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Bones & Muscles
Updated: 6 days ago
The skeletal system serves several important purposes: it gives the body shape and support, protects vital organs and the spinal cord, stores lipids, marrow, and minerals, and produces blood cells. Ligaments are also part of the skeletal system, connecting bones to one another with tough, fibrous collagen fibers and holding them in place at the joints. While it's actually the muscles that produce movement, ligaments play a vital supporting role — stabilizing the joints and keeping everything working together as the body moves.Muscles are made of fibrous, stretchy tissue that attaches to bones and organs throughout the body. Connected to bones by tendons, muscles give the body the strength and power to move. They also help certain organs function properly.
Bone and Muscle Care
Diet and exercise are the key to a healthy skeletal and muscle system. As with all the other body systems, follow good nutritional practices and gut health.
Bone broth strengthens bones, joints, ligaments, and tissue in addition to helping with pain and inflammation.
Raw honey increases calcium absorption.
Calcium rich foods and herbs are the building blocks for a strong bones and muscles.
Sugar leaches calcium from the bones and blood so avoid when possible.
Be mindful of foods that can interfere with the body's absorption of calcium such as red meat, soft drinks, alcohol, and caffeine.
Regular exercise builds bone density, increases strength, retains coordination and balance to prevent falls that could result in injury.
Vitamin D assists in the absorption of calcium and plays an essential role in bone health. Sunshine helps the body produce vitamin D and it is also found in fatty fish, fish oils (cod liver, tuna and salmon are highest), sardines, eggs, avocados, and mushrooms.
Sulfur-containing foods are used to repair and rebuild bone, cartilage, and connective tissue, and aids the absorption of calcium. They include asparagus, eggs, garlic, and onions.
Alterative herbs (blood cleansing) are helpful for joint pain and inflammation; they should be used consistently over a long period of time for best results.
Nutrient rich foods; seaweeds, oats, spinach, green leafy, etc.
Bone Conditions
Joint Pain and Inflammation
Joint pain and inflammation — commonly known as arthritis — are considered rheumatic conditions in the body, referring to a group of more than a hundred types of arthritic diseases. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, swelling, bone spurs, diminished range of motion, deformity, redness, and sometimes warmth. There is no known cure — only ways to treat the pain and inflammation associated with it.
Consume a whole foods diet while avoiding sugar, processed foods, and junk food.
Follow bone and muscle care above.
Keep within the normal weight limits for your height.
Eliminating inflammation causing foods such as coffee, alcohol, chocolate, and dairy can help.
Water exercise can help keep you active while keeping pressure off your inflamed and painful joints.
2 Tbsp s of flaxseed oil a day.
Golden Goodness mix, 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp as a daily tonic.
Kloss’s Liniment (rub into area of concern)
Hot bath with Epsom salts, add pain-relieving herbs or essential oils
First Aid
First aid check list
Stay calm and think before acting, keep a positive attitude.
Check for breathing and heartbeat.
Check for bleeding.
Check for shock, head injury, fracture, cuts, dislocations.
Treat a person while staying calm and kind.
Find shelter (if needed), keep victim warm and calm.
Best First Aid Herbs
Yarrow
Chickweed
Comfrey
Plantain
Lavender
Horsetail
Calendula
Cuts, scrapes, and wounds
Use any of the first aid herbs above as a poultice, wash, compress, oil, or salve.
Bleeding - external and internal
The most effective way to utilize these herbs to stop bleeding internally (nosebleeds or other internal bleeding) is a tincture under the tongue.
Shepherd’s Purse (I’ve had amazing success with this one)
Yarrow (my next best for bleeding)
Plantain
Horsetail
Nettle
Cayenne
Comfrey
Nosebleeds: hold an ice cube in the hand while taking one of the herbs from above internally. Ice pack on the back of the neck is also useful.
External bleeding is best treated using a powdered herb or the First Aid Powder and pack over bleeding area. Leave on until bleeding stops. A poultice can also be used to pack or cover bleeding area.
Bone and Muscle Injuries
Use any of the first aid herbs above in a hot bath, poultice, compress, or salve. Comfrey is my favorite herb for tissue regeneration, including bones.
First Aid Liniments massaged into aching muscles.
Epsom salt bath (add about 1 cup of salt to a bath of hot water, make it an herbal bath for more healing).
Dr. Christopher’s Complete Tissue & Bone Formula (also known as BF&C)
Bites and Stings
Prevention
Wear protective clothing. When working in the garden, wear gloves, pants, and long sleeves (if you can handle them). I have a light weight, light colored cardigan I wear, along with yoga pants tucked into my awesome purple garden boots. Not only does this protect me from bug bites and stings, but it also protects me from getting sunburned. You can also tuck your pants into your socks, so those suckers don’t try going up your legs.
Non-toxic bug repellent. I have a tried and true recipe we’ve been using for years around here.
Apply bug repelling essential oils to clothing, wrists, arms creases, and behind the ears. You can also apply it to ribbons or fabric and hang next to areas you want bug free.
Remedies
Chew up and apply one of the following herbs: plantain, comfrey, yarrow, lambs quarter, peppermint, chickweed, lemon balm, or basil. (If that grosses you out, you can mash up the herb with a tool or your hands)
Apple cider vinegar, applied directly to area.
Apply cucumber slice, banana peel, or sliced potato to area.
Redmond Clay gel - place a thick chunk of gel right on the bite, the clay will draw the toxins right out of the bite and the itching immediately ceases. Rinse off before it starts to harden or cover.
Ice pack, cold cloth/compress, or cold herbal pillow (I like lavender).
Use any of the following drawing remedies.
Drawing herbs and remedies for venomous bites, poisonous plants, splinters, and infection.
Incorporate blood cleansing herbs internally while applying these remedies externally.
Redmond Clay gel - apply to area of concern. Wrap in a gauze bandage and plastic wrap for a couple of hours. Remove and wash clay off with warm water.
Activated charcoal, mix with water to make a paste before applying.
Take echinacea internally in frequent doses.
Poultices are the best way to utilize the drawing power of these herbs. Compress or bath would be the next best.
Plantain
Yarrow
Sagebrush
Burns
Sun, cooking, carpet/rug, water, steam, engine, even the trampoline. Burns are going to happen one way or another so here is a resource list of what you can do to stop the burn and start the healing. Every time we have a burn issue, I reach for my burn spray, followed up with burn salve. They work wonders.
Flush skin with cold water until pain stops. Keep clean, rinse with lavender water.
Comfrey Salve
Vitamin E oil
Raw potato or cucumber - slice and apply to burn.
Egg white, applied to burn in layers.
Witch hazel or apple cider vinegar (dilute vinegar with water ½ and ½)
Dr. Christopher Burn Ointment: equal parts raw honey, comfrey powder, wheat germ oil.
Herbs for burns
Prepare by making a tea and putting in a spray bottle to spray down burn, this is especially effective for a sunburn. You could also use a compress, poultice, oil, salve, or bath.
Aloe vera (slice open a leave and apply directly to burn)
Calendula
Comfrey
Lavender
Marshmallow (root and leaves)
Plantain
Rose
St. John’s wort
Infections
When treating an infection, you want to stay on top of it and be as aggressive as the infection. I've had to treat a number of external infections due to injuries, these I change bandages and apply one of the following every hour. I have the person bathe in Epsom salts, bentonite clay, and antiseptic essential oils a couple of times a day in addition to some of the following remedies.
Use remedies for cuts, scrapes, and wounds from above.
Use drawing herbs and remedies for external infections.
Use blood cleansing herbs to aid body in removing infection from the body
Incorporate antibacterial herbs
Garlic and oregano
Boils and Skin Eruptions
A boil is a tender, inflamed, postulant area of skin, usually due to staphylococcus infection; furuncle. -Practical Herbalism
I have found that many of these remedies work for any type of skin eruption including blisters, ingrown hairs, acne, etc. These remedies have helped heal and relieve the pain.
First rule for healing a boil or skin eruption, is one of the hardest, DON'T SQUEEZE! It is so tempting to help that yucky pus out by squeezing but it could spread staph infection to other parts of the body and can also lead to blood poisoning. The nature of the body will determine how it will treat the boil, it may come out as puss naturally or using remedies below or it may take care of it internally through blood cleansing.
Take blood cleansing herbs internally while following the drawing remedies above.
Apply a paste using ½ tsp. ginger powder and ½ tsp turmeric powder or 1 tsp of Golden Goodness Mix add warm water and stir until a paste is formed. Rub the paste in and cover with gauze, leave on for at least a half hour.
First Aid Liniments
Raw Honey
Garlic Oil
Black Walnut tincture
Use any of the first aid herbs above. They can be applied as a poultice, compress, salve, or herbal oil.
Herbal tea preparation or tea bags can be used as the compress, apply 2 times a day for at least 15 minutes.
Resources
The Healing Power of Trauma Comfrey
Healthy Bones and Joints by David Hoffmann
Prescription for Nutritional Healing
Herbs to the Rescue: Herbal First Aid Handbook
Dr. Christopher's Herbal Home Healthcare
