By wendy, on September 12th, 2012%
 
Doctor, Why Does My Face Still Ache?: Getting Relief from Persistent Jaw, Ear, Tooth, and Headache Pain by Donald R. Tanenbaum, DDS, MPH and S. L. Roistacher, DDS is an outstanding explanation of the causes of facial pain, and why it’s so hard to find treatments that actually work.
I thought the following quote was exceptionally appropriate because so many chronic pain patients have spent years hearing doctors, nurses, friends, and family members telling them that their pain is “all in your head.” Although Dr. Tanenbaum’s explanations of the causes of facial pain rest on the mind/body connection, he makes it quite clear that this is a physical problem, not a psychiatric or psychological one.
“While the brain’s inability to maintain normal muscle function is the catalyst for your pain, it is important to emphasize that the pain is not “in your head.” Real physical changes have occurred in muscles and their associated nerves and tissues.” (Emphasis mine.)
I have to admit that I expected this to be a difficult read. With many complex muscle and joint interactions; plus the interplay of stress, the mind, and the body to explain; I anticipated many hard to understand medical and dental terms, paired with complicated definitions. Instead I found terms with clear, plain-English explanations that were easy to follow and actually made sense; and drawings that show the interplay of muscles and the areas of referred pain.
Dr. Tanenbaum provides simple, straight-forward explanations of complicated concepts like referred pain; sensitization; and how it is possible to have severe pain without having any structural problems, damage, or disease processes causing it. He spells out how stress, suppressed anger, and the physical habits (like nail-biting, jaw-clenching, tooth grinding, etc.) we develop to deal with them can affect the muscles of the head, neck and shoulders; causing muscle tension, spasms, and referred pain. He also provides an excellent flow chart showing the interactions and feedback loops of a “brain under siege” by long-term stress (recreated here with permission.)
 Copyright 2012 by Donald R. Tanenbaum and S. L. Roistacher (reprinted with permission) I highly recommend this book for anyone who has unrelieved facial pain, especially if you’ve been seeing multiple doctors trying to find a way to ease your pain and getting no results, or having even more pain after treatment. An extra copy for your doctor or dentist can help him/her treat you more effectively, or help you get a referral to an appropriate specialist if that is necessary. I’ve even found that some of the techniques suggested in the book help me manage my fibromyalgia pain, since stress increases central sensitization, which is a factor in both facial pain and fibro pain.
About Dr. Tannenbaum: Donald Tanenbaum is a specialist in orofacial pain. He was the Council Chair of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain 2020-2011, as well as President of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain 2009-2010. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at Hofstra North Shore, LIJ School of Medicine; Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dental Medicine at Stony Brook University; and Section Head, Associate Attending Orofacial Pain/Dental Sleep Medicine Department of Dental Medicine Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Center New Hyde Park, NY
Disclosure: A free review copy was provided by the author. No other form of compensation has been offered or received for this review.
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By wendy, on May 30th, 2012%
 English: MLK Memorial, Washington, DC: Passing through the "Mountain of Despair" to the "Stone of Hope" (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Wendy Burnett
(This post was written for the June PFAM (Patients for a Moment) Blog Carnival, which is now live and being hosted on ChronicBabe.com)
“Life sucks, and then you die” – unknown
Normally, I don’t believe this, but lately I’ve been having a SERIOUS “life sucks” period. Things have been extremely difficult since I lost my job, insurance, and home in 2008; but we’ve been surviving, and there have been some pretty good things that have happened during the last 4 years so it wasn’t all bad.
Those of you who have been following this blog, and/or interact with me on Facebook, probably know that we’ve been renting a converted garage from friends since we lost our house. It’s not a great situation, we don’t have kitchen or bathing facilities down here (we have to go up to the main house to cook or bathe;) and it’s small, cramped, and dark. On the other hand; it’s close enough to my part-time job that I can walk to work, our roommates/landlords have been really awesome about letting us pay late if our checks aren’t enough to cover the rent that week and letting us borrow their car to get hubby back and forth to work, and it’s close to public transportation.
Financially, it’s been a real strain though . . . the job situation in the city is really bad, so there’s a lot of competition. For people like us; older (I’m over 50,) with spotty work records due to illnesses, etc.; there aren’t many options except part-time, low-wage retail work that doesn’t pay enough to live on; and even those jobs are almost impossible to find.
Hubby works for a retail crafts store that gives him an average of 11 hours a week. (In other words, he makes $50 to $75 a week, and it took 6 months to find THAT job.) This confuses me – why hire 6 people to split hours between when you could hire 3, give them 20 to 25 hours a week, and they MIGHT actually be able to eat? They’d still be part-time, so you still get he benefits of hiring part-time workers instead of full time ones, but your employees have a better chance at a semi-decent life and the turnover isn’t as high.
My job is a little better, since I average 25 to 30 hours a week, and I’ve been there 2 years so I’ve gone from minimum wage to $8.50 an hour. The problem is, it’s very physical so it keeps my pain levels higher than they are on days I don’t work; and it’s customer service, which is very stressful and also triggers my fibromyalgia. Even worse; we barely manage to cover rent, food and a few OTC remedies for my physical issues; so the financial stresses are HUGE; and because there’s no money to pay anything on debts from before I lost my $60,000 a year job, I’ve been garnished. Even if I was physically able to work more hours, it would make absolutely no difference to my income because every penny I make over $186 a week is taken away. (That does NOT mean I can count on $186 a week though. If I’m sick or hurt and have to call out, I don’t get paid; and there’s at least one week a month that I only get 16 to 20 hours, which works out to a take home pay of $75 to $150.)
So where does the starting over come into all of this? That’s complicated . . . Continue reading Starting Over is a B**ch »
By wendy, on January 21st, 2012%
By Wendy Burnett
I’ve been seeing some questions online about what a “flare” is, and how you know when you’re having one. The simplest definition is “a time when your fibromyalgia symptoms get worse, then improve again.” (With the caveat that if they STAY worse permanently it’s not a flare, its a worsening of the illness.)
A “fibromyalgia flare” is actually more accurately described as a “symptom flare,” since it can involve ANY symptom or combination of symptoms related to the illness or to comorbid conditions. Most patients (and doctors) only look at pain and fatigue levels; but increased severity of IBS/other digestive issues, fibrofog, anxiety, depression, itching, skin sensitivity, or any other symptom related to your fibromyalgia is ALSO a flare.
Each patient tends to have their own specific definition, so if you ask 20 people, you’ll actually get 20 different definitions; but they’ll all have some things in common: Continue reading What is a Fibromyalgia “Flare”? »
By wendy, on December 31st, 2011%
 Image via Wikipedia By Wendy Burnett
Okay, you don’t know what “painsomnia” is, or if you have it, but you definitely have trouble sleeping on a regular basis, right? After all, that’s a common issue for anyone with chronic illnesses. Painsomnia is a term I came across on Twitter; I don’t know who came up with it, but it is absolutely perfect for what it’s intended to describe. (If you invented it, or know who did, please leave me a note in the comments so I can give credit where credit is due.)
painsomnia – combined word made up of the words pain and insomnia, used to describe an inability to sleep because of high pain levels.
There are tons of posts and articles out there with tips for going to sleep more easily and getting better quality sleep. There are also a lot of articles about ways to reduce your pain levels. There are, however, only a few posts or articles available that suggest ways to do both at the same time. (Most of them are found on blogs that focus on living with chronic illness in general, or a specific illness.)
Doctors aren’t much help with this one, since they usually want to throw another pill at the problem. More pills can be problematic for anyone with a chronic pain disorder like fibromyalgia, since sleeping pills and pain medications may not work well together. Even if you have medications for both pain and sleep, sometimes even the maximum safe dose isn’t enough and you need extra help.
There are lots of safe options you can try that won’t interact with the medication you take, but first I’m going to give you a short list of things NOT to do.
- NEVER, ever use alcohol with pain medications. This is one of the most dangerous things you can do, since alcohol and pain meds are both depressants, and the combination can (and often does) kill. This is even more dangerous if you’re also taking muscle relaxers, sleep medications, or anxiety medications in any combination with your pain-killers.
- Don’t add over-the-counter medications that haven’t been approved by your doctor. OTC pain and sleep medications can also have serious, even deadly, effects when combined with prescription medications. Even cough and/or cold medications and antihistamines can be dangerous if they contain alcohol or an ingredient that causes sleepiness.
- Finally, (and this one is going to sound a bit odd from me, since anyone who has read much of this blog knows I’m a great proponent of herbs and supplements,) don’t use herbs with prescription medications unless you’ve thoroughly researched the possible interactions or discussed it with an expert herbalist you trust. (I am not an expert, I’m a knowledgeable amateur. Without knowing exactly what you take, and what the dose is, even an expert can’t make definite recommendations, only suggestions of things for you to research.)
Now for the good stuff, things you can do to make it easier to sleep, in spite of the pain:
Heat:
Heat is great for easing the aches and pains of many chronic illnesses, and most of us have electric heating pads, but going to sleep with one turned on can be dangerous. It can cause burns if left in one spot for too long, and if you roll over on it and get it folded over, you can end up breaking the wires inside and getting a bad electric shock or shorting it out and causing a fire. For bedtime, a much safer option is TheraBeads Microwaveable Moist Heat Packs . It may take a bit of experimentation to determine how long to nuke them for, but I have one of the neck wraps and a rectangular one that I love. I zap them right before I go to bed, and they stay warm more than long enough for me to fall asleep. There’s no chance of burns after you fall asleep, because they gradually cool down, the hottest they ever are is when you first pull them out of the microwave. (If the Therabeads hot packs are too expensive, you can get a similar result with a sock filled with cheap white rice heated in the microwave. This doesn’t provide the moist heat that seems to help the best; and it’s difficult to shape in a way that is comfortable to lay on; but it is an affordable, workable solution for areas where you can put it on top of or beside the painful area.)
Another option, if you have extra pillows and more sore spots than heat sources, is to lay a goose down pillow over the area that needs heat. This one takes longer while you wait for the insulating properties of the goose down to build up the heat, but it works well. (I don’t know if other types of pillows will work or not, since I only have goose down, but it’s worth a try. If you try another kind of pillow, please let me know how they work.)
A final note: I sometimes have so many heat sources on different areas that I get overheated. If I’m going to be awake, I’ll place a well-wrapped ice pack on my stomach to help cool me down. (Don’t do this right after a meal, since the cold will slow down digestion and can cause some discomfort from that.) After 20 minutes (which is the longest you should ever leave an icepack in one spot,) I move it to the top of my head or the back of my neck for about 10 minutes. That helps to reduce my body temperature, without making any of my joints hurt. At bedtime, I put it close to, but not touching, the top of my head, since I (hopefully) won’t be awake to move it every 20 minutes. The cool air coming off the icepack encourages my body to send more blood to the area to keep it warm, and helps to cool the blood before it returns to the areas that are receiving heat. (This also works with the icepack near your feet if the cold doesn’t make them hurt.)
Pillows:
Pillows are another important “tool” for helping you get to sleep. Many of my chronic friends use multiple pillows to help them get comfortable, and the wrong pillow under your head can make sleep impossible and cause you even more pain.
If you wake up every morning with a stiff neck, tense shoulders, or a headache; you’re almost certainly sleeping on a pillow that is wrong for you. Pillows are very individual, since the “right” pillow for you depends on a lot of different things. The first is whether you sleep on your side or your back, but that’s not all that needs to factor into your decision.
Your pillow needs to keep your head and neck in a “neutral” position, so that your spine is straight, and your head isn’t tilted forward or backward. Imagine a perfectly straight, level line running from the top of your spine through the top of your head. If your pillow allows your head to droop, or pushes your head up; so that the line meets the top of your head anywhere other than directly over the top of your spine; it will put a strain on all the muscles of your neck, shoulders, and upper back. This can cause you to have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep; as well as causing headaches and/or pain in the neck, shoulders, and back.
Extra pillows can also be very helpful. A body pillow can help to keep side-sleepers from twisting their back into an unnatural position and support their top arm and leg. A pillow or rolled blanket under the knees for those who sleep on their backs can prevent strain on the lower back and hips and help with sciatica pain. Finally, a foam wedge (in addition to the pillow) will raise the head and upper body several inches, and can help those who have heartburn problems or difficulty breathing when laying flat.
For more pillow ideas, check out this blog post: ‘Twas the Night before Christmas (A Tale of Four Pillows). Not only does it have lots of useful info, it’s really cute, too. (There are lots of other great posts on there, too.)
Breathing Exercises and Guided Meditations:
Another thing that helps me is breathing exercises. When I lay down, I focus on my breathing, taking long, slow, deep breaths in, then slowly releasing them. If it’s a really bad night, I’ll repeat “go to sleep” in my head on each inhale and exhale, with “go to” on the inhale and “sleep” on the exhale. That helps me relax, and keeping my attention on my breathing helps me to NOT pay attention to the pain.
I also have multiple guided meditations and relaxation exercises on CDs and as mp3s. I use them on a regular basis, with a set of earbuds or headphones. Focusing on the exercise ALWAYS sends me to sleep. (I don’t think I’ve ever heard the end of most of them, unless I’ve listened to them while I was sitting at the computer or something.) If earbuds or headphones make it too difficult for you to get comfortable, listening to the meditations or exercises until you’ve learned them by heart, then practicing them when you go to bed will also help.
Miscellaneous Bits and Pieces:
Taking a bath with 2 cups of epsom salt before bed helps to relax tense muscles and ease pain. (Use a water temperature that is comfortable for you, and if you need a temperature that’s too cool to easily dissolve the salt, pre-dissolve it in a little bit of hot water, then adjust the temp in the tub.) Adding a few drops of lavender essential oil to the bathwater will enhance the effect of the epsom salt. (Before using any essential oil other than lavender for the first time, please see my article Using Essential Oils Safely.)
Adding a drop or two of lavender essential oil to your pillow or a diffuser can also help you relax and sleep.
If light and noise are an issue, a good sleep mask and set of earplugs are essential. I use a Bucky Eye Shade because it’s very lightweight and comfortable, as well as being easily adjustable. It does a good job of blocking the light, even when I sleep on my side, and has a small pocket on the front for storing my earplugs so I don’t misplace them.
Herbs:
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or certified herbalist, and do not recommend using herbs without consulting an expert. Herbs can be useful, but many of them can and do interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications. NEVER use any herbal product without making sure it’s safe with your own particular combination of meds and physical issues.
I use herbal teas to help me go to sleep, too, but that requires a good bit of research and experimentation to determine which ones would be safe with your particular medications, any allergies you may have, etc. Chamomile is a decent one for bedtime, and is easily found at almost any grocery store on the coffee and tea aisle, but if you’re allergic to ragweed or any other member of the daisy family you could be allergic to it, too, and need to be EXTREMELY careful if you decide to try it.
Catnip is another option, if there are possible allergy issues with the chamomile, but you have to either get it from an herb store or order it on line (unless you happen to grow it) because it’s not available in a regular grocery (the stuff they sell for you to give your cat isn’t safe for human consumption, it’s almost always too old and is frequently contaminated with other stuff.)
Your Mattress:
I’ve left this one for last because most of us can’t afford to buy a new mattress anyway, but if you can afford to, this might be the best thing you’ve ever done for your painsomnia.
The vast majority of us own innerspring mattresses, which is fine for most people, but for those of us with chronic pain, they can be the worst possible kind of mattress there is. The springs can put pressure on sensitive areas, and the older the mattress is, the more likely it is that some springs will have different pressures from others. In addition, innerspring mattresses don’t conform to your body very well, so you may not be getting the support you need in some areas, while other areas are receiving too much support.
The reading I’ve done suggests that the “memory foam” type mattresses and the “Sleep Number” mattresses tend to be the best for those of us with chronic pain. Both are conformable, and neither has anything in them that will cause pressure points or uneven support. They each have advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them is very individual.
I use a “Sleep Number Bed,” and my reasons for choosing it over the foam may give you some hints about which type would work best for you. I like being able to change the firmness of the bed to suit my needs. I can make it firmer if I’m having more problems with low back pain, and soften it if I need less pressure on my joints.
I also have problems with overheating on the foam. I purchased a pillow made out of the memory foam when I was trying to decide which type of mattress to get, and I’m really glad I did. I couldn’t spend more than a couple of hours on that pillow without getting soaked with sweat anywhere my body touched it. I can’t imagine trying to sleep with my entire body resting on it, since just the pillow made me miserably hot, and that was actually the determining factor for me.
The foam does have a major advantage though. If you can’t afford a new mattress, you can get a foam topper for your old mattress. This solves most of the issues caused by an innerspring mattress (unless the mattress is so old that it has deep, permanent depressions in it) while costing much less than a new mattress.
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By wendy, on November 26th, 2011%
 Image by librarygrrrl via Flickr By Wendy Burnett
Day 26 – The prompt for today’s Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Prompts (#HAWMC) is: “I still remember… Free write a post that starts with the line “I still remember…””
I decided that since this one is so general, I’d narrow things down a bit to keep it relevant to chronic illness. Since I mostly focus on my fibromyalgia, or chronic illness and chronic pain in general, I thought I’d put the focus on one of my other issues this time, so this post is going to focus on my migraines.
I still remember . . . the worst migraine I ever had. It’s something I’ll probably never forget. (My hubby probably won’t either, it scared the shit out of him.) I woke up at my usual time and called in to work to remind my boss that I had a doctor’s appointment that day. My head was aching a bit and I felt kind of sick, but I went through my usual routine of showering and washing my hair anyway, feeling worse and worse as I did.
By the time I got done, I felt bad enough to lay down until time to dress, so I curled up with my sleep mask, until suddenly I was violently nauseous. I barely made it to the bathroom before I lost it (thank goodness there was a throw rug I could just roll up to toss into the washer later,) and I was in there so long, making such awful noises, that hubby actually came to check on me.
It got worse from there, because I’m a stubborn bitch, and was determined I wasn’t going to miss an appointment with the rheumatologist that was always booked solid for 6 months ahead.
Hubby had to help me dress, with several interruptions to run worship the porcelain goddess, and eventually we emptied a small trashcan that I could just carry around with me. By this time, my head felt like it was going to explode, even with all the shades drawn and the lights off I could barely stand to open my eyes, and every time hubby whispered a question I nearly screamed from the pain.
Needless to say, the 45 minute drive to the doctor’s office, hugging my trashcan all the way, was a nightmare for both of us. Every bump in the road felt like someone was jabbing a railroad spike through my head, every time I had to open my eyes the light felt like razor blades slicing through my eyeballs, and every sound was like sharp knives inserted into my brain. Poor hubby wasn’t that much better off, either. He has a weak stomach, so every time I heaved, he gagged and choked.
I must admit though, it’s the fastest I’ve ever been taken to the back . . . the second time they had to rush to unlock the door so I could get to the bathroom before I shared my technicolor yawns with everyone in the waiting room, they stuck me in an exam room. I guess they wanted to get me seen and out of there before they had to clean up after me, because the nurse went ahead and started the intake stuff, mostly while I was hanging over their trashcan.
By that point, I couldn’t stop heaving, and within 5 minutes the nurse had rushed out the door and was back with a needle full of something. She kept waiting for the heaves to stop long enough for her to give me the shot, but it just wasn’t happening, so finally she had to poke me while I had my head stuck in the trashcan. (I have NEVER been so glad to be jabbed with a needle in all my life. LOL)
I don’t know what was in that syringe, but it was some damn good stuff. It was only about a minute before the vomiting stopped, and by the time I rinsed my mouth out I was so groggy that hubby had to pick me up and put me on the exam table (I don’t actually remember that part, the next thing I remember is waking up about 2 hours later.) Hubby said later that the nurse had been in there checking on me about every 15 minutes; and as soon as they found out I was awake the doctor came in, we finished the appointment, and I was GONE. (With scripts for Phenergan, Maxalt, and some narcotic pain-reliever in addition to my usual double handful of stuff.)
I’ve had other bad migraines, including ones that lasted for days of wishing someone would chop my head off for me, and others where I threw up several times. I’ve had lots of migraines where I wished I could just die and get it over with, but that’s the only one that ever made me wonder if it was actually possible to die of a migraine.
This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J
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By wendy, on November 26th, 2011%
By Wendy Burnett
Day 24: Today’s Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Prompt (#HAWMC) is: “My Mascot! Give your condition, community, or self a mascot. Who is it? What do they represent? What is their battle cry?”
 FibroFighter's secret weapons When I first saw this prompt, it freaked me out a little . . . Me, create a mascot? Oh no, I couldn’t do that. After all, I’m not that creative, am I? Well, maybe I am, because the idea kept sort of sloshing about in the mush that is my brain; bumping into all these other ideas about fibro, and coping, and pain. Some of the ideas stuck together, a picture started forming in my head, and suddenly there she was. FibroFighter, the fibromyalgia mascot, waving a hot pad and shouting “I can do it!”
FibroFighter is just as much a superhero as a mascot though. She has to be to do even part of the things that a “normal” (read “not sick”) person does every day while coping with constant pain, exhaustion so deep it feels like it pins her to the bed, and fibrofog that turns her brain to mush.
FibroFighter’s “secret weapons:” Continue reading Introducing . . . FibroFighter! the Fibromyalgia Mascot/Superhero »
By wendy, on November 26th, 2011%
By Wendy Burnett
Day 25 – The Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Prompt (#HAWMC) for today is: “Never Have I Ever. You stick to your guns – now tell us about what. What is something you’ve never done but want to. What’s something you’ve never done and won’t budge on?”
Part one is easy . . . I’ve never been to Hawaii, and I WANT to go (permanently.) Actually, I guess any tropical island would do, I just happen to know that Hawaii has the internet connectivity I need.
 Randy Son of Robert via Flickr I’ve always loved the ocean and beaches, and being on an island would totally surround me with both. Water in all its forms nourishes my soul, relieves my stress, and relaxes my body. I’ve also always been fascinated by the juxtaposition of beauty and danger in volcanoes, and can never resist watching programs about them. In Hawaii, I would have both, along with warmer temperatures (winter is always the worst time of the year for me, with the cold increasing my baseline pain levels.)
I grew up in south Florida, on the coast, and I miss the feel of the salt air, the roar of the surf, and the ocean breezes. Continue reading Never Have I Ever . . . Now How CAN I? »
By wendy, on November 2nd, 2011%
What do you pay attention to in your life? Is it the 5 people who say, “I hope your pain levels drop soon,” or the one who makes a nasty comment like, “fibromyalgia doesn’t exist, you just don’t want to have to work like the rest of us?” (Yes, I’ve actually had someone say that to me.)
I’m going to tell you something you already know, and you’re likely to think I’m sort of nuts until you read a little further.
You can only see the things you look at.
Yes, it sounds stupidly obvious, of course if you don’t look at it you can’t see it, but there’s a point to this statement that is directly related to living as well as possible with your chronic illnesses. It took me a LOT of years to make the connection (I’m a little slow,) and I’m hoping I can help you catch on a little quicker than I did. Continue reading Where is Your Attention Focused?: Positive Thinking for the Chronically Ill »
By wendy, on September 15th, 2011%
 Image by bloomingdalelibrary via Flickr
By Wendy Burnett
One of my absolute favorite activities is a nice long soak in a hot bath full of some wonderful smelling bath salts, but that can be expensive if you have to go out and buy the bath salts at the store. I’ve found out I can make my own; quickly, easily, AND cheaply; with just a few simple ingredients.
Not only are they just as luxurious as the store bought ones, but I can select essential oils that help to relax me and ease my pain, or ones that will wake me up and reduce depression. I decide what effect I want, and with a little research and experimentation, I can get it.
CAUTION: Do not use pure essential oils directly on your skin. They are very strong, and can cause burns and scarring if used undiluted. If you accidentally get some on you, use olive oil or coconut oil on it immediately to dilute it, and see a doctor if there is any pain or reddening of the skin. Also, you should never use an essential oil derived from any plant you are allergic to. (If you’re allergic to ragweed, be extremely careful of chamomile oil. They are members of the same family, and an allergy to ragweed means you may also react to chamomile.) See Using Essential Oils Safely for more information.
The Recipe
- epsom salt
- a glass container with an airtight seal (you can’t use plastic or metal with essential oils, the oils will interact with the container, and could introduce toxins to your salts.)
- essential oils of your choice
- optional: unscented sea salt to mix with the epsom salt
Note: The magnesium in the epsom salt is absorbed through your skin, and helps to relieve pain and relax your muscles. If you’re using the bath to help ease the symptoms of your chronic illness, I recommend that you use no more than half sea salt if you mix it. Although sea salt also contains many trace minerals, it doesn’t work as well to ease pain; and it increases the price of your blend because it is much more expensive.
The basic recipe is simple. For each cup of salt, add 10 drops of essential oil. I like to layer it, with a cup of salt, add 10 drops of oil, another cup of salt, another 10 drops of oil until my container is about 3/4 of the way full, then seal it and shake it up really well. It just seems to mix better and infuse the scents more evenly, especially if I’m using several different oils. For the most even infusion and blending of scents, leave the jar sealed for at least 24 hours before using, shaking it several times to remix and blend.
One of my favorite essential oil blends is half lavender and half rosemary. They are both excellent for skin irritations like psoriasis, eczema or insect bites; stimulate the circulatory system; reduce stress and fatigue; help with migraines and tension headaches; open the the bronchial tubes and help with asthma and bronchitis; repel insects; and reduce pain. Lavender also helps to reduce depression and anxiety, eases the pain of sciatica, and is helpful with vertigo; and rosemary is helpful with neuralgia and “fibrog” (it’s a mental stimulant.)
Using your bath salt:
Fill the tub with water as warm as you can handle (if that’s only tepid, that’s just fine.) Add two to five cups of your bath salt under the running water, swishing it around to make sure it all dissolves, climb in and relax for at least 20 minutes (I normally end up staying at least an hour, adding warm water as needed to keep the temperature comfortable.)
For an even more relaxing, stress-relieving experience; turn off the lights, light a couple of unscented candles, and play some soothing music or a guided meditation.
This bath salt blend is also very helpful in a foot bath at the end of a long, tiring day. It will help relieve the pain of being on your feet, as well as helping to ease the fatigue. Add one cup of the bath salt to a warm foot bath, and soak for at least 20 minutes, adding warm water if needed to keep it at a comfortable temperature.
I’ve found that taking a long, hot bath with my homemade bath salts helps me manage the symptoms of my fibromyalgia, as well as being helpful with various other chronic illness issues. Stress makes my symptoms worse, and a bath not only relieves pain and reduces muscle tension, it also helps me relax and reduces my stress levels.
With the addition of a label and a pretty ribbon, homemade bath salts also make an excellent, inexpensive gift for almost any occasion. You’ll save money, and the recipient will enjoy a soothing experience that will make them feel wonderful.
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By wendy, on September 6th, 2011%
 Map of Washington State's physical terrain, made by the USGS using their NED dataset. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) By Wendy Burnett
An Open Letter to Washington State Legislators
Dear Legislators,
I understand your desire to reduce accidental overdoses and diversion of prescription pain relievers, but these new regulations are not the way to do it.
Doctors are already abandoning their chronic pain patients, dumping patients who have a legitimate need for opiod pain medications because the new regulations will make it impossible for them to prescribe desperately needed medications without risking their careers and their freedom; and leaving themselves open to malpractice suits every time a patient makes a bad decision and accidentally kills themselves with their medication.
Many hospitals, emergency departments, and clinics have adopted strict anti-opiod policies; so you better pray to whatever god you believe in that you don’t have a car accident and get taken to one of these emergency rooms. If you do, you won’t get pain treatment that works . . . Continue reading Washington State’s Restrictive Regulations Will KILL Pain Patients »
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