SAFE Solutions for Pain, thoughts on Pain & Addiction + the Broken Toe:)

You may get a giggle out of this post...I  went back and for on whether or not I  share the pic of my toe to show you...you'll be happy to note that no, I am not going to share that for the sake my children...."mother, my friends saw your feet on the internet" GAHHH...so just go with this story and hopefully it will help you somehow! 

In all seriousness, it's important to point out why it even really matters to look for safer solutions to pain. 

• An estimated 50 million adults (20%) in the U.S. experience chronic pain.
• Approximately 19.6 million adults (8%) experience high-impact chronic pain, which significantly limits daily activities.

Most importantly....Addiction. 

• Around 2 million Americans are estimated to have an opioid use disorder (OUD).
• Roughly 21-29% of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them.
• An estimated 8-12% of these patients develop OUD.

With the large number people dealing with pain and then the estimations on addiction to pain medication, I  think it is safe to say this is a very important topic.  

I  want to point out that the roots of pain have many causes. From our activity level and/or sedentary lifestyle, to over-activity and the stress is causes on the body, to our dietary patterns, chronic stress and emotional wounds. Yes...we cannot dismiss these reasons why we have pain in the first place. While we can use varying items to help with pain, we must also address it at the root level. More on this at a later date:) 

Our family, I'm sure like yours, has plenty of pain issues from the many usual muscular injuries to the more in depth ones such as the before and after from surgeries-backs (Clark and me), knees, broken bones...so, yes, I  am thankful that we do have many natural solutions to go towards before we need to use over the counter or varying meds that have the potential for addiction. 

"Did you know that products like ‘Icy Hot' simply contain ingredients that make your skin tingle so you forget about the muscle pain beneath it? They don't actually help support the muscles, tendons and tissues that are in need of help. Plus they are filled with less than ideal ingredients like petrolatum, artificial colorants and fragrance. No thanks." 1481181.lifestepseo.com/resources/safe-solutions-for-pain-management
If feeling our best in order to enjoy LIFE is our main goal, then we have to recognize just how much our everyday pain can cause us to be stopped in our tracks.  Click here to read on all these amazing solutions and head down below to read the toe story;) 

On Christmas Eve morning, I  was tidying up and my pinky toe got caught on a piece of furniture and that made for a pretty painful evening. As I    was getting ready for our candlelight service and putting on my boots only to find that it was really far more swollen and in pain than I   realized.  I hobbled in to church. When I  came home, I  went straight to the Pan Away and dropped a few drops on it. Instantly it was better! I  could walk and it helped heal the toe over the next few days and combat the pain.  

The essential oils in PanAway work differently than conventional over the counter muscle rubs. Conventional products contain counter-irritants that simply make the skin tingle so the brain forgets the underlying pain. Essential oils work differently. They can penetrate through the skin, into the cells of the muscles and tendons to support the body through pain and healing. Each oil in PanAway plays a specific role in supporting the body.:
1. Wintergreen: supports the body's response to injury and inflammation, supports pain reduction
2. Helichrysum: supports the body through inflammation, muscle spasms and pain
3. Clove: a powerful antioxidant that helps the body during pain and also supports immune system
4. Peppermint: main constituent is menthol, which may work as an analgesic and is highly effective and penetrating through the skin, allowing the essential oils to reach the areas of need.

• Methyl-salicylate: a naturally-occurring compound that may have analgesic properties; synthetic methyl-salicylate is commonly used in many over the counter preparations for minor aches and pains.
• Menthol: has been studied for is used to support healing and relief of minor aches and pains

If you are dealing with pain and need further suggestions on what to use, feel free to reach out to me! 

The best way to get started with oils is to grab a starter kit. Here is the one that most get started with and from there they learn so much with our tools, education and community support!