ChatterTip of the Month May 2012

Tips for the Neck & Throat


© Tom Raven

As you know, I like not to repeat a topic if I can possibly help it, so looking back over the previous bulletins, this time last year for Taurus we gave you some gardening tips (I have to say that last year’s May bulletin on gardens was one of my favorites!), and the year before that it was beauty tips from the kitchen.

So this time I decided to keep with the anatomical as well as the astrological theme, and for the sign of Taurus we are talking about the neck. They need to be thick and strong to hold up Aries’ head! So our tips for this month relate to problems associated with the neck and throat.

 

Sore Throat
A sore throat, also known as pharyngitis, is essentially an inflammation of the pharynx – which is the area of the throat between the back of the nose and the beginning of the trachea and vocal cords. Gargling with Warm Salt Water is still one of the best remedies, or alternatively gargle with Warm Honey Water to help deal with infection. A Hot Honey & Lemon drink will also reduce symptoms and encourage healing, or how about a combination of GingerHoney & Lime Juice. Make an infusion with Goldenseal and drink as required (also great for sinus infections) or Tincture of Calendula can also be added to boiled Water to make a mouthwash. Increase your intake of Vitamin C as well as Zinc. Massage a little Lavender Oil into the neck, or dab the throat with some diluted Tea Tree Oil on a Q-tip. And let’s not forget our other old faithful Garlic, which should be eaten regularly as it contains antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Laryngitis
It naturally follows that laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx – which is our voice box, and also includes inflammation of the vocal cords as well when they are swollen and sore, thus distorting our vocal apparatus. Again drink a glass of Hot Lemon & Honey, or Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey in Hot Water to reduce any inflammation and infection, as well as encouraging healing. Echinacea both prevents and treats laryngitis. Many of the recommendations for a sore throat naturally apply to laryngitis as well. Some more suggestions for gargling are to put a few drops of GeraniumPepperRosemary or Tea Tree Oil in a glass of boiled Water. And some more Chinese herbal suggestions are PeppermintMulberry and Licorice.

Tonsillitis
The tonsils are located at the back of the throat, and tonsillitis is not surprisingly an inflammation of the tonsils more common in children than in adults. Doctors seem to have mixed views on tonsils. When my sister was quite young for example, they decided hers were so bad they should be removed. But by the time I started getting tonsillitis some years later, the doctors had changed their thoughts and were prone to leaving them in, because they act as a natural barrier to more serious infections and diseases, or at least that’s what they told me. So I suffered through a lot of strep throat in my high school and college years! Strep throat by the way is often a combination of all three – pharyngitis, laryngitis, and tonsillitis – at which point the doctor would put you on a major course of antibiotics! But before you get there, drink some Hot Blackcurrant Juice or again, Hot Lemon & Honey, or Apple Cider Vinegar & HoneyEchinaceaMyrrhGarlic and Sage all boost the immune system.

Neck Stretch
I mean, who doesn’t get a stiff neck, right? We hold a lot of tension in our necks. I remember back to before the days of hands-free headsets and how I would have a permanent “crick” in my neck from holding the phone to my ear! My mother was given this particular neck stretch as a relaxation exercise years and years ago but it’s still a good one. Simply lie on the floor on your back and really relax all of your muscles. Very gently and very slowly start to roll your head to one side, and then slowly back to the middle again. Then roll your head slowly to the other side, and back again. Do this several times, very slowly and without forcing. The weight of your head should be enough!