Gift Idea of the Week: Good Medicine Ball

It's no news to anyone who reads this site regularly that I have pretyt major repetitive stress problems, and I'm always looking for ways to deal with them. I found this item, known as the Good Medicine Ball, in a craft and knitting supply catalog, though it's more commonly sold as an aid to meditation.

Basically it's a batik-fabriced ball filled with flax seeds, lavender, chamomile, rosemary and essential oils that can be either heated in the microwave or frozen to provide hot or cold relief to stiff joints.

I've only used it a couple of times (and only warm, not cold), but it is pretty soothing to my wrists and elbows. Just holding it in my hands feels really nice as well. It provides aromatheraphy as well as heat or cold, which is nice, though the scent is really strong, at least when the ball is new.

If you or someone in your life has trouble with stiff or achy joints (it could, or course, be used on other body parts besides the arms) this little gift is both thoughtful and useful.