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Got back pain? Grab a bottle of vodka and use this herb...
15th October 2008.
Well I've followed my own tip these past two days
and have avoided singing songs from any
Rodgers & Hammerstein musical.
And as a result my back's thanking me for it.
Thanks to all of you who've written in my ideas for
pain relief; they're all very much appreciated.
Actually, if you ever want to go a step further and
send in some chocolates to 'the patient' then
please feel free. My favourites at the moment are
Roses and Wispa bars.
I'm sure it'll help the pain go away far quicker.
In the meantime, here's something I'm planning to
try courtesy of Good Lifer Mel:
'If anyone has a garden to grow Comfrey, it looks a
bit like Lily of the Valley. When grown the roots can
be taken, washed dried and steeped in Vodka for 10
days. It is then ready to use as a 'rub' for many
aches and pains.
I used to work in a bar and one day I gave this
remedy to a man who had a broken ankle which still
troubled him after a year, when after a couple of
days he came into the bar and actually jumped over
the bar itself to show that he was once again
perfectly fit.
Hope you enjoy this story.'
Mel
Thanks for that Mel.
I very much enjoyed this story for two reasons:
First, it's given me another natural way to tackle
back pain (and like I said on Friday, at my age it's
never that far away)...
And second, the ONLY way I'll be able to test if
this remedy works is by keeping true to the
original story and jumping over the bar at my local
pub. Just to test the strength of my back you
understand.
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The fact that I'll have a quick pint while I'm there is
entirely coincidental.
Here's another tip from Good Lifer Ann...
'Hi Ray,
I have just finished reading your latest e-mail on
back-ache, and very interesting and informative it is
too.
Anyway I just had to tell you that only last week my
hubby pulled his back too, and as it happened I had
a free sample of Manuka Honey & Bee Venom
Cream, produced in New Zealand. Well I rubbed
some into his back where he was getting the pain
just before we went to bed, and in the morning,
miracle!, no more pain for him, and he has not had
any trouble since.
Just thought it may be of interest to you.'
Great stuff Ann.
Forget dogs being a man's best friend. I think
bees give them a close run for their money.
As if making honey (including the marvel that is
manuka honey) wasn't enough, even their venom
helps keep us healthy.
And it's not just helpful for back pain...
Take this poison to beat arthritis pain
Bee venom is one of those substances that's
crammed with enzymes, peptides, amines, sugars,
lipids and amino acids...
But the wow factor ingredient... the one thing that
makes bee venom truly special, is a substance
called melittin, which just happens to be one of the
most powerful anti-inflammatories around.
Don't worry, I'm not suggesting you throw yourself
onto a hive of bees and call them names until you
rile them just to get stung.
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Because you can benefit from the healing
properties of bee venom without the pain, by
taking an oral mixture of bee venom and manuka
honey that makes it taste that little bit nicer.
There are a few supplements that should do the
trick (I'll take a look into them and recommend one
later)... but as ever make sure you consult your
doctor before you try this - or any other remedy.
For example, this remedy should NOT be taken if
you suffer from cardiovascular disease, or if
you're pregnant.
So ALWAYS get the green light from your doctor.
Talking of lights...
How turning a light on eased my pain in
seconds
Okay, this is absolutely, positively the last word on
backache, but it could be the best.
This wonderful little contraption has been loaned
out left, right and centre to friends and family
whenever they've suffered aches and pains - and
EVERYONE who's tried it says it really, really
works.
Including me.
In fact my back's eased up incredibly over the last
couple of days when I remembered to give this a
go. And it was as easy as switching on a light.
In fact, that's all you have to do!
Honestly, everyone gets aches and pains from
time to time, so every house should have one of
these.
Take a look and see what you think...
BIOLAMP
Right. Let's move on with another great tip from
fellow Good Lifer Nicky...
Moving on, here's another great tip from fellow
Good Lifer Nicky...
Why 'wicking' is important when you want to
keep warm
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'In your last letter about wearing many layers
instead of two jumpers, it is important that the
fabrics you choose to wear (and in what sequence)
are suitable for the level of activity you have.
It's all do to with 'wicking', the ability a fibre has to
pass moisture through it.
Silk is very high wicking - it gathers sweat and
disperses it very efficiently. Great for hot or cold.
Cotton is very poor, it hangs on to moisture for
ages. Cotton is fine unless you get sweaty, then it
can cause you to get cold very quickly as it stays
wet and uses body heat to dry out, leaving you to
get very cold very quickly.
This property is great in summer when we want to
cool off, but not in winter.
Modern man-made 'thermal' fibres are often better
than cotton, but tend to harbour body odours.
For your outer layers, then wool is great (sheep
wear it all the time!) and it wicks well.
The warmest fibre is alpaca and my fine thin
jumper, which is a mix of angora, silk, linen and
wool is wonderfully warm.
I guess my ideal layering system would be silk
undies or a 'thermal' t-shirt, under a polycotton
blouse/shirt with a thin, woolly high neck over this
and topped off with a woolly cardigan or jumper.
A sleeveless fleece could add more body warmth
and wearing fingerless mitts is very 'in' these days,
even indoors.
Don't forget the bottom half, tights under wool mix
trousers, with or without thermal long johns.
Forget jeans if you want to stay warm - they are
cotton and will cool you down. Wool socks make a
fantastic difference and be prepared to change to
dry warm socks several times a day if your feet get
clammy.
My knowledge about this stuff came from several
years running an outdoor leisure shop selling
clothes for mountain activity as well as
caravanning, and the fact that living at 1000 feet on
a north facing slope and having to feed animals in
the winter means I have to practice what I preach.'
Nicky
Thanks for very much for all this info Nicky.
Personally I can't wait to try on a silk blouse.
But that's another story altogether.
That's enough of me today. Enjoy the rest of your
weekend, and I'll be back again next week with
more tips, research and ideas that could help you
enjoy the good life!
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