[toc]Muscle pain is the result of over stretching or overuse of muscle or group of muscles. Muscle pain or Myalgia is usually due to injury like sprains or trauma, viral infections or chronic tension of muscle group. Long term muscle pain can be an indication of metabolic myopathy or chronic fatigue or nutritional deficiencies.
Muscle pain goes away normally with time, within a few days but at times, a particular muscle pain can stay long for months. Muscle pain can originate at any part of the body from neck, limbs, back to legs. There are several solutions to combat muscle pain that lingers for long. By making use of them one can attain instant relief from the muscle pain.
7 Home Remedies For Instant Muscle Pain Relief
Easy Stretches
Worth Buying
On the contrary to usual belief, one must do gentle stretches when muscle feel stiff and sore. This is the foremost thing that should never be avoided. Stretch the cramped painful muscle with one hand, squeezing and kneading the hard, knot like region with other hand. For those with cramps in the calf muscle, foot should be paced flat on the ground and then lean in forward direction, without lifting the heel.
For those who find it difficult to stand, can sit on the floor with legs extended and then hold the toes or foot upper portion, pulling it gently towards the knee. One can even warm up with a walk for 20 minutes in order to get the blood flowing into the stiffed muscles. Those who may be just involved in gardening or chopping wood, should also prepare muscles for work by gentle stretching and warming up, before the act and prevent muscle from further damage or cramps.
Chilling It Out
For overstrained muscle pain, take a cold shower or bath to lessen the trauma caused due to overuse of the muscles. Runners usually use cold water to run over their stiffed legs, post running. Even ice pack can be made use of, if cold bath does not seem to be a possibility.
Apply cold packs for 20 to 30 minutes every hour, for initial 24 to 72 hours period, post the strenuous act. Cold aids in preventing soreness by constricting the blood vessels and reducing the blood flow, the cause for inflammation of the affected area.
Go For Swimming
Swimming is the best solution for instant relief from the muscle pain and soreness. By swimming, the splash of cold water helps in lowering down the inflammation, and muscle movement helps them to get stretched out, thereby reducing soreness.
Wrapping Up
For those with muscle pain in cold weather, need to keep them warm by adequate clothing. The layered clothing traps air in between the different cloth layers and provides best insulation from the cold waves. People may get benefit with use of running tights that provide adequate warmth and compression.
Perform Gentle Massaging
Gentle massaging performed over the stiffed and sore muscles will help to improve the condition and relieve from muscle pain. One must know the limits of using the muscles adequately, on daily basis rather than over exerting on weekends alone.
For indulging into heavy exercising, one must first let the muscle get accustomed slowly to regime, over a period of several weeks or months. In case, muscle pains while exercising, stop immediately as otherwise there is an increased risk of seriously injuring the affected muscle.
Spice It Up
Include ginger along with honey for instant relief from pain. Apply a mixture of cayenne pepper and olive oil over the affected region, to get quick relief from pain. Moreover clove oil, lavender and eucalyptus oil can also be used for treating muscle pains. Use garlic for curing muscle pain as it is very effective in reducing inflammation of the muscles.
Application of garlic and mustard oil is beneficial for achieving an instant relief. Even consumption of tart cherry juice helps in muscle recovery due to its anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Avoid Heat
It may feel good to use a hot water bottle or a heating pad over the painful muscle, but it should be completely avoided as it is the worst thing to be done. Heat increases blood circulation to area by dilating the blood vessels, causing more swelling of muscles and aggravating the stiffness. Rather than heating therapy, make use of contrast therapy using a hot pad for 4 minutes and cold pack for the following one minute.
Once the soreness and swelling gets subside, hot baths can be used for relaxing the muscles. Include Epsom salt during bathing, for attaining instant relief from pain. Put two cups of Epsom salt in hot water and indulge in pain relieving bath.