Go to http://Pinterest.com/KathrynMerrow and you will find my Pinterest Board.  It’s all about natural pain relief and living the good life.

Click on the Board and it will open up.

My goal is to create a relaxing, soothing, helpful, healthy and fun Board.

Go on–relax a while.  And let me know what you think.

Remember:  It doesn’t matter if you educate yourself about your pain and other uncomfortable symptoms unless you take action.

There is a saying that you can’t hire someone to do your sit-ups for you.  You have to do them yourself.  (But I am not a fan of sit-ups; just suck your belly into your spine and hold it.)

“I stumbled upon your site and was astonished at my complete ignorance about the mechanics of my own body – specifically how my neck, shoulders and arm were all so closely related.

When I read your article that explained how the muscles of the shoulder can become imbalanced – I knew I was on to something – you described many of my issues and the subsequent pain perfectly. I immediately put some of your tips into practice – the shoulder rolls, the arm circles and using the bed as a resistance training tool..and even though the movements were painful at first, I kept at it because it was a good pain, if that makes any sense.”

I have experienced and heard about ‘good pain’ many, many times.  That means the area being treated is the correct area.  It is the area of muscle and soft tissue that is causing the pain or symptom.

Working on just the symptom often doesn’t let the symptom relax.  You have to get to the cause of the symptom.  Then it can relax and you will feel better. 

There may be some discomfort as you try new movements but it’s your body and you can control the discomfort.  Just move slowly and thoughtfully.  As your body gets more and more happy, the discomfort will be less and less.

The video that demonstrates the arm circles in the quote is at http://budurl.com/CircleArms.

So, keep reading, watch the video, educate yourself and take action!  You can’t always count on your doctor to help you get rid of your pain because most of them don’t understand the connection between muscles and pain; that’s not what they learned in med school.

Taking action will help you get rid of your muscle aches and pain naturally.

They are not really oils (so they aren’t oily) but they are extracted or distilled from real plants and flowers.

On the other hand, we have FAKE smells.  They are created in laboratories.  From chemicals.

Yuck. 

This article came about because I saw an ad for a ‘wonderful smell’ that would make you feel like you were on a tropical vacation every time you get a whiff of it.  You will catch the scent every time you walk in the area and every time you walk past you will breathe–are you ready?–chemicals into your beautiful body.

And so will your kids.  And your pets.

Do you really want regular doses of chemicals that you don’t need and your body doesn’t like?  Really?

What’s the option to the fake scented products that make your home smell ‘fresh’ and ‘clean’?

Buy essential oils.

You can make your own blends of essential oils or use them individually.  You can find them at most health food stores.  They come in small bottles.  They usually have testers so you can smell them first.

I am currently using a mix of clove and rosemary in my home.  Smells warm and spicy.

My last batch was lavender, rosemary and red thyme.  Very refreshing and evergreen smelling.

Essential oils are very strong so you need only a few drops to scent a whole area.  There are many ways to scent the air with these precious natural oils.

You can mix with water to dilute the oils and spray them, place them into a reed diffuser (that’s what I usually use), put 4-5 drops straight into  your bath water after it has finished running or add a couple of drops to your shampoo or hand lotion.

Most need to be added to something (like oil or lotion) before being applied to your skin.  The only two that you can apply directly to your skin are tea tree oil and lavender.

As with everything else,  you have to read labels to be sure that you are truly getting essential oils and not something that a chemist in a laboratory brewed up to boost product sales.

There’s plenty of that fake stuff out there.  It’s much cheaper than real essential oils (that’s why manufacturers use it) and the fake scents don’t do you any good–and could do you damage.

• Is it all over your body or just in certain areas?
• Does it only hurt after certain activities?
• Do you wake up with it?
• Or does it get worse over the day?

Let’s say your muscle pain is in one area only.

Some therapists, doctors and individuals try to get rid of the pain by treating the area that hurts.  But the answer is often not to attack only the area where it hurts because that area is just a symptom.

The answer is to get to the cause of your muscle pain. Figure out the cause and get rid of the cause.

Is your pain all in your back?  It could be posture-related. Do you slouch or slump? It could be that you always lean into the same corner of the couch. It could be your heavy book bag that causes you to lean forward.

It is something and that something needs to be changed so you will stop getting this pain.  Muscle pain is a message that something is wrong and needs changing.

And muscles need minerals to function their best. Do you eat a good diet that supplies lots of vitamins and minerals or do you eat mostly pre-packaged, highly processed foods and fast foods? They cannot supply what your muscles need. You cannot fool your muscles with fake foods. This can cause all-over pain.

What if your muscle pain is all over your body?

In that case, doctors often give a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia.  That basically means “muscle pain.”  And typically they cannot find a cause.

But you can find causes for Fibromyalgia at this link:   http://FibromyalgiaSurvivalGuide.com>  You can also discover how to get rid of it naturally there.

Here’s one more thing: The muscle pain in your back in your back may be caused because of tight muscles in the front of your body. Most of the time we have our hands and heads in front of our body and this shortens the muscles in the fronts of our chests, abdomen, arms and neck. That means the muscles in the front of the body need to be stretched.

If you have flat feet or fallen arches, that can also cause back pain and head and neck pain.  Arch supports are the answer for that and they cost less than $30 at this time for a good pair like runners use.  If your arches are flat, it throws your upper body forward and that causes muscle strain and pain.

If you can give your body movement, nutrition, stretching in the right directions and good posture you can get rid of your muscle pain naturally.

The drug Lyrica caused uncomfortable side effects for a reader and she asked for natural suggestions.

I am really biased about the benefits of massage therapy.  But sometimes it’s hard to reach your own feet and lower legs.

Also, massage always feels better and more effective when someone else does it for us.  But even when we do our own massage there are benefits.

What are those benefits?

• Massage increases circulation of blood and lymph fluid.
• It helps create healthier tissues.
• It promotes healthier nerves.
• It acts as exercise.  You don’t get the aerobic benefits but when your muscles are being massaged it is as though they are exercising.
• It creates a sense of feeling good even if you can’t feel it well in your feet and lower legs (or hands and arms.)
• Massage can move swelling away from the ankles and help relieve ‘stiffness’ in the muscles.

Some years ago, I was aware of a local doctor who was successfully treating patients who had neuropathy (nerve pain in feet) with a vibrational device or therapy machine.

Vibration is a form of massage.  It has the benefits of massage BUT hands-on is always better than a mechanical tool.

Here are my suggestions:

1.  If possible, have someone massage your lower legs and feet.  If you can reach your own feet you can do this yourself.  This is not deep, deep massage.  Massage would start with some lubricant (typically oil) and the intent would be to warm and soften the tissue and move the layers of tissue and muscle as they begin to soften.

This process may take from 5 to 10 or 15 minutes on each leg.  Adding lavender essential oil to your massage oil may have additional relaxation benefits.

2.  You can use a tennis ball or similar ball as a massage tool.  Roll a leg or foot on the ball without applying much pressure.  Roll back and forth on the same area 3 to 5 times.

3.  Use a vibrational device on the soles of your feet and the calf muscles.

4.  Massage your legs in bed by rocking one foot from side to side.  Do this ten times and then rest for ten seconds.  Alternate legs.  This will move the muscles all the way from foot to hip.

5.  If you are diabetic, follow the diet recommendations closely.

6.  Walking moves all of the muscles, too, and that helps them relax.  It increases blood flow and lymph flow just as massage does.  If you have comfortable shoes that don’t rub, you can walk.  Walking also reduces pain because it kicks in the ‘feel good’ hormones if you walk far enough.

7.  Using a topical analgesic may help, too.  For one thing, when you apply it by hand you are actually massaging the tissues.  For another, the sensation of the cream or lotion can distract you from the nerve pain.  People who use capsaicin cream for several weeks often report a lessening of symptoms.  But some people do NOT like the sensation of the capsaisin (hot peppers.)

8.  I would also suggest supporting your muscles and nerves with a good, potent  multi-vitamin and mineral supplement from a health food store.

9.  Moving through the water in a swimming pool also acts like a massage for your legs and feet.  Water also helps support your body weight and you may find it much easier to walk and move your legs and feet in water than on dry land.

Remember, I’m not a doctor.  Always try a new therapy thoughtfully and carefully.  Pay attention to how your body is responding.   I truly do enjoy seeing people feel better by using natural treatments.

But you do have to take action!

Just knowing what to do isn’t enough.  Take action.

It is possible to feel some benefit with the first treatment.  But treatments add up and you may feel even more benefit if you stick to it.

So there you have my suggestions on natural remedies to get rid of the nerve pain in your feet.

What is weight bearing exercise?  It’s as simple as standing and walking.

The ideal weight bearing exercise is done with good posture.  If you walk straight and tall your bones are all stacked as they are supposed to be.  And when they are stacked like that, they bear your weight.

And that makes bones stronger.

That’s the simple natural remedy for strong bones:  good posture and walking.  (<– Click this link to find a free report about walking without aches and pains.)

And it works for any kind of gift-giving for any occasion, any religion or nationality, throughout the year.

And I’m not knocking foreign-made products but keeping your money in your home town supports your friends, neighbors and family.  I did edit this a bit to make it a little kinder.  After all, I am a strong believer in prosperity for the world but right now your fellow American needs some help from you.

Please read on…

Christmas ~  Holiday Gifts — Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant foreign factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods — merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor.

This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands.

Everyone — yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It’s appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn’t appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants — all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn’t the fancy eatery  sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn’t about big National chains — this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people could use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

When you buy a five dollar string of imported lights, only about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their
dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn’t imagine.

THIS is the new American Gift Giving Tradition.

What you MAY find is dried plums.  That is their newest name.  Regardless.  They still taste yummy.

Potassium and boron are two of the components of strong bones and guess what?  Prunes have lots of those two minerals.  Prunes also have Vitamin K and lots of great fiber.

Studies indicate that eating 5 to 10 of these lovely dried plums each day will help you have stronger bones.  Don’t eat them all at once but space them out over the day.

Seriously, please don’t eat 10 at once.

Trust me.

Muscles move bones, joints and disks in your spine.  Muscles are the prime movers of your body!  You can move only  because you have muscles.

Yay, muscles!!

On the other hand, when your muscles get out of balance–too strong on one side of your body and too weak on the other then we don’t say, “Yay, muscles!”

We say, “Ouch!”

Dang muscles causing low back pain.

Well, it’s not their fault.  They wouldn’t be unhappy and complaining if we did everything perfectly in all of our movements.

But we don’t. 

But we can change.   Here’s how:

We can add movements that balance our muscles better.  We can use all of our muscles instead of the same old ones over and over.

Did you know we have over 300 muscles in our bodies?  Yet most of us get stuck using the same 70 or so over and over.  This is what creates muscle imbalance.

Here are two common scenarios:

• If the muscles in the front of your body are stronger than the back muscles, they will give you too much curve in your lower back.
• If the muscles in the back are stronger than the front, that will pull the curve out of your lower back.  You will not have enough of a hollow behind your waist.

Either of those situations will cause pain in your low back (and your neck and head.)

There is a really interesting program at http://BackPainFreedom.com.  (<– click here)  You might not be interested in the program, and that’s okay, but please do go there because I want you to see something.

Scroll down after you click that link and you will see good pictures that show exactly what I am talking about.  They will show how muscles affect the curve in your lower back and how that causes pain.

And if you keep scrolling down you will discover why sometimes exercises for low back pain just don’t work.  (Because they are not the ones your body needs!)  The causes of low back pain vary from person to person.  That means the movements for you to do to feel better will also vary.

One size does not fit all.

And you can always find more articles at http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com about the causes and natural remedies for lower back pain.

This link (click here–>) Dr. Mercola’s goes to Dr. Mercola’s site.  When you read his article you will discover the steps you must take to improve your health and help prevent stroke. 

He is the expert.  I am just the person who passes along needed information.

This IS important information for you to know.   These ARE steps that I take every day.  I hope you will, too.

I would be so happy if you didn’t have a stroke.