Relieve Muscles Aches & Pain – Use Your Home Toolbox

Pain Spasm Pain Cycle

At the root of a lot of muscle pain is a condition called “pain spasm pain cycle.” Pain causes muscle to tighten, spasm, or hyper-contract. Most athletes know that contracting muscles produce lactic acid of which a buildup results in pain. Hyper-contracted muscles also restrict the blood flow to the area, a condition known as ischemic, also resulting in pain. And pain causes the muscles to contract. Thus the pain spasm pain cycle.

How to stop or interrupt this cycle? We have many tools to use at home that will stop or slow down this cycle leading to reduced or even no pain.

Your Home Tools to Relieve Muscle Pain

Contrast Therapy

First the best home tool I have observed in my patients over 22 years is contrast therapy. Contrast therapy uses ice followed by moist heat. The ice applied for 15 minutes with a 5 minute break 3 times will both help relieve muscle pain and inflammation (another cause of pain).

Ice for 15 minutes 3 times with a 5 minute break in between icing. Always use a cloth or towel between the ice pack and skin to prevent ice burns.

After a 15-20 minute break follow this with 3 more applications of moist heat with 5 minutes in between the 15 minute applications. Moist heat penetrates deep into the muscles and stimulates circulation  both flushing out metabolic waste including lactic acid and also relieving the ischemic condition. Dry heat while loosening muscles does not penetrate deep and will not stimulate circulation and will not have the same therapeutic effects as moist heat.

My personal favorite method of moist heat are the moist heating pads that can be picked up at your neighborhood drug store, Walmart, online, etc. Make sure they are for moist heat then just plug in and use. No mess no fuss.

Following a 15-20 minute break from icing then apply moist heat for 15 minutes 3 times with 5 minute breaks in between.

How often you do contrast therapy depends on the source of pain. For recent injuries always use only the ice therapy for several days. Then you can start in with the contrast therapy. Always follow your doctors recommendations in this.

For chronic (over a long period of time) pain and once past the icing stage of an acute injury contrast therapy has been shown to be very effective.

HINTS: My favorite ice packs and quite cheap are frozen single kernel corn family size (they are flat and don’t feel like little rocks like peas do) and frozen cranberries, shaped like marbles they conform to an area very well and seem to maintain cold much better. Don’t forget to place your corn, cranberries, or whatever vegetable you favor into a freezer ziplock. This way you won’t smell like corn juice or be coated in blood-red cranberry juice. Refreeze flat when done icing. In my family everyone knows if the veggie/fruit bag is in a freezer ziplock it’s not on the menu!

Epsom Salt

Next tool in you home toolbox: a hot soak in the bath with Epsom Salts. Previously considered old fashioned, something Grandma would do, many athletes are now realizing the benefits of soaking in Epsom Salts which helps relieve muscle pain and inflammation in the muscles. Use 2 cups per bath.

You can also add Eucalyptus essential oil ( 20 drops to the bath) which is great for relieving muscle pain and has an extra benefit in the steam inhaled of opening the areolas and bronchioles of the lungs when congested. A word of caution: Eucalyptus is one of the few essential oils that must be used with a carrier such as body oil or lotion and not applied directly to the skin as this can cause irritation and possible burning sensations, so stir that bath water before sitting down!

If you prefer Epsom Salts with scents make sure you choose those with essential oils and not “scents.” For those of you who do not like baths even 15 minutes soaking and follow with your shower can benefit those sore, aching muscles.

Arnica

Arnica is another of Grandma’s treatments that athletes are discovering aids in the healing of strains, sprains, and I have found can help with hyper-contracted muscles. It’s also a great aid to healing following knee, shoulder, and ankle surgeries, etc.

Topical Analgesics

Topical analgesics will also help break the pain spasm pain cycle and relieve muscle pain. There are many good ones and you may already have your favorites so use them!

After 22 years using a variety of products both for patients and myself my favorite is an essential oil product from DoTerra called Deep Blue. Deep Blue is a combination of essential oils that work to lower or eliminate pain and inflammation. Helichrysum is one of the most effective essential oils for pain and inflammation  in the list included in Deep Blue.

It comes in a cream formula in a tube much like a toothpaste tube (the same amount toothpaste you would use on your toothbrush is about the amount of Deep Blue that will address most body aches and pains in the cream formula, so the cream tube will last a long time.)

It also comes in oils including a roll on that a lot of athletes like to keep in their workout bag for use after and during workouts. DoTerra is a distributorship so you may know someone who can be a source for you or it is available on Ebay and Amazon. No I am not a distributor, it is just a great product.

One word of caution here, Deep Blue should not be used if pregnant. Please check the listing of essential oils in the product to ensure that none are contraindicated for any condition you may have.

Use Those Prescribed Exercises, Stretches, and Check out Online Classes & Podcasts

Many of you may also have worked with a physical therapist, muscle rehab specialist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, etc . Now could be a good time to pull out those rehabilitative exercises and stretches they gave you to do at home. Several of your practitioners may also have online yoga and exercise classes, nutrition consulting, blogs, and podcasts. There are many ways to keep ourselves healthy.

Use It!

Now you have the most powerful home tools to use for muscle aches, pains, and rehabilitation. Give them a try. For those of you who have seen me previously remember use your home toolbox.

Yours in Health,

Kim

References

The Efficacy of Thermotherapy and Cryotherapy on Pain Relief in Patients with Acute Low Back Pain, A Clinical Trial Study

How to Apply Alternating Hot and Cold Therapy, Dr. Haseena Hamdani  March 4, 2018

Pain Management: Musculoskeletal Pain, WebMD