Sage Oil, Tiger Balm, and the Ointments That Don't Really Heal
Every now and then, a friend comes along with that look in their eyes. You know the one. Like they've just uncovered some ancient secret hidden away by Shaolin monks, pharmaceutical companies, and Yoga masters. "Duuuuude... I have chronic pain too. I swear by this sage essential oil. It's amazing. It's expensive, but it's worth every penny." You know what? Fair enough. I have chronic pain. I'm a martial artist who's been getting punched, kicked, thrown, twisted into pretzels, and voluntarily folded in half for most of my life. If somebody tells me they've found something that actually helps, I'm willing to give it a fair shot; especially now, in my 40's, cz I get out of bed every morning feeling like roadkill. So I bought some, and at the first chance of a sore muscle day, I eagerly lubed me up. And 1 hour later... "Hmmmm... smells nice... Ouch... still hurts." No problem, I'm open minded, I realize things don't work on th...