everyday is a journey.
Sometimes defeat can
bring more joy and
more freedom than victory.
Winn Collier
It seems the more treatments I receive, the more my legs end up hurting afterwards. It began with just my left leg, knee in particular, that would swell up and ache on very cold or very humid days.
1. Hot baths/foot soaks
I have done these several times and they do provide relief for that moment. Actually, I prefer the foot soaks to the baths, because I can soak my feet while doing something else like reading, watching television, crocheting etc.
2. Turmeric
Now, turmeric has multiple health benefits, but the problem is that it acts as a dye. Basically, it can stain your teeth or your clothes if spilled, or your skin as a paste. It does go away from several cleanings. You can use turmeric in many ways. You can ingest a spoonful of the powder like Emily does. She does it in such a way where it doesn't come in contact with her teeth at all. It does not taste good.
You can drink it as a hot toddy using milk or coconut milk, some sugar, cinnamon, spoonful of turmeric and pepper. I drank it with a straw to avoid staining of my teeth and I still stained them. I think I should have gulped it down fast. It did taste good to me that way. Of course, wait until it cools down.
Another way to use turmeric is as a paste to place on your ankle or knee or wherever the ache happens to be. The turmeric paste consists of mixing turmeric with ginger extract. Apply the paste on affected joints. Another recipe calls for mixing 1 cup water with turmeric powder in a pan and slowly heating it up and stirring for 6-10 minutes until you get a thick paste. Now I have not tried using a paste yet. I'm still trying to figure the "how" part since my entire leg is hurting. I cannot imagine just one certain area.
Emily also sprinkles turmeric on every dish she makes. This way, I cannot taste turmeric at all, which is even better. Whenever we make our own french fries, she uses turmeric as part of the seasonings and when baked, they acquire a beautiful golden color. There are so many benefits to this spice, one just needs plenty to ingest for it to work.
3. Aleve
Whenever I'm in treatment, I'm so aware of the enormity of the drugs I'm injecting into my body. For that reason, I really dislike taking any type of medication since I'm always thinking of my other organs. Yet, there are those incredibly painful days where the temperatures fall or a bad storm appears and my arthritis flares up. Sometimes my poor legs swell up and I need quick relief. Hence, Aleve. It has always worked well for me.
4. Exercise
Emily has found workouts for people who are over 50, that concentrate on joints, mobility and balance. I've found that my equilibrium isn't what it used to be. Rubbing my head and stomach at the same time actually takes quite a lot of concentration. There is an exercise coach by the name of Miranda Esmond White, who deals particularly with aches and pains of the body. She is an ex-ballerina dancer who faces these same ailments that we all do and has created these exercise routines to help ease that pain. I have tried these a few times and it has helped. Her programs can also be seen on PBS called Classical stretch.
5. Reflexology
This is something I have been searching for a long time. Every massage place I have been to never has a qualified masseuse who majored in reflexology. I truly believe this would help tremendously. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm more than welcomed to them.
So here's my list. If anyone has any other suggestions that have worked for them, please advise. We all could benefit.
Have a blessed day everyone.
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