Muscle pain is something that we all have experienced in our lifetime. It can be a result of a hard fall or a simple case of exhaustion of the muscles.
The simplest way to deal with such pains is to take an Aspirin or some paracetamol, to lessen the effect of over exercising our body.But such an approach isn’t the best one, because taking substances orally when they are digested have the influence on our whole body, and not just the parts that need it the most.So for the local pain, like pain from over exhaustion, if the muscles are painful the best approach is directly on one’s skin.
There are varieties in a direct approach to muscle pain. The usual products for such treatments have always been different kinds of ointments and crèmes. Today’s preparations have all been derived from these old school remedies.
These old remedies are very good to use if one has minor muscle pain, and it gives momentary sense of relief on the troubled area. However, if we are talking about more serious and long-term pain, the better thing to do is to apply a patch for pain relieving, because it has long-term effects on the troubled area and it won leave grease stains all over one’s clothes.
When a person has decided whether to use Aspirin or to use more local approach, the next question that comes to mind is what ingredients should be contained within the product that is to be applied directly.Usually, the great majority of these products have three main types of ingredients, and some additional ingredients depending on the manufacturer. These three basic ingredients will have three effects on the area applied. One is an analgesic effect (reducing pain), the second is an irritating effect, and the last one is anti-inflammatory.
The irritating effect is not a joke, as someone might think. It is that burning, or cooling effect that these products sometimes have. This effect confuses the nerves, which are distracted by this effect, and they stop sending pain signals to our brain.The usual ingredients that produce such an effect are menthol and camphor.
The inflammation may be the main reason for pain in the muscle. The main ingredient which has anti-inflammatory effect is salicylate. It is one of the main ingredients of Aspirin. If a person is not allowed to take Aspirin for that reason, he or she should also avoid products containing it.
If a persons muscle is bruised rather than sore, it is wise to use crèmes or other products that contain comfrey or arnica. Arnica is very good for maintaining good circulation to the bruise, and comfrey speeds up the process of absorbing the built up blood.
All of the products mentioned above can be manufactured at home, depending on one’s needs but it’s important to remember to use organic ingredients and to consult with someone of herbal knowledge.
Your thoughts on this
Loading...