Things that help me feel better - part 1

I really liked Teresa's 20 Things That Make Me Feel Better on Bad Pain Days post and wanted to do one of my own. But, as often happens with my fibro, I feel overwhelmed by the simplest of tasks and don't feel capable of sitting down and writing about 20 things. Or even 10, for that matter. So, I decided I'd write about each individually.

The first is a wonderful thing I discovered while waiting for a prescription at Bartell Drugs:

Dr. Teal's Epsom Salt Soaking Solution is regular old Epsom salts with eucalyptus and spearmint essential oils added to them. I'm not a big fan of spearmint or eucalyptus but in this, they smell really good. Putting two cups of these salts in my tub downstairs fills my whole house with a delightful aroma.

According to my book on essential oils, eucalyptus oil is good for muscular aches and pains, headaches, sluggishness and mental exhaustion, all common symptoms of fibromyalgia.  Spearmint is good for improving one's mood and focus. What fibro patient couldn't use that?

I do feel an improvement in my aches and pains after soaking in these salts, at least for a few hours afterward. I've decided to commit to at least two salt soaks per week to help relax my muscles and detoxify my body.

To read about the health benefits of a salt soak, this article, Treat Yourself to Thalassotherapy at Home, is pretty interesting. After reading it, I'm thinking I should use sea salts, at least part of the time, because of their higher mineral content. But I'm still going to keep a bag of Dr. Teal's Epsom Salts around because they smell so good. Soaking in them is truly a treat.