My tween daughter had some growing pains lately. It became very uncomfortable.
Her mobility was poor and it resulted in very tight tendons and muscles.
Here’s my eldest daughter 10 months ago. She’s 12.5 years old.
I’ve been using essential oils on her since January.
We first became concerned about her a year or so ago. She walked on her toes and said her feet and legs hurt. She was unable to place her heels on the floor.
I got her new shoes, in the correct size. She hadn’t told me for several months that her boots were too small. She loved those boots that much. I felt like a bad mom.
It didn’t completely help the problem.
So, we took her to the doctor. And another. And then a specialist.
Some doctors said she needed surgery on her legs.
Her tendons were too tight. She had hammer toes. Her spinal column was too short. Her ankles were weak. She needed pins in her ankles to straighten and strengthen.
They all said different, scary things, but they all wanted surgery.
What we did instead of surgery:
We bought her yet another pair of shoes – expensive, super stiff-soled walking shoes with rigid ankle brace inserts.
We did yoga. Pi-yo. The whole family encouraged, helped, participated. All the other kids wanted to do stretches too. It was great.
She wasn’t very successful at running track last season because she was almost in tears after practices and therefore didn’t do well in the races. She was in constant pain.
So we went the physical therapy route for a while, last spring and summer. It helped some. They ended our sessions with the comment that she wasn’t progressing because she feared pain, even though she wasn’t experiencing it any more. They had done all they could for her.
It seemed strange that she could run barefoot through the yard just fine.
I think she was improving, but when she thought about it, that fear of pain came back. When she didn’t think, she walked and ran fine.
We let it drop for a while since she wasn’t complaining of pain.
Absence of pain isn’t always the best answer.
Then, I noticed that she seemed to be getting worse again, instead of better. She still walked up on her tippy toes and cried that it hurt to place her feet flat on the floor.
I still remind her nightly to do her stretches, assigned to her by the PT. We do yoga most mornings and more stretches. I encouraged her to walk barefoot in the house and yard, reminding her that it’s heel to toe, and even to stomp, if it helps.
A real miracle at work has been the essential oils. I massage her legs and spine with the oils. We begin and end with a wonderful essential oil blend (it’s been called “chiropractor in a bottle”). It’s supposed to help her body naturally realign the spine and nerves. Basil, Wintergreen, Cypress, Marjoram, Oregano, Peppermint, Thyme, and a few other oils and blends are helping manage her leg pain.
And I pray over her.
Every night. Every morning. Multiple times per day. For physical as well as spiritual and mental healing.
When it became possible in our budget, my husband took her to his chiropractor. He also uses essential oils in his practice and is very into natural methods.
The chiropractor “turned on” all her core muscles. They were all nonfunctioning! That certainly was much of the problem. Only five sessions were needed to get everything working properly. He affirmed that she should continue to do the stretches prescribed by her PT. Now I know she’s really on the road to recovery.
And she is now in Civil Air Patrol – with all the marching and standing at attention, it’s all coming together and her posture is much improved. She passed both her physical training tests last month, running 1.5 miles well under the necessary time, along with many sit ups and push ups.
No pain. The combat boots help her stand straight with her heels down. And the good peer pressure to conform to the squadron helps her to try harder to stand at attention well.
Here she is on Easter morning. Her posture is so much better than it was!
I am so thankful that surgery wasn’t necessary.
I just felt in my heart that we should look to alternative medicine to heal and her growing body would adjust itself with time and therapy.
We’re still praying. Still doing stretches, still monitoring and still massaging with essential oils.
Still encouraging her and thanking God that there’s been no need for surgery.
What a blessed from God that He brought healing to your precious daughter by providing alternatives to surgery. So happy for her and for you! Praising God with you! :)
oops, I meant blessing! :)
yes, after research we didn’t feel surgery was the best route. Docs were so quick to go there! We’re still stretching, but she’s come so far!
doctors make money doing surgery and that is all they know, which is so sad! how many surgeries were unnecessary?!
I am rejoicing with you in your success!
What an incredible story. GOD works in many ways.
I am so touched by this story and know the battle you had. I have a 12 yr old daughter who, as a child, sat on her heals all the time and has knees that touch. We work on being aware of always training our minds to act to work against the narrowing of this by walking like a ballerina, stretches, pointing, strengthening by running, sit-ups, yoga and positive prayers and thoughts on the outlook of all the things we we doing.
I did research on essential oils and learnt that they as well as other products that have strong smell, can make the liver work overtime since our skin is an organ as well. Liver tonics milk thistle dandelion root and others can support its function. We don’t need to clean the liver with liver cleanses, that is just silly, it is the cleaner! I found Susan weed’s information so useful in my search for working safely with herbs. Susan Weed is a cornerstone.
Thanks and have a nice day, Laura :-)
Thank you. I’ll look into that too.
Also…the core strength is so important. Planks on elbows and toes. So good. While on the toes, leaning into the feet, ending up pushing back on the toes so the hamstring stretches hen heels go back. Back straight, bum up a little, not sagging. :-)
Thanks for sharing your story. I started using essential oils last fall and love them. Peppermint & Valor are my favorites right now.
Oh thank you for sharing this inspirational story.
I was touched by your story and I’m happy that your daughter was healed by essential oils and God! My daughter is 22 and has had lung pain since the 10th grade due to poisons that are being dumped near our house and seeping into our water. It’s hard seeing her in pain and I pray that God will show me a way to help her heal naturally since surgery isn’t even an option. Maybe there are lung essential oils for her to try. I’ll look it up this evening.
My favourite oil has got to be peppermint essential oil. I use it in my mouth by rubbing it on the bottom of my tongue whenever a sore throat is coming on.
I see this was a while ago but I was just led here from oil-testimonials site. Thank you for sharing your story, I’m so happy she seems to be healing without needing surgery. Oils, our bodies, herbs and yes sometimes western medicine…god and mother nature has given us all the tools we just need to remember not to overlook them! Anyway you mention how good being barefoot is for your daughter and I wanted to mention the Vibram 5 fingers (toe) shoes as well as the barefoot sandals that are available. I have been compleatly flat footed all my life and medicine was always trying to put me in more supportive shoes. However being barefoot all the time as a kid is what I have always remembered as feeling best and I am that way always in the house. I found the toe shoes a little over a year ago and absolutely love them! I now have several pair and dread the winter here in the north because there comes a time when I just cant wear them outside anymore due to weather. I would highly recommend giving them a try for your daughter. I have found them to be far less expensive on line, just plug the name in and look around a bit different sites have them on sale all the time. Good luck and keep listening to your good instincts!
We do try to go barefoot as much as is safe in our yard or some parks. We’ve been so healthy this last year with the oils. Our family is on no meds!
Thank you for the idea! I will look into the toe shoes. We see them a lot here with the runners.
Beautiful story, I love hearing how essential oils have helped others, especially children. I have only used the basics on the kids, lavender, eucalyptus and a couple others. It’s amazing how much they get us through.
Thank you for sharing this uplifting story,
Lindsey