Kids Holistic Pain Remedies

On Saturday Evelyn got her finger stuck in a door jam. She was in quite a bit of pain and we immediately put ice on it and worked with her to take deep cleansing breaths. I had her keep her hand elevated to reduce acute swelling and help with pain. When we got home I gave her turmeric, arnica and put a blend of essential oils on it and within 10 minutes of giving the turmeric and arnica her pain reduced immensely. She has full range of motion and minimal pain. I will keep up with arnica for 3 doses today and applying the essential oils 3 times today as well. I always try to avoid using acetaminophen and ibuprofen if I can.

With this happening I wanted to share some tips of items to have on hand for acute pain in kids (and adults too!).

This is not an all encompassing list, but some great items to have stocked.

Turmeric - Reduces inflammation. Turmeric (curcumin) works as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting a variety of different molecules that play a role in inflammation. I love the Healing Body blend by Wild Wholistic Sisters.

  • Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms:

    • Downregulation of NFkB

    • Downregulation of COX

    • Downregulation of LOX

    • Inhibition of iNOS

    • Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases

    • Inhibited production of pro-inflammatory cytokines: TNFalpha Interleukins 1, 2, 6, 8, 12, and Chemokines

    • Upregulation of Nrf2 (anti-inflammatory signaling pathway)

Ginger - also great for inflammation and an ingredient in the Wild Wholisitic Sisters Healing Body blend.

  • Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms

    • NFkB inhibition

    • Cyclooxygenase inhibition prostaglandin PG-E2

    • Lipoxygenase inhibitionproduction of the leukotriene LTB4 (by inhibiting 5-lipoxygenase)

    • Activation of PPAR PPARs = peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors

    • Potent inhibitor of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating enzymes

Arnica - an herb in the sunflower family. I love having this on hand in a homeopathy form and also have topical versions. Several species of Arnica contain an anti-inflammatory compound. This is thought to relieve pain, aches, and bruising. When using homeopathy it is always a good idea to work with a specialist such as @enlightened.homeopathy.

Essential Oils - Various oils will help with different ailments so tailor your choice to your child’s age and issue. There are great resource books out there to help guide you. I love using the Modern Essentials app for reference.

Ice & Elevation - There is a lot of info out there stating that icing an injury is no longer recommended as once the body is injured signals are released to help with healing and ice can impede that. You will also see information stating that icing for short amounts of time for an acute injury (within 24-48 hours) can be beneficial to help reduce swelling so healing can occur. Each injury should be evaluated if icing is appropriate.

I also love Earthley’s Pain Potion for kiddos over 6. Ingredients include, Meadowsweet, Dandelion root, Mullein leaf, Peppermint leaf, Turmeric root.

Health, WellnessTara Woodland