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[/twocol_one_last] [su_spacer size=”10″] As a mother, I know how important it is to want to do your best for your babies and children. Here are some simple remedies with fantastic benefits, I often prescribe as a practitioner.
People often ask me about what they can do at home for certain ailments or injuries as the first port of call before seeing their health professional. This little list is in no way intended to replace seeking medical advice, merely general recommendations for simple things that you can do immediately at home until seeking further advice, if required.
These remedies are my favourite essential remedies that every house hold should have ready to go, especially if you have children. Believe me you will use most, not all of them a lot! Some of these things are hard to find, which is why I am offering to make some packs with the hard to get remedies.
ARNICA: We go through so much Arnica in my household between a teenaged boy and his sport, to a climbing baby that is forever challenging his physical abilities. It should be in every sports bag and every medicine cabinet. Arnica is a fantastic remedy for bumps and bruises to sprains and strains. It can be used topically or orally or both. I have even told older people who bruise easily and don’t like their unsightly marked to apply it daily to those areas that get bumped easily on a daily basis. There are different forms of Arnica which are appropriate for different situations. For babies, I prefer to use my home made lavender and Arnica oil that my friend makes for me. For sports injuries I prefer to use Fisiocream or Heel Arnica gel. The best way to use arnica is immediately and regularly until the injury settles.
THINK INFLAMATION OR BRUISING = ARNICA
CALENDULA: A common healing cream for all sorts of skin conditions. Dry bits, wounds or mild skin infections. It has a soothing element and is a great skin healer. I tend to use it as a base and add stuff to it like Lavender oil or Red Myrtle oil.
THINK SKIN PROBLEM = CALENDULA
COMFREY: Thankfully, touch wood, I haven’t had to use this in my home, yet! It is a topical cream or ointment that I have had loads of clients use for bone breaks and fractures. It speeds up bone healing significantly. For complicated breaks or multiple bone breaks see a Homeopath for oral Symphytum as well. Otherwise you can use it directly over the affected bone.
THINK BROKEN BONE = COMFREY
EAR CANDLES: Ear candling has been around for a long time and can be very helpful when your ears are blocked or you’ve got a build up of wax. You will need someone to do it for you and it is relatively easy to do the procedure.
THINK BLOCKED EARS = EAR CANDLING
HEAT PACK: Heat relaxes things. If your muscles are sore the day after a hard exercise session it’s probably DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), or pre-menstrual or feeling a bit cold, heat packs are very comforting. I never recommend heat for pain and inflammation because of the heat that the body is already generating. It seems to feel nice short term but allows the inflammation to continue and therefore the pain to continue.
THINK DOMS OR PMS = HEAT PACK
ICE PACK: Everyone should have an ice-pack (or bag of frozen peas) in the freezer. You will use it. You always use ice for pain, inflammation, strains, sprains and knocks. When there is an injury there will be an increase in blood flow to the area and usually you are left with a red, hot, swollen and painful area. Ice reduces the blood flow by constricting the vessels slightly. To ice effectively you apply for 15 mins on and then 15 mins off and repeat numerous times.
THINK PAIN & INFLAMMATION = ICE
LAVENDER: This is an amazing essential oil that I have used and prescribe for numerous things. Firstly, it is relaxing – so great for kids that find it hard to chill out or people when they are stressed. You can find or make lavender pillows with real lavender in them, that you can rest on your eyes or put in your bed. Use a good quality organic lavender oil and put it topically on your skin, in a bath or burn it in a oil burner. My favourite use for lavender oil is on itchy spots. To use it for things like mosquito bites you can put it neat directly on the bite as long as the skin isn’t broken. I have even used it on Chicken pox diluted in calendular cream, and lathered it all over my sons body and the results were amazing, he didn’t scratch and no more pox came up! It’s fantastic for stopping the itch.
ITCHY BITS OR NEEDING RELAXATION = LAVENDER OIL
PROBIOTICS: I always have a general gut maintenance probiotic in the fridge for myself, one for my child and one for my baby. Get advice from a qualified practitioner as to what would be best for whatever condition or situation you are using them for. It isn’t a one-size fits all scenario, you will get better results if you get the right one. Definitely needed after anti-biotic use, tummy pains, constipation, diahorrea or any other long term gut issue.
THINK GUT ISSUE = PRO-BIOTICS
RED MYRTLE OIL: This is a beautiful aromatic oil for congestion which is almost impossible to find in a shop. It works amazingly on kids and babies. I used to put it neat on my toddlers neck on the first sign of congestion at night and he would wake up in the morning clear and with no further development. When adults and kids are very congested, I put some drops in a bath, burn it in an oil burner, put some diluted in an oil or calendular cream and rub it on their chest and upper back, like a VIcs rub. Wonderful oil.
THINK CONGESTION = RED MYRTLE OIL
ROSE’S SCARLESS HEALER: This is an amazing ointment for chunky scabs or hard to heal wounds. I have used it on my two year old when he was knocked over by a bike and landed on his face on the footpath. The healing was so fast and no scaring or even major scabs where left. I have had a friend use it on a scab from motorbike burn on his forearm. The big thick scab on that inside soft skin just wasn’t healing. Three days after he was using it each day, the scab had dissolved and the skin underneath was so healthy, pink and healed . I have also had an older client use it after having a thick scab on her cheekbone from tripping on the pavement and landing on her face. Again, scab dissolved and no unsightly scar on her face. An absolute must in the first aid kit.
THINK SCAB OR WOUND = ROSE’S SCARLESS HEALER
SALINE: Saline is great for rinsing eyes and wounds. Good for dry eyes, scratchy eyes and early stages of conjunctivitis. You can make it up yourself or buy it in little squeezey tubes from a chemist. The concentration of salt to water is 1/2 teaspoon per 1 measuring cup. I always use sea salt and make sure the water is distilled by having it boiling for 5 mins. Wait until the solution is at room temperature for use and be careful not to contaminate if you are planning on keeping the solution for a few days. Discard it if it is cloudy or merky. To minimise contamination do not ‘double dip’ with same cotton ball or bud or cloth and keep covered in air tight container.
THINK EYES = SALINE SOLUTION
TRI-GUARD: This is an easy to use multi-purpose remedy from New Zealand. It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal! I love this product and it is hard to get (you can only but it from selected Chiropractors). You can use it anywhere except in the eyes. On skin infections you can use it topically straight on the area, orally for any mouth wounds or ulcers, you can put it in your water for any gut issues, I’ve used it in my nose when I’ve had a sinus infection in my ears with a cotton bud, you can use it as a hand sanitiser. You really can use it almost anywhere. I always take this away with me overseas because it is a one hit remedy with so many uses.
THINK PATHOGEN ANYWHERE = TRI-GUARD
As with anything, if symptoms persist or if there is a reaction to any of the above, seek prompt medical advice.
I am going to put a kit together which has all the remedies which are hard to get, so you don’t have to run around to half a dozen shops and practitioners to get the various bits and pieces especially ordered. The quality of the products I source that would be in this kit would be the highest available. The products that are readily available I will leave out of this kit, as they are easy to pick up at any supermarket, chemist or health food shop.
The kit will consist of:
A TUBE OF FISIOCREAM
A 25ml BOTTLE OF ARNICA AND LAVENDER OIL
A SMALL TUB OF COMFREY CREAM
ROSE’S SCARLESS HEALER
A 15ml BOTTLE OF LAVENDER OIL
A 15ml BOTTLE OF RED MYRTLE OIL
A SMALL TUB OF CALENDULA CREAM
TRI-GUARD
EAR CANDLES.
Contact me on: sara@sarawinchester.com should you like to order one for your household or as a gift and I will send you the cost.