change and wash bedding and clothes and sprinkle lavender oil on the mattress.

17. Shingles
Combine a mix of lavender oil with, analgesic, antiviral & scar preventing essential oils neat or on compresses on the agonizing lesions of shingles. It usually produces a cure within 5-8 days.

18. Sinusitis
Lavender is one of several essential oils that aromatherapists recommend for inhalations to relieve sinusitis, add two drops of lavender & thyme oil to a bowl of near-steaming water and inhale slowly and deeply, with a towel over your head & bowl.

19. Stress & Anxiety
Keep a spritzer of Lavender Mist – Hydrosol handy to spray on your face during the day, or apply lavender oil neat to your temples.

20. Sunburn
Spray pure Lavender Mist – Hydrosol directly onto the skin or Add 8 drops of lavender oil and 4 drops of peppermint oil to a teaspoon of jojoba oil. Pour it into a cool-to-lukewarm bath and soak for 10 minutes.

To learn more about other Herbal Remedies go to our Herbal Remedies page. http://www.celestialhealing.net/herbal_guide2.htm