PAIN MANAGEMENT AND NATURAL REMEDIES SERIES

ARNICA AND MAGNESIUM GEL

My top two favorite topical treatments for pain management between massages are Arnica Salve and Magnesium Gel. These topicals have helped me when I don't have time for massage.

​  Arnica is an herb that grows mainly in Siberia and central Europe, as well as temperate climates in North America. The flowers of the plant are used in medicine. Individuals who are allergic or hypersensitive to any plants in the Asteraceae family should avoid using arnica. 
 This plant has been used as a homeopathic remedy since the 1500s. Arnica was discovered by Samuel Hahnemann the founder of Homeopathy. Arnica is an anti-inflammatory and helps tight muscles to relax, The most popular use of arnica is for:
-Sore and tight muscles
-Bruising
-Swelling and inflammation
 -Insect Bights
 - Arthritis and other joint related pains

This topical only helps with the pain, you will still have to get the underlying problem fixed if it's muscle related.

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   Trans-dermal Magnesium Gel is an amazingly effective topical. You will feel its effects immediately after applying to the affected area. I would describe the feeling as circulating the buildup of lactic acid or toxins into the lymphatic system giving one a sense of "lighter or floating feeling" to the application area. It is most commonly used to treat muscle cramps and muscle pains. However, this mineral has more benefits for our cellular function that one could even imagine.   

According to the National Institutes of Health:
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"Magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.” 1

    The current US recommended daily amount (RDA) for magnesium is 310 mg for females and 400+ mg for males. Unfortunately, only 32% of the American population meets the RDA levels
More importantly, our soil is depleted of magnesium. Years of pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer use have diminished magnesium in the soil, so that plants no longer have much of the mineral to absorb from the ground.2 This exhaustion of the soil and reduction of minerals in our food has been a concern of Congress since the 1930s.

   "This makes me want to run to my medicine cabinet right now and apply some magnesium gel all over my body!"
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   I recently made my uncle a care package with arnica, magnesium gel and CBD salve. He has been battling with Cancer and I just thought anything to keep the pain and inflammation down will help. This made me curious if the magnesium gel would help him in his condition or even be OK for him to take. I was flabbergasted that there is a direct link between magnesium deficiency and Cancer. I even stumbled upon research that compared countries with magnesium rich soil to those with poor magnesium, and in some of those areas had zero cases of cancer. Can you imagine that?

My next Blog will cover: CBD- Whats the hype?

I also included some references and links if you would like to dive deeper into these supplements.

References:
1.Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Magnesium. National Institutes of Health. 2009. Available at: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp. Accessed March 9, 2010.

2. Tuma, J., Skalicky, M., Tumova, L., Blahova, P., and Rosulkova, M. (2004) Potassium, magnesium and calcium content in individual parts of Phaseolus vulgaris L. plant as related to potassium and magnesium nutrition. Plant Soil Environ. 50(1): pp. 18-26.
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Other Resources:
https://www.ancient-minerals.com/magnesium-benefits/health/
https://beatcancer.org/blog-posts/magnesium-deficiency-and-cancer​
https://drsircus.com/cancer/magnesium-and-cancer/​
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