Oils: The Pain Protocol
When you need a little help from your friends…
On the morning of February 18th I took a pretty nasty fall down our staircase. I was carrying my thirty pound toddler in one hand and my phone in the other as I made my daily transition from upstairs to downstairs. It was a chilly morning so I put on a cozy pair of wool socks before picking up my son and heading downstairs. Suddenly I lost my balance and with my hands full I slammed the back of my head into the stairs as I continued to spill down the stairs. To be honest, it was scary. My son immediately started wailing. Naturally, I thought he was injured. In a daze I began inspecting his body looking for blood, red marks, or any signs of trauma. I found nothing. Finally, I asked him where it hurt. He pointed to my head and proceeded to act out what happened. He slapped his hand on the stair treads to make a smacking sound and then said, “Mama ouch,” pointing to my head. It really goes to show that children are fully capable of understanding very real trauma in their surroundings.
Once I was assured that he was ok, I began to evaluate my own wellbeing. I hit my head extremely hard on real hardwood oak floors. In recent news two famous people had died after serious head injuries so I needed to be honest in my evaluation. I called my husband and together we decided I was going to be ok. He called me every thirty minutes to an hour and, along with other friends checking in, I got through the day with only a consistent dull headache. No concussion.
I spent the rest of my day moving slow + resting
My headache was steady and consistent all day. I made sure to drink plenty of water through the day. Under normal circumstances, having a toddler by your side when you are injured is a bit cumbersome, but since he so nearly missed being injured himself I felt deeply grateful to have him running circles around me.
I was also grateful for my knowledge on holistic healing. I grabbed my oils + medicinal salves — my incredible friends in nature who have repeatedly helped me through life’s ups and downs. I began my pain protocol.
The following morning I was so extremely sore. I can say with confidence that I have never experienced whiplash before this day. I woke thinking I was sick because my muscles around my esophagus were so tender. As I was in my morning daze I thought to myself, “I can’t believe I didn’t see any signs of a cold coming on before now,” only to remember the fall. I wasn’t sick. I had whiplash.
As the day progressed I felt the pain meander down my spine and along my front side down into my breast area. All 360 degrees of my neck was sore to the touch. I had more mobility than to be expected, but I was very stiff. My husband had to bend down to kiss me because I was unable to shift my neck towards his. To make matters worse, my husband was leaving town for two nights. I would be alone with my son while injured. There was nothing we could do, so I began another day of rest and my pain protocol.
Remember that doing any one of the things below will help you. I happen to have a large arsenal of medicinal tinctures, balms and oils at my disposal. All of these oils can be purchased through me or I can help point you in a good direction. Please contact me through my Contacts page or via the comment section below if you need any assistance. Happy Healing!
without further ado…
The Pain Protocol
Essential Oils
It is best to apply essential oils after a carrier oil. I recommend applying any salves or creams first, followed by the essential oils. That said, I tend to apply rollers before creams to protect the integrity of the blend inside the roller bottle. Check out this blog for oil safety + general education. All of these oils can be purchase through me by using this link.
Copaiba - pain + inflammation. Apply on targeted area.
Deep Blue - cooling benefits + specific muscle soothing blend. Apply on targeted area.
Frankincense - pain + healing. Apply on targeted area.
Helichrysum - pain + skin wound healing. Apply on targeted area.
AromaTouch - pain + massage blend. Apply on targeted area.
PastTense - best for head tension. Apply on temples or targeted area.
Peppermint - best for head tension. Apply on temples or targeted area.
Salves
Deep Blue Rub to ease tension and provide cooling benefits. Apply on targeted area. You can purchase this through me here.
CBD Supply House Pain Salve (ingredients: Magnesium, CBD, Coconut oil, Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Arnica, Eucalyptus and Peppermint). This stuff is amazing! Apply on targeted area. To purchase contact cbdsupplyhouse@gmail.com or if local to St. Augustine, Florida you can purchase at the Saturday Farmers Market at the Amp or The Local Refillery on West King.
Arnica + Turmeric Anti-inflammatory Balm from Unearth Malee. Apply on targeted area.
Practices
Salt Water Hot Tub Soak. Yes, you read that right. We invested in a salt water hot tub by Hot Springs Spa in November of 2020. It was one of the best investments we have ever made for our health. (Use Epsom Salt Bath if you don’t have access to salt water hot tub)
Ice / Heating Pad: After the fall I used ice to help with any inflammation. It also helped with my headache. Once the headache subsided and the whiplash was present, I switched to a heating pad to help my muscles soften.
Gentle Stretches: I did very mild stretches to help with mobility. Things like seated or supine twists felt really good for me.
Rest. If you can, rest as much as possible. Choose easy to prepare meals so you aren’t standing in the kitchen for long periods of time. Find a good movie or book and allow yourself to be still. Go to bed early. Drink lots of water.
Eat Easy to Digest Meals. This is so your body can focus most of its energy on healing. When you eat heavy meals your body has to work to digest the food. I tend to lean on soups when my body is feeling off, but anything warm and well cooked will work fine. Avoid raw vegetables, gluten, red meat or dairy until you are feeling better. Also avoid any inflammatory substances like alcohol or caffeine. If you must consume, do less than usual.
Seek a Professional. Chiropractor, Acupuncture. Massage. Those are my three preferences and ideally in that order.
I hope these recommendations offer you a little relief from the pain you are feeling in your body. If you want to add to the list, please add a comment below! I always love learning from others.
xx, Stephanie
