Is Vicks Vapor Rub Good For Arthritis Pain

Uses For Vicks Vaporub You Never Thought Would Work

Vicks Vaporub is something that most people have in their medicine cabinet, ready and waiting to fly into action when a cough or a cold is threatening to strike.

Its been one of our favourite remedies for years, but can it be used for more than just a cold?

People have come up with some weird and wonderful ways to use Vicks Vaporub, some of them work like a charm and others well, well see!

Lets take a look at some of the crazy ways people are using Vaporub, and whether it actually works.

Ways To Soothe A Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare

Be prepared with an RA action plan that you can initiate at the first sign of worsening joint pain and inflammation.

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Living with rheumatoid arthritis often means balancing periods when symptoms are well controlled with periods of flares when symptoms ramp up suddenly and severely. A flare can turn your daily routine upside down, making small tasks, even getting out of bed, seem impossible.

Though their severity and length can vary greatly from person to person, RA flares generally involve joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, along with overall fatigue. These symptoms can make activities of daily living quite difficult getting dressed, preparing food, doing chores around the house, using your hands to grasp objects, and shopping, says Howard Smith, MD, a rheumatologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Flares may be brought on by external factors such as stress, infection, or simply not getting enough sleep, according to Dr. Smith. Its also thought that there may be an internal cause, but the process by which it happens isnt well understood, he adds. RA symptoms tend to wax and wane, Smith explains. At times, the immune system becomes overactive and that leads to increasing joint pain and swelling.

The Vicks Vaporub Debate

Odds are, when you were a kid your mother put Vicks VapoRub on your chest to ease your cold symptoms. But this decades-old treatment has come under modern scrutiny.

In 1905, a North Carolina pharmacist began marketing a product called Vicks Magic Croup Salve. The product, now known as Vicks VapoRub, became wildly popular sales during the 1918 flu epidemic grew from $900,000 to $2.9 million.

More than 100 years later, some still swear by the product.

My husband loves Vicks. He rubs it on his chest and under his nose, reports 37-year-old Shannon Marks, of Mandeville, La. Marks says other family members use it to relieve a cough and even to ease dry feet, but she doesnt use it on herself or for treating her childrens cold symptoms. Weve used the vapors in a humidifier and weve bought the plug-ins.

Theres a reason that some people dont use Vicks VapoRub on their children: Recently, researchers found that putting Vicks VapoRub under a childs nose actually makes it harder for the child to breathe.

Vicks VapoRub: Camphor Concerns

The report earlier this year was not the first time that products like Vicks VapoRub that contain camphor have come under scrutiny. Camphor has long been used in combination with menthol in a variety of preparations that are promoted as chest rubs to fight colds by soothing coughing and opening stuffy noses.

However, camphor is also highly toxic: Eating or drinking as little as five milliliters of camphor oil can kill a child.

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What Is The Best Painkiller For Knee Pain

Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium may help ease knee pain. Some people find relief by rubbing the affected knee with creams containing a numbing agent, such as lidocaine, or capsaicin, the substance that makes chili peppers hot.

Then What can you send an injured friend? Gifts for a Sick Person

• Lotion/Perfume. Find all kinds of beautiful lotions and perfumes they can use to make themselves feel refreshed and moisturized.
• Bath Bombs.
• Adult Coloring Book.

Furthermore, Is Vicks Vaporub good for knee pain?

Theres also evidence that the camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol in the ointment make it a good choice for relieving muscle and joint pain.

Is gabapentin good for knee pain? Gabapentin and duloxetine are both effective in reducing pain in knee osteoarthritis.

• What can I send instead of flowers for thank you?

Can Vicks Vaporub Cause Addiction

While there is no scientific evidence that Vicks VapoRub is addictive, especially when used as directed, “Organic Facts” reports that camphor, one of Vicks VapoRubs active ingredients, “has narcotic effects as it temporarily desensitizes the nerves and relaxes brain. It can also make brain lose control over limbs if taken in excess.

Is vicks vapor rub good for bruisesStretch marks are not to be ashamed of, but we understand why some people are self-conscious about them. The good news is that Vicks VapoRub can help you soften the jagged lines. People who used the product on their skin saw their marks fade by 60 to 100 percent after only a week, according to the Daily Mail in 2016.

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Medications That Can Harm The Liver Interacts With Camphor

Using camphor might harm the liver. Applying camphor to the skin while taking medications that might also harm the liver can increase the risk of liver damage. Do not use camphor if you are taking a medication that can harm the liver.Some medications that can harm the liver include acarbose , amiodarone , atorvastatin , azathioprine , carbamazepine , cerivastatin , diclofenac , felbamate , fenofibrate , fluvastatin , gemfibrozil , isoniazid, itraconazole, , ketoconazole , leflunomide , lovastatin , methotrexate , nevirapine , niacin, nitrofurantoin , pioglitazone , pravastatin , pyrazinamide, rifampin , ritonavir , rosiglitazone , simvastatin , tacrine , tamoxifen, terbinafine , valproic acid, and zileuton .

Can You Walk With No Cartilage In Your Knee

If left untreated, the joint, especially if it is a weight-bearing one, such as the knee, can eventually become so damaged that the person cannot walk. Apart from immobility, the pain may slowly get worse. All small articular cartilage defects can eventually progress to osteoarthritis if given enough time.

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Does Vicks Vaporub Help With Breathing

Vicks VapoRub releases vapors of menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor that can soothe nasal passages. This can trigger receptors in your brain that make you think you are breathing more clearly. But VapoRub isnt a decongestant.

Studies have shown that using Vicks VapoRub according to the instructions on the package may help improve sleep quality.

What Does Putting Vicks On Your Feet Do

Some people claim that putting Vicks VapoRub on your feet can help with cold symptoms. However, there isnt any scientific evidence to support this theory. The manufacturers guidelines say to apply the product to your chest.

Menthol and camphor, two of the active ingredients in VapoRub, may help soothe your muscles by acting as a topic anesthetic, according to the NIH. Applying Vicks to your feet may help soothe sore muscles.

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Whats In The Vicks Vaporub Cure

Vicks contains menthol, camphor, eucalyptus oil, cedarleaf oil, nutmeg oil, petrolatum, thymol and turpentine oil. A number of these ingredients have antifungal activity, which may explain its success against nail fungus.

Thymol has antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal activity . Other essential oils such as eucalyptus and tea tree oil also have fungicidal action .

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Neck And Shoulder Tension

Tiger Balm may help reduce neck and shoulder pain.

In an older study , 105 men and women with mild to moderate muscle strain used patches containing a 10 percent methyl salicylate and 3 percent menthol formulation. The participants used the patches on multiple regions, including the upper shoulder and neck.

Twelve hours after applying their patches, the participants experienced, on average, a 40 percent reduction in pain, compared to the 103 control subjects who used placebo patches.

In a 2017 study, 29 people with neck pain applied a topical menthol gel to the area before receiving cervical chiropractic manipulation. Those who used the gel reported significantly more pain reduction after treatment than those who did not.

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What Do I Need To Tell My Doctor Before I Take This Drug

• If you have an allergy to camphor, menthol, or any other part of this drug.
• If you are allergic to this drug any part of this drug or any other drugs, foods, or substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had.

This drug may interact with other drugs or health problems.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take this drug with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

Gelatin Mixture Eases Arthritis

Dear Peoples Pharmacy: I am 55 years old and suffer from arthritis in my knees. One day I decided to try some unflavored gelatin with tart cherry juice because my nails were not growing as well as they used to, and gelatin is said to help with that. Tart cherry juice is supposed to be a good anti-inflammatory.

Much to my surprise, the pain in my knees subsided substantially within a week! I had tried OTC pain relievers before, to no avail.

I now swear by this gelatin mixture I drink every morning. I find that if I miss my morning concoction, I feel pain before that day ends. Drinking it helps me so much that I go to the gym more often and have much relief from both the gelatin and the exercise.

Dear Reader: We love your story! Anything that helps people exercise is worth a try.

Many readers report that tart cherry juice can help alleviate the discomfort of gout or arthritis. Others tell us that unflavored gelatin helps ease sore joints. You are the first we have heard from who has combined the two remedies.

We are sending you our Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis, with details on these and other home remedies for joint pain.

Dear Peoples Pharmacy: Decades ago, I had one of those annoying, tickly, nonproductive coughs that kept me up ALL night. An old-timer I knew told me to put a heating pad under my butt. I went to bed convinced that it would not help, but I slept very soundly that night.

2014 King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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What Are Some Things I Need To Know Or Do While I Take This Drug

All products:

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take this drug. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Some of these drugs may catch on fire. Do not use near an open flame or while smoking.
• Use with care in children. Talk with the doctor.
• Different brands of this drug may be for use in different ages of children. Talk with the doctor before giving this drug to a child.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan on getting pregnant, or are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks to you and the baby.

Patch:

• This drug may cause harm if chewed or swallowed. If this drug has been put in the mouth, call a doctor or poison control center right away.

All other products:

• This drug may cause harm if swallowed. If this drug is swallowed, call a doctor or poison control center right away.

Vicks Vaporub As An Insect Repellent

This ones a weird one, because honestly, who can say what insects think about Vaporub?

Some people insist that Vaporub repels insects like nothing else, whereas others say it just doesnt work.

Theres no evidence to suggest that this works at the moment, and we may have to wait until some magical person can speak to creepy crawlies and find out their feelings about Vaporub before well know for sure either way.

Now, where did my English to Ant-ish dictionary go?

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How Aromatherapy May Help Arthritis Pain

The benefits of essential oils used to be explained as coming from the life force of a plant, which admittedly sounds a little woo-woo. The reality is that essential oils contain a slew of compounds sometimes as many as 300 that can have a range of effects on the body. Essential oils directly stimulate the part of the brain that influences emotions, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, but you dont even necessarily have to smell the oils to reap their rewards.

The term aromatherapy is really a misnomer, says Barb Picciano, a registered nurse, board-certified holistic nurse, and the former director of the healing services program at the Cleveland Clinic. The use of essential oils is called aromatherapy, but the word doesnt cover all of the ways they work.

For instance, when applied topically, rosemary can ease arthritis pain by helping to numb nerves when inhaled, rosemary oils been shown to have a stimulatory effect on beta brainwaves that may explain its ability to make you feel more alert and energized a plus when dealing with a chronic disease leaves you feeling drained.

When trying to manage arthritis pain, youll want to use something topical, says Picciano, whos now the director of education for Natural Options School of Aromatherapy, the education arm of a company that provides essential oils to over 120 hospitals in the country. Youre not going to affect joint pain with inhalation, but in terms of relaxation, it could be effective.

Hot And Cold Treatments

Using either heat or cold treatments can reduce the stiffness and pain of arthritis.

Cold packs numb the sore area. They are especially good for severe joint pain and swelling caused by a flare . Heat treatments relax your muscles. You can use dry heat methods such as a heating pad or heat lamp or moist heat methods, such as a bath or hydrocollator pack.

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Vicks Vaporub For Stretchmarks

As much as wed love Vaporub to be a magical cure for stretch marks, were afraid that its just not true!

Stretch marks are fickle things, and nothing has currently been proven to get rid of them entirely.

There are a few treatments which have been proven to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, but unfortunately Vicks Vaporub isnt one of them.

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Does Vicks Vapor Rub Soften Toenails

One common thing that comes up are products that contain menthol. So Vicks VapoRub is a common nail remedy for nail fungus. It probably wont help. But it wont hurt anything either.

similarly, Is Vicks VapoRub good for toenail fungus?

Vicks VapoRub

Vicks VapoRub is a topical ointment. Although designed for cough suppression, its active ingredients may help treat toenail fungus. A 2011 study found that Vicks VapoRub had a positive clinical effect in the treatment of toenail fungus.

in the same way, What is the white hard stuff under my toenails? Keratin is a protein that promotes the development of the skin and nails. Nail psoriasis sometimes causes too much keratin to grow under the nail. This overgrowth is called subungual hyperkeratosis. People with hyperkeratosis may notice a white, chalky substance under the nail.

likewise What is the best way to soften toenails?

Soak your feet in warm water for at least 10 minutes to soften your nails, and then use a towel to thoroughly dry your feet and toenails. Using a nail clipper, make small cuts to avoid splintering the nail and cut straight across. To lessen the chance of the nail becoming ingrown, dont round off the corners.

Can I put Vicks on my feet?

When applied to the chest and throat, it may help ease cold symptoms like nose and sinus congestion. Vicks VapoRub will likely not work to help ease cold symptoms when used on the feet. Adults can safely use this vapor rub on the feet to ease muscle aches or pain.

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Can Arthritis Pain Be Controlled

There are many things you can do to help control your arthritis pain. The goals of these methods are to control pain by:

• learning new ways to reduce pain
• taking as few pain medicines as possible
• changing pain habits that disrupt your normal lifestyle
• increasing your physical and social activity so you can return to an active life as much as possible

The methods listed here will work differently for different people. So some methods may work for you but some may not. Some methods are things you can do for yourself. Others require help from your doctor or other health professionals. Talk to your doctor about these methods. With a little practice you will find the right ones for you.

Heres What You Need To Know About Aromatherapy The Healing Power Of Smell To Treat Arthritis Pain

Many people who have to deal with the many debilitating symptoms of arthritis pain, swelling, reduced range of motion, and stiffness are open to trying alternative remedies to find relief beyond what their medications can offer. Indeed, research shows that people with osteoarthritis , the most common type of arthritis, are more likely to use complementary treatments than those living with any other chronic condition. And just as theres evidence supporting the use of alternative therapies like acupuncture and meditation in treating arthritis symptoms, science also shows some benefits of incorporating aromatherapy into your anti-arthritis armamentarium.

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