A few weeks ago, I was moving along in my best-paced jog in years, excited about my progress and feeling good. I’d been steadily increasing my jogging pace over the course of several weeks and feeling wonderful about the results I was experiencing which was being a bit lighter on my feet and able to cover longer distances at the faster pace without feeling nearly as winded as I used to or feeling the burn of muscle fatigue. It was a dark and chilly evening, which made it just right for jogging. Chilly means I don't get too hot. I’d nearly made it to the halfway point of the half-mile loop (that I jog a minimum of two to three times a set) when I felt a harsh popping sensation in my thigh that radiated into the top of my pelvis. Next came the pain and suddenly I was reduced to limping while I applied pressure for several steps to the injured area. I hobbled along the loop hoping whatever had fouled would somehow right itself and I could finish at least one mile in a jog after I rested for several paces. The pain subsided enough for me to try again a few yards up the road but, I’d only gone a couple of paces when it happened again, so I was right back to limping and stayed that way. LaterI finished the laps that night, but limped the entire way. I was uncomfortable and didn’t do much afterward. I just cleaned up, changed clothes and stretched out on my bed but I didn't sleep well. Even my super-pampering Tempurpedic mattress couldn’t deliver a comfortable position for me to rest in. My thigh and pelvis ached all night. The following morning, I was stiff, sore and limping with every step. I took Ibuprofen, which helped but there’s a problem with me and ibuprofen. It’s awesome for pain relief when an anti-inflammatory is needed, but it’s also my main med to treat migraines with. Because I’ve had them for years, and ibuprofen has been the only consistent med that has given me a modicum of relief for them. I’ve had to take it in large doses, on and off for years, since I experienced a different sort of sports injury when I was a kid. I don’t like the risk of ibuprofen wearing out its welcome with my liver. The two don’t play well together and so, I reserve it for the migraine storms and always try to find other things to help with healing other things whenever possible. I continued taking small doses (400 mgs) of ibuprofen for two days, but wasn’t having much improvement. Upon my sister's suggestion (my sister, Alicia, of On Story Street, is a reflexology clinician and uses essential oils in much of the therapy she provides for clients) I switched to applying lemongrass essential oil to the injured area. "Wow!" doesn't cover it in explaining the results. The lemongrass essential oil worked very fast, and without any risk of annoying my liver. I had marked relief about 15 minutes after applying it. A heated side-effectThis stuff has some wonderful attributes. It smells great. Sort of a citrus/earthy scent. It's also easily obtained. If you don't want to buy the essential oil (meaning it's been processed to retrieve the plant oil essence), you can always grow lemongrass easily and make your own infused oil with what you've grown. It isn't difficult to maintain and thrives easily once it has a good start. Past using it to infuse oil, (my best suggestion is olive oil which makes a superb carrier oil for most plant infusions, known in the USA as tinctures), you can use it in loads of delicious recipes. One of my favorites is lemongrass and coconut soup. Another is a non-dairy lemongrass and vanilla blended slushy. Below, Tarla Dalal demonstrates a simple lemongrass soup recipe that I've had myself, or at least very similar. If you like her vid, please give her a thumbs up. The indie biz community always appreciates your support in such things. ☺ Lemongrass leans mostly to the good. There was only one side-effect I experienced using it. It's hot. I mean hot enough to have made my eyes water when I applied it. Part of that is likely due to using it in its essential oil form. I've gardened the stuff with my bare hands and it didn't burn my skin. I've eaten it in food, both raw and cooked and it didn't burn me then either. But, the essential oil version ... yup, it felt over-the-top-toasty. So, consider yourself warned. This stuff is awesome to help heal up musculoskeletal injuries or related pain due to musculoskeletal disorders or disease, like arthritis pain, but I don't advise using it on or near delicate skin or other tissue. Regardless of where you apply it, if it's in the essential oil form, I can advise diluting it with a carrier lotion. I used cocoa butter lotion and it helped. I use cocoa butter as the main carrier lotion for several other essential oils I use on a regular basis. It takes no more than five to seven drops of essential oil (per oil type) to a 12-15 ounces of a ¾ cocoa butter to ¼ non-chemically treated water to of to make it effective without burning. Mix it up, shake well and slather to your good health! The above image displays the ingredients in a lotion-blend I use daily. It consists of filtered spring water, cocoa butter and essential oils of frankincense, Dragon Time (a bend of several essential oils) and lime. The lavender is in a Young Living bottle but it's an oil infusion I made myself from lavender grown here on the property. Hopefully you won't mind smelling like a chocolaty garden parfait and you'll feel much better for your efforts. Final caution point for expectant mothersLemongrass is known to start menstruation. Because of this, it's deemed possible it may also cause miscarriage. Therefore, it's recommended that expectant mothers steer clear of it as either a topical medicine and in food. The wrap!Below are a couple of links to excellent reads by indie biz pro bloggers that I hope you'll take a bit of time to look over.
That's it for this one! God bless you, thanks for the read and see you next Tuesday! femmeflashpoint
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