Pain, Pain, Go Away!

I recently had a friend at work who was suffering from sciatica pain.  If you've never experienced this, I'm here to tell you that it's very painful.  Sciatica affects the sciatic nerve which is a large nerve extending from the lower back down the back of the leg.   The common symptoms of sciatic include:  

• Pain in the rear or leg that is worse when sitting down
• Burning or tingling down the leg
• Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg
• A constant pain located on one side of the rear
• A shooting pain that can make it difficult to stand

Sciatica usually affects only one side of the lower body.  Often, the pain extends from the lower back all the way through the back of the thigh and down through the leg.  Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain may also extend to the foot or toes.  For many people, the pain from sciatica can be severe and debilitating.  

I had made some homemade pain cream using organic coconut oil and Young Living essential oils to keep on hand if I had any knee issues when I began my training for the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.   I felt bad for my friend so I told her about the cream and offered to bring her some the next day.  She said she'd try anything because Ibuprofen was not working.  The next day I brought her a small sample jar of the cream and told her where to apply it and how often.  She was leaving that day for a trip to Florida so I knew I wouldn't hear from her immediately about the cream.  But her first day back in the office, she contacted me to tell me how great the cream worked and how much relief it brought her.  Needless to say, she asked me if I would make her another batch for her to keep on hand!

So you are probably wondering what's in this magic pain cream?  It's really pretty simple.  1 cup of Organic Coconut Oil (can be found at Whole Foods or Costco) and 10 drops each of Young Living Valor, Panaway, Peppermint and Lemongrass Essential Oils.   Mix well with an electric mixer and store in an air tight container.  Apply to painful areas as needed.