Home Remedies for Aches and Pains

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Home Remedies:
Natural Solutions for Common Problems

Why Consider Natural Remedies?

People in countries all across the world have been using natural remedies to heal their various ailments for millenia. Many modern medicines are based on the healing properties of natural substances. For example, the leaves and bark of the willow tree produce salicin, which the ancient Greeks used to reduce fevers. Today we use acetylsalicylic acid, also known as aspirin, which is chemically very similar to salicin.

The antibiotic penicillin was first created after isolating a substance produced by the mold penicillium notatum. This mold was able to ward off and kill the staphylococcus aureus bacterium, in a sort of microscopic warfare. Scientists realized that these antibiotic properties of certain microscopic organisms could be harnessed and used for our benefit.

There are times when a synthetic substitute to a natural substance is superior; however, it is often the case that a natural substance is just as effective, if not superior, albeit more expensive.

Existing within nature is a complex web of interconnectedness. Predators and prey, winter and summer, diseases and remedies all balance each other out. When we can identify a natural remedy instead of resorting to a synthetic substance, we are acting within this balance. This is not to say that there are not times when it is optimal and even necessary to resort to synthetic substances; modern medicine is more miraculous than many ever believed possible. The balance lies in knowing when to use natural healing, and when to turn to our arsenal of powerful and advanced medicine.

In my house we are always searching for the least powerful remedy that will get the job done, thereby minimizing the amount of medicines, elixirs, pills, antibiotics, and chemicals ingested into our system.

Before you reach for a harsh and expensive synthetic chemical to get the job done, read these natural home remedies. They're safe, all-natural, and you probably have some of the ingredients in your pantry!

SORE THROAT
Mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

ACHING MUSCLES
Combine 1 tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for quick relief of aching muscles.

BRUISE
Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds the healing process.

ARTHRITIS PAIN
Mix 2 cups of oats and 1 cup of warm water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief.

MICE IN THE HOUSE
Yikes! If you've got uninvited furry guests, but don't want to use mouse traps or other methods that aren't humane and natural, try this: a cotton ball soaked with peppemint oil to keep away mice. Why does it work? The peppermint oil is too strong for a mouse's sensitive nose. Watch a video about this and other mouse-prevention tricks at About.com: Mouse Prevention.

COLD OR FLU
Have you ever heard of a neti pot? It is a ceramic or glass vessel that looks similar to a tea pot with a long, narrow spout. It is filled with saline water and poured into the nostrils to cleanse the sinus passages. Though somewhat difficult to get used to, many people swear by it as a natural way to prevent and treat colds and sinus infections. Learn how to use a neti pot at About.com: Neti Pot.

CHICKEN POX, DRY SKIN, ECZEMA, SUNBURN
Oatmeal has natural soothing, itch-relieving properties. You can make your own oatmeal bath by grinding 1 cup of oatmeal in a blender, food processor, or grinder until it turns to powder. Test the grind by dissolving about 1 tablespoon in a cup of water. If the water turns milky and develops a silky feel, your oatmeal powder is ready. Simply dissolve the powder in a bath of warm water and enjoy!

NOTE: Though most of the ingredients in these remedies should be allergy-free and safe for most people, as always, please do not use any remedy to which you think you might have a sensitivity or allergy. Even natural substances produce allergies and irritation in some people.