Kitchen cures for spring aches

These pantry staples are proven to tame pain so you can enjoy the season!

- BRENDA KEARNS

QUIETS CREAKY KNEES: Olive oil massages

It's not just you-at least one in three of us have an achy knee (or two!) holding us back from the warm-weather activities we love. The kitchen remedy that can offer as much relief as prescription medication? Gently massage ¼ tsp. of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) into sore joints four times daily. Australian scientists say a plant compound in EVOO (oleocanthal) switches off two inflammation-fueling enzymes, COX-1 and COX-2, as effectively as go-to pain relievers.

RELAXES MUSCLES: Vanilla sniffs