Dude's First Aid Kit

     So, after nursing my son (aka Dude) back to health on his visit home I sent him back to the Marines's with a first aid kit.  He tends to get cold/sinus issues rather easily and this is his custom kit.  It included a bottle of elderberry syrup, a bottle of Guido's decongestant formula , a bottle of poke root tincture and because he plays hard and works hard my Oh my aching..... relief liniment.
      The elderberry he was instructed to take at the first hint of anything.  I stressed first hint as he tends to ignore the first hint, the encroaching battle, and the all out was on his body because he's tough and waits until he can't breath and is forced to go to the emergency room.

     Though he knows that the Netti pot makes him feel much better quickly he will not use it so I did not include one in his kit.  He prefers a steam which I set up for him when he is home. Knowing that he would not do this on his own I skipped this as well.  It is after all about compliance.
     The elderberry and decongestant I know he will take.  It's quick and easy.  And some how more manly.
     The liniment I put it in a roll on container.  We use it at home for a host of ailments.  My father-in-love took a bottle home for his sore muscles and found great relief. I use it for those overworked muscles, those tight shoulders and menstrual cramps.   It is a combination of crampbark, st. john's wort and prickly ash bark tinctures.  I use equal amounts of each because that is easy to remember.
     Crampbark - Viburnum opulus  main actions are antispasmodic, sedative, astringent and a nervine.  It is extremely effective at relieving any tense muscles, whether smooth muscles in the airways, intestines or uterus, or striated muscles in the limbs or back.  It can be taken internally or applied topically to relieve muscle tension.  It works wonders to relieve menstrual cramps caused by excessive contractions of the uterus.  This is how we first employed it at our house with great success.  Then we discovered that rubbing a little into sore muscles relaxed them and provided relief from pain.  The roll on bottle makes it super easy to use and a little is all you need.
     St. John's Wort - Hypericum perforatum  Though this herb gets lots of press both good and bad as an anti-depressant it has a host of other benefits.  One of which is as an anti-inflammatory.  Topically it reduces nerve pain.  It works great for sciatica and joint pain.
     Prickly Ash Bark - Zanthoxylum americanum is a circulatory stimulant.  It is a prime remedy for rheumatic and arthritic problems.  It stimulates blood flow to painful and stiff joints, promoting the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the area and removing waste products.
     The combination of the three herbs work well together.  The crampbark relaxes the muscle,  the St. John's Wort  reduces the inflammation and nerve pain and the Prickly ash bark brings blood flow to the area relieving the pain and helping the other herbs work better.