Massage For Gout Pain
Talk to any gout sufferer and they tell you they're ready to try almost anything that might relieve the aches and pains caused by a gout attack. Alongside the range of medical treatments available, many gout sufferers also experiment with alternative and natural remedies. While neither medical treatment nor natural therapies can fully cure gout, they can help gout sufferers to control their symptoms and maintain as normal a lifestyle as possible when gout strikes. Massage and aromatherapy are just two elements of alternative treatment available for gout, and if you are a sufferer, even one who believes firmly in traditional medicine, they are worth considering.
Massage And Oils
Qualified aromatherapists recommend massaging the area of the body affected by gout with different blends of essential oils. Essential oils are highly concentrated, aromatic extracts of various plants and flowers. Practitioners of aromatherapy and many of their patients believe these oils have healing and even pain-killing properties. Essential oils are generally available at health stores, but if you have trouble tracking them down, ask your doctor where you can buy them. Many doctors are happy for gout patients to explore massage and aromatherapy providing they continue with their conventional medical treatments at the same time.
Recommended Combinations
Ask gout sufferers who use massage with essential oils and they'll recommend so many different types and combinations that you'd have to bankrupt yourself at the health store if you wanted to buy them all! Some of the recommended oils include simple olive oil, as well as lavender, eucalyptus, juniper and rosemary. But the best way to find an effective combination is to consult a qualified aromatherapist. These oils are blended together and then gently massaged into the affected gout area several times a day. Sometimes this is done in warm water infused with the oils. For example, if gout affects your toes, you could use a warm-water foot bath. If it affects another area of your body, you could take a normal bath, infuse the water with your chosen blend of oils and massage the affected area while your whole body is immersed in the water. It's important to talk to an aromatherapist about your symptoms and what you hope to get out of the treatment. He or she will recommend certain oils which are targeted towards your specific gout problems, for example, some essential oils, such as Clary Sage are recommended as natural pain killers.
Home-Made Recipes
If you don't want to spend money on essential oils, there are a few recommended recipes for massage oils and ointments which are based on ingredients you'll find in your own kitchen, garden, or at the local grocery store. Seasoned gout sufferers say that the following combinations help them to control their symptoms and discomfort.
- Take three to four tablespoons of ordinary household vinegar and combine with eight or nine rose petals. Boil the mixture up and allow it to cool before massaging into the affected gout area several times a day.
- For gout in the feet, take half a cup of apple cider vinegar and add it to three cups of hot water. Mix and use as a warm-water footbath. Massage the affected gout area while your foot is in the water.
- Mix one teaspoon of pepper with one cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water. Boil the mixture and allow it to cool before massaging into the affected gout area several times a day.
Does It Really Help?
Like all alternative treatments, massage with oils helps some gout sufferers and not others, but many believe that it brings them a certain element of relief. You may have look around and try different oil combinations before you find one that suits you. If you are already receiving medical treatment for your gout, you should not discontinue it without consulting your doctor. Likewise, you should always talk to your doctor before beginning any new alternative gout treatment, including massage with essential oils or other home-made oils and ointments.
