When you paint and move furniture for a few years, you’re bound to develop a few aches and pains. Add to that the hours of sitting at a laptop with your arms locked in the same position typing about those furniture makeovers and strained muscles can become inflamed and extremely stiff. So, after a trying a few different natural supplements and foods, I finally discovered a natural ingredient that cured my elbow pain overnight.
A few months ago (5 to be exact), I started to develop arm and elbow pain. I couldn’t tell if the pain was in the bone (because I did have surgery about 10 years earlier) or in the muscle because the muscles would stiffen and the pain seemed to change each day. My bone at the elbow would crack often (like cracking knuckles), but it also felt like severely stiff muscles that would lock in position if my arm was stationary for too long. I would actually have to pry my arm open from a bent to an extended position.
After an x-ray to eliminate the possibility of a loose bone fragment, the elbow specialist attributed my pain to inflammation. He suggest an anti-inflammatory medication. However, being one to rarely take synthetic medications, I decided to first try a few natural remedies.
I began with mild exercise to try to loosen the muscle. This helped while I was moving around, but as soon as my arm remained stationary for more than a few minutes and especially when sleeping, the pain and stiffness would return.
I first tried turmeric. Turmeric is a spice that’s been proven to reduce inflammation. So I ordered some high-potency turmeric in pill form and took it daily for 3-4 weeks. Unfortunately, it did nothing for my arm pain and stiffness.
During this time, I was also trying to eat better and get back to gluten-free eating, so I tried to start each morning with a vegetable and fruit smoothie. I would make different smoothies from whatever we had in the house on any given day – watermelon, pears, celery, cucumbers, lemon, spinach, bananas, apples, carrots, strawberries, mango. After about 4 weeks, I remembered another ingredient I kept in the freezer – ginger.
I was in my fourth month of arm pain when I started adding fresh ginger to the smoothies.
Within 24 hours of drinking that first green smoothie with fresh ginger, my arm pain and stiffness had almost completely subsided.
During the first few days of eating the fresh ginger, I also drank green tea. This may or may not have also helped. But seeing how I haven’t had the green tea in the past week, I attribute the pain relief to the ginger.
To make a green vegetable & fruit smoothie, I use my favorite kitchen appliance – a Ninja blender/food processor. I’ve been using a Ninja blender for 10+ years to grind and mix all types of foods – fruits, vegetables, desserts (my kids use it to make Oreo & Cream Cheese Balls), homemade sausage, fresh tomato sauce, and more.
This blender is awesome! It has a large, wide-top 48 oz. pitcher to load large chunk ingredients in and 3 high-spinning vertical blades that chop at super-high speed. There’s no heavy base, just a small, light-weight motor that sits on top. The motor, pitcher, cover, and blades are 4 separate pieces so they come apart easily to go right in the dishwasher (except for the motor of course).
And the best part. It’s only about $69 on Amazon. Trust me, you don’t need to spend $200 or $300 on a blender.
Finally, here’s my favorite green smoothie with ginger:
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber, peeled
- 2 pears, peeled
- 2 stalks celery
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 6 small peeled carrots or 1 large peeled
- 2 cups ice or 1-2 cups of cold water
- Approx. 1-2 teaspoons of fresh peeled ginger
- 1 large handful fo fresh baby spinach
Directions
Place all ingredients in a Ninja blender in the order mentioned above. Blending as needed to make more space in the pitcher to add more ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Makes 2-4 servings when divided evenly into mason jars. Will fill 4 small mason jars or 2 large 3/4 full. Will keep (when covered with airtight lids) in the refrigerator for at least 2 days (maybe 3). Perfect for a grab & go breakfast.
Disclosure: I am not a doctor. This post contains my own personal story and the results I experienced. You may not have the same result. Always consult your own doctor before treatment. This post contains affiliate links to product and similar products I use myself.
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