Joint pains are discomforting and can keep you from doing physical activities you love doing. I know this because I suffer from them often because I have an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and body aches and pains. However, I do not typically have problems with joint pains unless it is extremely cold or too hot. A home remedy I make and use is my ginger soothing balm for joint pain relief.
Ingredients You Will Need for Creating the Ginger Soothing Balm
The ingredients I use to create the ginger soothing balm are half cups each of coconut oil, raw shea butter, cocoa butter and melting beeswax pebbles, twenty drops of ginger root essential oil, forth teaspoon of dried ground cayenne pepper and two tablespoons of arnica oil. These ingredients are easy to find at an herbal shop if you do not have them on hand. You can also order them online from wholesale supply spa shops and bulk herbal stores.
Important Reasons Why Ingredients Are Useful
The ingredients that make up the ginger soothing balm contain powerful medicinal and healing properties. The coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa butter are useful because they contain anti-inflammatory properties, hydrate the skin and allow the balm to massage easily just in case you want to use the balm for massaging purposes. The beeswax in the balm is to bind the ingredients together so they do not separate. The wax also helps condition and protect the skin while allowing the potent healing ingredients being the ginger, arnica and cayenne to absorb into the skin deeply to bring relief to the joints, muscles and tissues of the body that are causing you discomforting pains and aches.
Ginger, arnica and cayenne pepper are excellent for joint pain relief because they contain a medicinal property that relieve pain, act as a sedative, and reduces inflammation and swelling while bring an immediate warming sensation when the herbs are exposed to the skin, which brings immediately relief to your aches and pains.
Making the Ginger Soothing Balm
Anytime I need to make up a jar of the ginger soothing balm I get out my medium saucepan and pour all the ingredients into it. Then, I melt and infusion the ingredients together on low heat, which takes about ten minutes. Once the ingredients have melted and infused together, you should have an oily liquid substance with a warm spicy ginger scent that is very comforting and uplifting. After, pour the liquid balm into a wide mouth jar that you can easily get your hands in and out of for easy use of the balm. Then, place the balm into the refrigerator for an hour, or until it becomes a solid form. After, remove it from the refrigerator and store it in your medicine cabinet until you need to use if for joint relief.
However, if you want a hot and cold sensation from the balm on your achy muscles leave the balm in the refrigerator and take it out when you need it. Applying the balm fresh out of the refrigerator will provide you first with a cooling sensation to your joints for soothing relief and than with a warming sensation from the herbs about five minutes later. The sensation of hot and cold is similar to an icy hot patch you get from the drugstore.
Applying the Balm Properly and Precautions
My favorite way to use the balm when I need relief from my achy muscles is right after a warm bath made with arnica bath oil and Epsom salts. After a bath my skin is warm and moist and my joints and muscles have relaxed a bit making it easier to massage the oil into my joints for relief of aches and pains. I have applied the oil without a bath and it still provides amazing relief, but I get best relief when I apply the balm after a bath or hot shower. You can decide the best time to apply the balm to your aching joints.
To apply the balm, take a small handful of it and massage it well into the aches and pains. The balm is a bit greasy, but it is meant for massaging into the body so it is suppose to have that kind of texture. However, do not use this balm anywhere near your face or genital area because it will sting and burn and do not use it on open wounds ever.
Otherwise, overall the balm is safe to use on a regular bases and does work well as a remedy for relieving joint aches and pains naturally.
