The internet is amazing. It has the power to deliver information to us that we weren’t even looking for! Yesterday, I wanted to write a post for this blog, but didn’t have something specific in mind,so I decided to set up a more regular research system.

I went into Blog Catalog, where I have a listing, and searched under Home Remedies. Then, I started methodically subscribing to the RSS feeds from blogs I liked, so that, when I’m looking for inspiration for a post, or when I want to find posts I’d like to comment on, I can find recent posts centralized in my Google Reader.

While I was looking at various home remedies blogs, I noticed an ad for an EBook about Homemade Medicines.

I went to the sales page for the book and found that the author is a naturopath in Florida, with many years of clinic experience, testing home remedies among other things. His sales letter was full of interesting data, one of which was that  “6 cherries has the same effect as 1 aspirin.”  I thought, “Wow, I’ll have to check into that to find out why!”

Then, early this morning, my husband woke me to say he had been experiencing a sharp pain deep in his arm, and he was unable to sleep. I applied some deep tissue massage oil , but that didn’t seem to do it, or not right away.

On a whim, I told him what I had read about the cherries. He ate 12 dried cherries, then went to sleep without pain, slept for hours, and woke up without pain.

Whoa, I thought! That was amazing. I’d better research this further. Here’s what I found:

Health News Digest: “Two of the antioxidants found in cherries, anthocyanin 1 and 2, function like aspirin blocking COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. These are the enzymes involved in inflammation and pain associated with arthritis and gout.”

Arthritis Treatment and Relief.com: “Twenty cherries provide 25 milligrams of anthocyanins, which help to shut down the enzymes that cause tissue inflammation in the first place, so cherries can prevent and treat many kinds of pain,” says Muraleedharan Nair, the lead researcher on the cherry project at Michigan State University.

Natural News.com:  “(Cherries) inhibited enzymes called cyclooxygenase-1 and -2, the targets of anti-inflammatory drugs, at doses more than ten times lower than aspirin. ‘It is as good as ibuprofen and some of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,’ says Nair.  ‘Daily consumption of cherries has the potential to reduce pain related to inflammation, arthritis and gout,’ added Nair.”

The Center for Plant Products and Technologies: “For example, we have isolated and characterized several compounds, some of them are novel, from Montmorency and BalatonTM tart cherries. Some of these compounds have shown excellent anti-inflammatory activity in cyclooxygenase enzymes, COX-1 and COX-2, inhibitory assays and antioxidant activity as determined by the inhibition of lipid oxidation.”

It’s interesting to note that the data on all these websites seems to come from the studies at Michigan State University. It is always satisfying to find the source!

This post was originally written on Home Remedies at Cherries for Pain.

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Aromatherapy massage is a special massage technique that combines the benefits of Swedish massage, shiatsu and effleurage type massages, with individual techniques added by the massage therapist. This massage is often accompanied by music chosen for its calming and relaxing character.

The client is allowed to lie on a massage table while the massage therapist mixes one or more  aromatherapy massage oils in a carrier oil base. The combination will be unique for the individual client.

During the aromatherapy massage, the essential oils are beneficial in several ways. First, the molecules of the oil are inhaled and lodge in the scent receptors at the back of the throat, and in the mucous membranes of the nose. The essential oils trigger positive responses in the brain and changes occur in the blood stream as a result. These changes lead to increased relaxation, slowed breathing rate, changes in pain level due to reduced muscle tension and strain. Since the skin is porous, some constituents of the essential oils are absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream, though they may be altered by skin enzymes. Also, certain essential oils are beneficial to the surface of the skin, reducing chance of infection and promoting cell health.

The actual massage typically takes thirty minutes to an hour and is followed by the preparation of additional essential oils blends that the client can continue to use at home. A regular, frequent aromatherapy massage may be rewarded by better health, reduced insomnia, return of appetite and even a higher level of work performance.

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