Hello, my friend and welcome back! In today’s post, we are going to look at dealing with pain in a post SHTF world. Whether it’s a sprained ankle or a broken bone, the pain will take on a whole new meaning in a world with no drugstores to run to. Grab yourself a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.
Many of the things we consider painful now, will be considered minor annoyances in a post SHTF world. Like those brave pioneers of days gone by, new ways will be needed to deal with severe pain. I mean let’s face it, who hasn’t had a tooth ache or something that hurt like hell and would do anything to get it to stop?
So what are your options when it comes to pain? Well for most of us Preppers, this means storing up all of the unused pain medication we can get to at least get us through the first year hopefully. Unfortunately, this will eventually run out and we will be forced to create other forms of relief such as those found in nature.
Let’s look at what some of these might be. As most people know, ice is great for reducing swelling and reducing the pain associated with injuries. The trouble is that the chances of finding ice will be almost zero unless you have a solar-powered icemaker. The questions will then become, “what is another way can you cool an injury?” Well, if it’s winter and there is snow on the ground then the answer is to place the snow in a watertight container and then place it on the injury.
What if there is no snow, though, what do you do then? Placing a wet cloth in temperatures below 40 degrees will cause it to become hyper-chilled and it can then be used in place of ice. If it is in the Summer, then you will not have that luxury. If there is snow-fed river or stream nearby, you could soak an old gel ice pack or cloth in it until it becomes cold.
If none of these options are available to you and you do have access to a water well, then you may still be in luck. In most cases, well water usually comes out of the ground cold. This is not always the case but I have found it to be true of most water wells. The cool water could then be used to soak a cloth and placed on the injury.
Cold is not always the answer for controlling pain. In the event of a pulled muscle, you will need to add heat to increase blood flow to the injured areas. One way of doing this is to boil water over a fire and soak a clean cloth in it. Remove it and wring it out well and place it on the pulled muscle. The warm moist heat should help relieve the pain and help you rest.
There are also many natural herbal remedies which you could use to control pain as well.
Ginger is one of them. ginger extract may help with joint and muscle pain because it contains phytochemicals, which help stop inflammation. Few side effects have been linked to ginger when taken in small doses.
Turmeric spice has been used to relieve arthritis pain and heartburn, and to reduce inflammation. It’s unclear how turmeric works against pain or inflammation, but its activity may be due to a chemical called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric is usually safe to use but you must avoid high doses.
Aspirin can be made from willow trees. There are many different types of willow trees and not all of them have high levels of salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is the active pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory component that is used to make aspirin. The highest levels can be found in White or European Willow, Purple Willow, Black or Pussy Willow and the Crack Willow. Look for the white willow tree first as it is sometimes known as a river weeping willow and is common all over the US and parts of Europe. The leaves of the white willow are 2 to 4 inches long when you find them. You are going to want to strip the bark from some of the younger limbs and be sure to get the thin white layer on the back of the bark.
The American Indians and early settlers would sometimes break small twigs off and chew on them for pain, but for maximum relief, you want to dry the bark for a couple of hours near a fire, then place them in a small pot with water and boil them. To make what is commonly known as Willow Bark Tea. Boil the water with the bark in it for 10 minutes. Next, you will want to pour it into a cup and let it cool down for about 20 minutes. Once it’s cool, you will want to drink it slowly and if possible eat something with it as it is known to sometimes irritate the stomach.
There are many other natural pain remedies and you can find them on the internet. Just remember that just because there is no pharmacy open doesn’t mean that you will have to live with unbearable pain. Learn about all of the many ways to control it naturally now and when you and when the time comes, you will be able to be your own pharmacy. That’s it for today and I hope you have found this post helpful. Until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared. God Save America!
-Sarge-
