HERB - RECIPE: Sore Muscle Linament

[Gaylin Walli]

There are times when I get trememdous leg and feet cramps. Usually
it's the result of walking for a few days straight in poorly
constructed shoes as Pennsic. This linament is decent for treating
my kind of cramps that make it impossible for me to move, much
less stand. I recommend caution with this mixture. See the
cautions below for details. -- jasmine, jasmine at infoengine.com

PS. The measurements are in standard American measure form,
not British equivalents.


SORE MUSCLE RUB (LINAMENT)

The Equipment:

    a squeeze or spray bottle, ~16 ounce capacity, see-thru
    two spoons (optional)
    a mortar (optional)


The Ingredients:

     8 plain, uncoated, unbuffered, no-frills aspirin
          (not Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Pamprin, or Bufferin)
     ~ 7 ounces Lysterine Antiseptic Mouthwash
     ~ 7 ounces witch hazel (plain, unscented is best for me)
     1 teaspoon arnica oil (check health food stores)
     1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (try for 23,000 IU or better)
     1 teaspoon essential oil of lavender


Mixing It Up:

In mortar or using the back of a spoon on another spoon, crush the
aspirin as small as you can. Add this powder to the bottle and
add the remaining ingredients. Shake very well, until the aspirin is
fully dissolved and oils are mixed in. The aspirin will have a
tendency to settle in the bottle.

The essential oils were not in the original recipe that
I worked with. However, the smell of regular Listerine isn't
all that pleasant, to be honest. You can mute this a little
with the addition of the lavender. It's still not going to smell
great, though.


Using the rub:

Carefully massage it into the affected area.


*Cautions and warnings:*

Some of the ingredients in this mixture should give you pause.
First, aspirin. Are you allergic? Should you be using is? Think
about this carefully. Does your condition warrant it? Is there
a possibility you could be pregnant?

Second, This recipe was formulate for me. This recipe may not work
for you. Keep this in mind when you mix the ingredients. Your kind
of muscle cramps may not need this mixture or may not be able
to stand massage or touch of any kind. Always seek the help of
a professional in situations that may be causing you extreme pain.
Use common sense.

Third, Listerine. The active ingredients of Listerine antiseptic
mouthwash (plain) are Thymol (0.064%), Eucalyptol (0.092%), Methyl
Salicylate (0.060%), and Menthol (0.042%). 29% of the total mix is
alcohol (an inactive ingredient on the label). Concerns have been
raised in the standard and traditional medicine arenas concerning
the use of several of these ingredients on the skin. At low
percentages, and with infrequent use common to leg cramp
sufferers, the percentages in the overall linament mixture are
believed to be relatively harmless. However, enough evidence
exists that you should exercise caution when using substance that
have these ingredients. Concerns for you to research include
how long the skin holds onto these ingredients, what happens
when these ingredients are processed by the skin, and what the
possibility is of buildup in the body, if any.
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