Harnessing the Power of Epsom Salts

I'll admit I was a skeptic at first, but Epsom salts are by far one of the best natural pain remedies I've encountered--thanks to my persistent chiropractor. I've tried multiple over-the-counter remedies including extra strength Tylenol, Motrin, heat wraps, and ice packs. I've also tried some scary prescription muscle relaxants and pain relievers which don't knock out the pain any better than the over-the-counter ones. Atlas neck adjustments from my chiropractor and massage therapy treatments both provide more long term pain relief and work better than meds for me. But chiropractic care and massage therapy alone were still not enough to extinguish my intense and recurrent headaches. My chiropractor used to suffer from migraines himself, and he insisted that I humor him and try taking an Epsom salt bath one night. Although it made little sense to me at the time, I complied and was pleasantly surprised by the results.

In addition to dysautonomia, I also suffer from a pretty severe case of TMJ. I often wonder if the two conditions are somehow related, but because I had a cyst removed from my jawbone and sustained a serious car accident right before developing POTS, I am assuming the TMJ is the coincidental aftermath of serious jaw trauma due to the surgery and the accident. My jaw makes interesting and embarrassing popping and clicking noises throughout the day, has limited mobility, and occasionally locks up completely. I cannot begin tell you how frustrating that is. I am not a fan of the pureed food diet. And I am not a fan of 'resting' my jaw either, which inevitably involves abstaining from some of my favorite pastimes: talking, eating and singing. I sleep with a custom-fitted mouthguard appliance religiously every night. If I don't, like clockwork I wake up in the morning with a bad headache. Contrary to what most people know about TMJ, not all sufferers grind their teeth at night. In fact, I don't grind mine at all. Somehow my jaw can dislocate simply from sleeping on it wrong, or sometimes for no apparent reason at all. My mouthguard acts as a therapeutic splint to rest and stabilize my jaw.

When a bad TMJ headache sets in, my neck, face, jaw, ears, and back of my head all throb relentlessly in pain. I take two Motrin, break out my ice pack, soak my feet in warm water with Epsom salts, and apply a warm washcloth with Epsom salts directly onto my jaws like a compress. For extra relief I use a wearable ice pack on top of the Epsom salt cloths so that they become wearable too and the ice helps to temporarily numb the pain. If I am lucky enough to fall asleep, when I wake up in the morning, my headache is miraculously gone.

So to those of you out there suffering with TMJ, EDS, or other chronic and debilitating pain conditions, give Epsom salts a try. They are inexpensive, drug-free, all natural, full of magnesium, and soothing for nerves and muscles. I never thought this old-fashioned remedy would be such an effective pain reliever, but thank goodness it is. Epsom salts are truly my light at the end of the bad headache tunnel.