Get Rid of Chronic Pain with Turmeric

If you are suffering from chronic pain and are looking to get rid of it, nothing could be more effective than turmeric. Used all over Asia for flavouring food, turmeric (also known as haldi) is a spice that is known to be really useful for easing aches and chronic pain.

Easing Pain With A Sprinkle of Turmuric

According to various studies, turmeric is actually three times more effective at easing pain than allopathic medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen. In addition to this, turmeric is known to relieve chronic pain for about 50 percent of people suffering from pain-intensive health issues like arthritis and fibromyalgia.

Turmuric being grated and powdered

This finding came out of a study conducted by Cornell researchers. According to Dr. Julian Whitaker, nutrition researcher, turmeric has an active ingredient known as curcumin, which naturally shuts down cyclooxygenase 2. This is an enzyme that churns out a stream of pain-producing hormones. The dose of turmeric for getting rid of chronic pain recommended by the study is a ‘sprinkle of 1/4 teaspoon daily onto any rice, poultry, meat or vegetable dish’.

In India, we use a little turmeric in almost every dish we prepare for lunch or dinner time. In addition, turmeric is also used as an internal and external medicine. For aches and pains, it is usually mixed in milk and drunk in the night before going to bed. It may also be mixed with milk cream and other ingredients and applied on the face for a beautiful complexion. Tumeric may be bought at any supermarket or Indian specialty store.

If you got relief from using turmeric to get rid of chronic pain, please let others and me know about your experience by posting a comment below.

Ash - Natural Cure For Thorn Removal

Having a thorn stuck in your foot can be a very painful experience, and here is a post about my experiments with thorn removal, including the use of ash as a natural cure.

Thorn Sticking in My Foot

Well, on Sunday morning, I went for a nature trek in a city forest. As I walked through the forest, a thorn from a branch lying on the forest floor pierced through the sole of my shoes (which were about half an inch thick btw), and got stuck in my foot. It hurt like hell. My friend yanked it out, but a tiny bit of it got stuck in the soles of my foot, causing a lot of discomfort.

Well, I limped back home and tried many methods of thorn removal. My mom told me to rub a bit of ash on it, as she had seen her brother doing so. This home remedy seemed like a lot of bull, so I didn't bother using this natural cure. I ran a search on Google, and found other natural cures. I tried soaking my foot in hot water, using tweezers, cutting the skin around it with a needle to expose the thorn, and rubbing baking soda on the area. Nothing worked.

I went to office for one day with the thorn painfully stuck in my foot. On the second day, my mother gave me a slice of onion to rub on the thorn. She said this was a good natural cure. Well, I took it to office and rubbed it on my soles in the area of the thorn, hoping that no one would notice the smell. The pain reduced a bit, but when I tried walking, the thorn still continued to prick me.

Natural Cure of Ash 

When I reached home, my mom gave me some ash (from some incense sticks) and said that this natural cure really works. Well, I rubbed the ash on my sole, and after some time I noticed that the pain had gone. When I tried walking, I could not feel any pricking sensation as before. While the thorn still seemed stuck in my foot, I could walk just fine.

Cigarette ash can be a good home remedy for removing thorns/splinters from your foot or hands.

A few decades ago, very few people wore shoes (at least in India where I am from). Almost everyone used to walk barefoot in fields, forests and tracks, and thorns/splinters sticking in one's foot was a very common issue. Nobody went to the doctor to treat this - most people knew a bit of ash rubbing would solve the problem. People living in villages still do the same.

Visiting a Doctor to Remove a Thorn

Having a splinter or a thorn stuck in your foot can be very inconvenient and painful. No one likes to limp about the city looking silly. A doctor's visit can prove to be very expensive. Some doctors even recommend surgery and injections. While this may be required in rare cases, some doctors, hospitals or clinics do this just to make a bit of extra money (because they know how much discomfort you are in).

People would pay anything to get rid of a thorn in their foot, and unscrupulous medical professionals take advantage of that. Well, the solution and treatment for thorn removal is very simple really. Just rub a bit of ash in the area of the thorn or splinter. The pain would go and you will be able to go about your daily tasks in comfort. This ash could be from any naturally burning substance, such as incense sticks or a cigarette. Here is where a cigarette can actually be beneficial for your health - just don't inhale any smoke.

What do you think of using 'Ash' as a natural cure/home remedy for removing a thorn in your foot? Did you try it? Let me know about your experience.

Preventing PMS with Yogurt or Curd

Who knew that yoghurt can actually help reduce the effects of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)? A large number of women struggle with PMS issues – in fact up to 80 percent of women (according to researchers in Yale). Symptoms could range from irritability, to bloating and stomach cramps.

The main reason why this occurs is because the nervous systems of many women are sensitive to changes in the levels of estrogen and progesterone, which are naturally produced by the body every month. One natural way to reduce the symptoms of PMS is to eat yogurt or curd.

Cup of yoghurt for reducing PMS symptoms

According to researchers at New York’s Columbia University, eating two cups of yogurt a day can reduce PMS symptoms by about 48 percent. They say that yogurt is rich in calcium, a mineral that is known to naturally calm the nervous system, and helps prevent painful symptoms even when hormonal levels are constantly changing.

I usually have a cup of curd every day with my lunch. This is traditional in India and other eastern countries, but it is good to know that the usefulness of yoghurt is being recognized in the West as well. However, here in north India, most people do not have yogurt in the winters, as it has a cooling effect and makes one feel colder when the weather is already cold outside. Maybe that’s why yoghurt is not very popular in countries located at higher latitudes. It may also take a long time for bacteria to ferment and the curd to form.

I can say I thankfully don’t suffer from cramps or pain related to PMS, and the reason for this could be the yogurt that I have daily. I used to have stomach pains a long time back, but at that time I never included curd with my diet.

Have you tried eating yoghurt to reduce the symptoms of PMS? What was your experience like?

Curing a Toothache with Cloves

Well, both my grandmother and my mother recommended it, and now UCLA researchers have also proven that chewing on a clove can alleviate toothache pain.

If you have a toothache and are unable to visit a dentist for some reason, you can consider gently chewing on a clove to ease tooth pain. Cloves also reduce gum inflammation, which sometimes occur together with tooth pain. Take a few cloves , chew them a bit so that the medicinal properties come out, and keep them near the affected area for at least two hours straight. You could also buy a small bottle of clove oil, and apply it in the area of the toothache – this also works well.

Cloves and clove oil for toothache and gum pain

According to the experts, cloves have a natural compound called 'eugenol', which act as a powerful, natural anesthetic. However, according to experience, chewing on a clove not only anaesthetizes the affected tooth area, but also cures the tooth pain. My mother has used cloves to cure toothache a number of times (in different teeth of course). It always works as a quick fix and helps avoid the expense of having to visit a dentist. It’s a great solution if the toothache happens at night, and may also help you fall asleep.

In addition to cloves curing toothache, sprinkling a quarter teaspoon of ground cloves on your lunch and dinner meals also helps protect your heart. According to scientists, this simple tip helps stabilize blood sugar, in addition to reducing the production of artery-clogging cholesterol in as short a duration as three weeks.

Have you used cloves to cure a toothache? Please let me know about your experience with cloves/tooth pain, and whether you found this post helpful.

Curing Muscle Pain with Ginger

Ginger is a spice that you’ll always find in your kitchen. It is known for its many medicinal properties, of which curing muscle pain is one of its foremost attributes. This was also tested by Danish researchers in an experiment.

In this experiment, people who had various types of muscle pain were asked to add a bit of ginger to their food. The result: about 63 of these people said their muscle and joint pain, as well as swelling and muscle stiffness got better.

Ginger is believed to cure muscle pains and aches

According to the researchers, ginger contains certain potent compounds, which stop the production of pain-causing hormones in the muscles. These potent compounds are called gingerols. As I live in an Asian country, ginger (or ginger-garlic paste) is used in almost all dishes prepared for lunch or dinner. 

If you are suffering from any general muscle pain or ache for a long time, you could add about 1 teaspoon of dried ginger or 2 teaspoons of chopped ginger to your daily diet. The pain should slowly go away. If it does not, you may have to get in touch with a doctor. 

I tried this on my mom and it worked. If you decide to alleviate your muscle pains with ginger, please let me know about your experiences by posting a comment below. 

How To Get Rid of Chilblains - Causes and Cure

I had suffered from chilblains every winter for years, and after trying and testing a wide variety of cures and remedies, here are the results of my experiments with them. This articles has information about how chilblains are caused, how to prevent chillblains, how to cure/treat chilblains and chakra healing for chilblains.

How Are Chilblains Caused? 

Chilblains are caused in extreme cold conditions. Some say they are caused by leaking of blood from small blood vessels into the tissues, but there is no proof of that. According to my experience, chillblains are caused in:

• Cold weather with strong humidity. Like on foggy days. 
• People with long toes. Stronger circulation is needed to get the blood pumping in long toes.
• Thin people with not much fat under their skin. Fat acts like a barrier against the outside cold.  
• People with sweaty hands and feet. This dampness causes chilblains to set in. 
• People who don't wash their feet at least twice a week, and dry them. Micro-organisms and dirt do not allow the skin to breathe comfortably, resulting in chilblains. 
• Sudden warming of hands or feet after exposure to extreme cold. For example, having a hot water bath when your toes are frozen, or warming them in front of a heater. 
• Wearing damp socks in tight shoes, during foggy cold weather.

How To Prevent Chilblains

• Keep your feet warm and dry. 
• Do not wear tight shoes, ever. For women: do not wear high heeled shoes. Wear flat, comfortable shoes that are one-size larger than your normal shoe-size. This is because shoes contract in the cold, while your feet remain the same size. Also, you'll need extra space in your shoes for thicker socks. Space is also required for the warmth to circulate, and the dampness to dry.
• Do not stand in one position for long periods of time, like in a metro train or bus. If you have to stand, remove your shoes. Don't add any extra pressure to your feet, by squeezing them under your body to warm them, or rubbing them with force to get the circulation going. 
• Use socks made from natural fabrics like wool or cotton. Avoid acrylic socks.
• If you have sweaty feet, remove your socks and powder your feet to dry them. Don't sit about with damp socks. Carry along another pair of socks, and change the socks if you feel you need to. Feet usually start sweating after exerting activities like climbing the stairs. 
• Do not warm your hands or feet suddenly. Avoid putting them in hot water or near a hot heater, when they seem to be frozen.
• When you feel your feet beginning to itch, take off your socks. Especially at night. Don't sleep with socks on. 

How To Cure Chilblains

There are two types of chilblains - hot chilblains and cold chilblains (according to Traditional Chinese Medicine). If your chilblained toes are feeling hot, then you have hot chillblains. Put your toes in a bowl of cold water with salt, and they will stop itching and burning, though it may take some time for the swelling to come down. 

If you have cold chilblains, put your feet in a bowl of warm water (hot but not very hot) with salt. They should get better within a few days. Try both methods until you find one that works for you. If the hot water makes your chilblains worse, try the cold water trick, and vice-versa. 

Other tips to stop your chilblained toes and fingers from itching and burning:

• Rub aloe-vera gel on them. Aloe-vera creates a thicker layer around your skin and protects it from the cold. 
• Rub a piece of potato peel with salt on your skin. The itching and burning should subside. 
• Rub a piece of raw onion on your chilblains. The itchiness should go, though the swelling may not.   

Chakra Healing For Chilblains

Chilblains can also be treated through Chakra Healing. According to chakra healing, different ailments are related to different emotional issues a person may be facing. On resolving these emotional issues through the recitation of certain sounds and meditation, the resulting ailment will be healed.

Chilblains are related to the 'muladhara' chakra. People who are suffering from chilblains on toes, might also be suffering from depression and lower back pain. This is usually due to underlying psychological issues such as parenting and marriage issues, correct behaviour in society, ability to provide basic needs for living, and trying to fit in with family/society. It may also be due to other issues such as tribal issues, instincts and past life issues.

If you solve these issues in your life, your chilblains should be automatically cured. You can practice chakra meditation to help you handle your life better. For treating chilblains, think of the colour red, while chanting the sound 'lam' as you breathe in and out, while meditating. This chakra is related to smell, so try to concentrate on the various scents around you while you are meditating, and start using your sense of smell, which you have most probably not being actively using. You can also surround yourself with red things. For more about chakra meditation and healing, click here.

After doing chakra healing for a few day, you'll notice your chilblains slowly disappearing.


Well, this article about chillblains is a result of my personal experience with chillblains, and my findings after various experiments conducted on some of my friends, who also suffer from chilblains during the winter. I hope this article helps people get rid of chilblains, forever!

Please let me know if you followed any of my chilblains tips, and which suggestions worked for you, by posting a comment.

Other Articles About Foot-Related Issues

• Getting Rid of a Thorn in the Foot With Ash

Home Remedies for Backache or Back Pain

Backache can be a real pain, preventing you from doing the things you want to do, as well as those you don't like doing but have to (like going to school or working). Here is a list of some Indian home remedies I have collected to make backaches and back pains go away:

Home Remedies For Treating Backaches and Back Pains

1. Lime Juice: Lime or lemon juice can serve as a pretty effective home remedy for backache. Squeeze the juice of one lemon in a glass, and add a bit of common salt in it. Drink it about two times a day. This horrible tasting but effective solution, acts to relieve back pain quickly.

2. Potato: Raw potato in the form of poultice can be a useful home remedy to treat back pain. Just crush the raw potato or cut it into fine slices, apply on the area of the back that is paining, cover with a cloth or bandage, and tie it up. After a while, the backache should go.

3. Vitamin C: Consume citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit and lemons, which naturally contain Vitamin C. You can also have Vitamin C tablets to get rid of back pain and backaches.

4. Garlic Oil: The application of garlic oil is another effective treatment option for back pains. Just take about ten cloves of garlic, and fry them in oil, over a low flame. Let the oil cool, before applying it on the portion of the back, which is paining. For the oil, you could either use mustard oil, coconut oil or sesame seed oil. Fry the garlic cloves till light brown, do not burn or over brown them.

Keep the garlic oil on the back for around three hours. Do this everyday for around three to four days, and your backaches and back pains will soon disappear.

Did you try any of these home remedies for back pain? Which one do you think is the most practical? Which one do you think was the most effective?