Home remedies for sore muscles

Soreness is not bad, but it can be quite painful. Various home remedies are a great way to tackle the pain. After a week at the latest, however, the muscle should have recovered without further measures. Sore muscles usually occur on the following day after unusual or too long a load. Most affected are the muscle groups that have rarely or never been trained. The reason for the pain are the smallest injuries that occur in the overuse in the muscle or in the so-called muscle fibrils. Home remedies can help preventively as well as in hindsight.

contents

• Preventive measures
• Schüssler salts for the prevention of muscle pain
• Stretching and loosening exercises
• Proper clothing can prevent sore muscles
• Prevention by tea tree oil
• Help with sore muscles
• Relieving muscle pain through heat
• Schüssler salt therapy
• Treatment with ointments and oils
• Fruit salad for optimal supply of enzymes
• Important for muscle pain: Sufficient fluid
• Sore muscles treatment with Franzbranntwein
• Retterspitz for external use
• Diet: calcium and magnesium
• Pain relief by medicinal herbs tea
• Ginger compress for sore muscles
• Sport is to be avoided
• Summary

Preventive measures

To get no muscle soreness, the following home remedies and tips can help. Sport should never be started "coldly", that is, a gentle warm-up is a good way to counteract the annoying muscle pain. For example, before you start jogging, you start walking first and then walking lightly; in the gym, the crosstrainer is used on a light level before the strength exercises.

Gentle warm-up before sport serves to prevent a muscle sore. Image: SENTELLO / fotolia.com

Although regular exercise does not necessarily protect against sore muscles. Nevertheless, it is a suitable means to keep the muscles trained and subsequently to get no pain after exercising.

Schüssler salts for the prevention of muscle pain

Muscles in motion require magnesium. If this is not sufficiently available, the risk of muscle soreness increases. If the mineral is taken before exercise, it is therefore a good home remedy for sore muscles. It is recommended here the Schüssler salt No. 7, Magnesium Phosphoricum. This is particularly intense when it is taken in the form of a so-called "hot sieves".

Preparation of a "hot sieves": Pour ten Tablets of Salt No. 7 into a beaker Douse with 200 ml of boiled, hot water Stir with a plastic spoon until the tablets are completely dissolved Drink the drink as hot as you can in small sips Important: When stirring do not use a metal spoon, as this will change the effect of the salts. Keep the solution in the mouth for as long as possible with each sip before swallowing. Thus, the active ingredients of the Schüssler salts can be absorbed via the oral mucosa and then transported via the bloodstream to the affected areas in the body on.

Also recommended is the Schüssler salt No. 3, Ferrum phosphoricum. This is very similar to the homeopathic remedy arnica. Ingested before exercise, the salt can protect against unwanted muscle soreness. With Schüssler ointments and creams, the salts can also be used externally. For example, rubbing the muscles with a combination of Ointments No. 7 and No. 3 before going on a long hike will prepare them well for the coming load.

Stretching and loosening exercises

The muscles should never be stretched when cold, but only when they are already warmed up a bit. For a long time stretching after sport was considered a preventive measure. However, this is increasingly being discouraged. From the perspective of many experts, relaxation exercises are much more effective in preventing muscle soreness. Just when minor injuries have occurred in the muscle, stretching can make them even worse.

The right equipment while jogging can protect against sore muscles. Special functional clothing regulates body temperature in cold and warm weather and transports sweat outwards. (Image: Martinan / fotolia.com)

Proper clothing can prevent sore muscles

Muscles should not freeze. On the contrary, they should always be kept warm. Therefore, the right clothing is a simple home remedy for sore muscles. However, this should not be too warm. Functional clothing wicks sweat away from the skin to prevent shivering. The "onion look" has proven its worth, in which several thin layers of clothing are worn one above the other. If the jogger freezes while running, he is properly dressed.

Prevention by tea tree oil

A mixture of a tablespoon of almond, olive or sesame oil with two to three drops of tea tree oil is a great way to protect yourself from sore muscles. With this oil mixture the muscles are massaged before the sport.

Help with sore muscles

If preventive measures have not helped, a number of effective home remedies can provide relief. These include heat, Schüssler salts, compresses, herbal tea, ointments and oils. Important: The aching muscles should never be fixed but always gently massaged.

A hot bath with lavender essential oil can be very beneficial for muscle aches. (Image: Floydine / fotolia.com)

Relieving muscle pain through heat

Warmth is good and increases blood circulation, which helps against muscle soreness. A hot bath, enriched with essential oils, can counteract the pain. Cajeput, rosemary, spruce needle, lavender and cypress are helpful. Attention: Rosemary oil must not be used in pregnancy and hypertension.

Instructions for a flavor bath: Mix two to three of the oils together (two drops per oil) Mix the oils with some cream Stir the oil-cream mixture into the bath water by hand

A helpful application in the field of heat therapy is the passage into the sauna. Another home remedy is the placement of a hot water bottle or a cherry stone pillow. This usually immediately takes the pain a little bit and relaxes the muscles. What also helps is rubbing with heat-producing ointments. Recommended here are, for example, preparations containing cayenne pepper.

Schüssler salt therapy

The two salts No. 7 (Magnesium Phosphoricum) and No. 3 (Ferrum Phosphoricum), which have already been mentioned in the preventive measures, are also very well suited for the treatment of muscle soreness. The mineral therapy with Schüßler salts is easy to use and usually works quite fast. A hot seven after sport (preparation see Schuessler salts for muscle pain) often provides significant relief - especially when supplementally sucked some of the No. 3 tablets.

Another Schuessler salt, which is useful in sore muscles, is the salt No. 1 Calcium fluoratum. This is able to soften the hardened muscles.

Treatment with ointments and oils

Natural relief against the pain is provided by ointments or oils which contain substances that stimulate the circulation or herbs. An ointment with cuprum (copper), for example, is well suited to relax the cramped muscles a little. Also recommended are ointments containing arnica and / or comfrey.

A good oil for sore muscles is St. John's wort oil. When buying it is essential to pay attention to quality. With this oil, which is also called red oil because of its color, the affected muscles are gently rubbed several times a day. Furthermore, lavender oil has proven itself many times. This not only relaxes the muscles, but also the whole person.

Fruits like kiwi or pineapple provide the body with important enzymes. (Image: photocrew / fotolia.com)

Fruit salad for optimal supply of enzymes

Enzymes control all possible metabolic processes in the body. They are needed in every inflammatory process to heal them faster. Since sore muscles are always associated with inflammation in case of muscle soreness, attention should be paid to the consumption of certain enzyme-rich types of fruit. These include pineapple, papaya, mango, kiwi and fig. Anyone who consumes a large bowl of fruit salad from the fruits mentioned every day can relieve the soreness and shorten it.

Important for muscle pain: Sufficient fluid

Fluid is always important to the body. Especially after sport, water and lost minerals have to be returned to the body. Recommended is still water, which may be mixed with some unsweetened apple juice.

Sore muscles treatment with Franzbranntwein

Franzbranntwein is an ancient home remedy that is used for tension, pain and bruises in the musculoskeletal system. The alcoholic solution promotes blood circulation, has a cooling effect and has a positive effect on the pain receptors.

After exercise or overexertion, the affected muscles are rubbed twice a day with the natural medicine. Danger: Although it is "only" a home remedy, the Franzbranntwein should not be used for a long time. Because the alcohol contained therein can result in dry skin. In case of any allergic reactions to the contained essential oils, the treatment should be discontinued immediately.

Retterspitz for external use

The medical wrap solution "Retterspitz externally" is used in hydrotherapy and contains thymol, bergamot oil, rosemary oil, lemon oil, Arnica tincture and much more. For an effective wrap, wipes are soaked with the solution and placed on the aching areas. The fluid penetrates into the diseased tissue, provides for increased blood circulation, has anti-inflammatory effects and can thus relieve the pain of sore muscles.

Instructions for Retterspitz wrap: Mix Savior Point with the same amount of water Soak a cotton cloth with the solution Wring it out, flip it over and put it on the sore spot Cover the envelope with a dry molton cloth Leave the wrap on the skin until it is dry (about 2 hours) If necessary, the application can be repeated several times a day

Diet: calcium and magnesium

Magnesium and calcium are important for the muscles. Especially if this is injured, the two minerals should be supplied. A cereal containing bananas, oatmeal and milk is therefore an ideal home remedy for existing muscle aches.

A tea from the herb of the pansy can relieve the unpleasant pain. (Image: multik79 / fotolia.com)

Pain relief by medicinal herbs tea

The pansy has anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic. A tea made from it can relieve the pain of overworked muscles.

Recipe for pansy tea: Give a teaspoon of pansy herb a cup Brew it with a quarter liter of boiling water After about seven minutes, the infusion can be strained If necessary, drink three cups of the beneficial tea

The pansy tea can also be used externally for sore muscles. For this, a cotton cloth is soaked with the tea and used as a wrap for the affected muscle. In addition, another cloth and possibly also a woolen cloth come. The wrap can remain there as long as it is perceived as pleasant.

Lavender is known as an excellent home remedy for mosquitoes and insects. The medicinal plant has also proven itself in mental and physical tension and can therefore be used very well against muscle soreness. A tasty tea has an anti-inflammatory and anticonvulsant effect.

Recipe for lavender tea: Put a teaspoonful of lavender flowers in a beaker Pour the flowers with about 250 milliliters of boiling water Let the infusion draw for seven to ten minutes Remove the flowers and drink the tea in small sips To increase the effect, add a teaspoon of honey

Natural help with mustard flour compress
A somewhat unusual home remedy for sore muscles is mustard flour. This, in combination with moisture, develops a certain degree of sharpness and can thus promote blood circulation as well as relax the overworked muscles.

Instructions for a mustard flour dressing: Blend three tablespoons of mustard flour with a little warm water to a pulp Put this in the middle of a cotton or linen cloth Beat the pages over to make a handy package Place the compress on the painful area and leave it there for only two minutes initially Danger: If necessary, the length of stay on the skin can be increased from day to day, whereby the maximum of five minutes must not be exceeded. If burning or itching occur, the treatment should be discontinued immediately. After application, the skin is creamed with a care ointment. In children under six years, existing skin diseases such as Atopic dermatitis, open wounds as well as gastric and intestinal ulcers, the wraps must not be used.

Ginger is well suited for an analgesic compress. (Image: Alice_D / fotolia.com)

Ginger compress for sore muscles

Ginger is used internally for indigestion. It helps with nausea, heartburn, bloating and decreased digestive capacity. Even for external use, the healthy root is often used. She has a firm place among other things in the Moxa therapy, the same applies to the area wraps and compresses.

Instructions for ginger compress: Peel a ginger about two to three centimeters long and chop it into small pieces Boil this with a quarter of a gallon of water for about an hour Soak a cotton cloth with the finished ginger sauce and squeeze it out Put the hot towel on the aching muscle Leave the compress on the skin for a few minutes Danger: In case of redness or malaise, the compress must be removed immediately.

Sport is to be avoided

As long as the soreness persists, strenuous exercise should be avoided. But what's good is walking, easy walking or gentle yoga. Complete immobilization is counterproductive. More strenuous exercise is only recommended again when the pain is over. The resumption of sport should be moderate and of adequate intensity. Soreness is a warning signal and an indication to take it a little easier next time.

Summary

Soreness is not a bad thing. Nevertheless, the pain should be taken seriously. Maybe the last training session or the last hike was too exhausting or the workload just too much. The muscle soreness points out that the body of the intended intensity is still not grown and needs some time to regenerate. (sw, nr, last updated on 22.11.2016)