Everyone has had to deal with aches and pain at one time or another. It can be from exercise, work, stress, or an accidental injury. No matter the source, muscle pain can be “a pain” to deal with. Back pain especially is a problem because our back, combined with our abdominal muscles, makes up our body’s core. The core stabilizes the entire body and keeps us balanced. Pain in this area is not a pleasant thing to endure.
When you have a full time job and a family to take care of you need to feel better as fast as you can. You can either suffer through or find a natural way to help eliminate the discomfort. I know personally I feel the need for the pain relief once a month as my menstrual cycle always brings a nice back ache with it? Why is that?
I also had a super active weekend recently with a 15 mile wildcrafting hike on Saturday and then 4-5 hours of hard labor in the garden on Sunday. I felt just fine both days but boy was I sore by Monday! A little something to help me get back to the grind of full time employment is always useful.
Here are some ways to relieve life’s little aches and pains, naturally.
* Epsom salts are a form of magnesium sulfate, and many of the benefits of magnesium can be obtained from them, such as helping to relax tired or sore muscles and encouraging sleep. Adding two cups of Epsom salts to your bath will do the trick.
* Soak the sore area in witch hazel or an infusion of chamomile to release the pain and unknot those muscles.
* Essential oils have powerful healing properties. Lavender, black pepper, helichrysum, and peppermint are all perfect for this. Just add a few drops to a carrier oil and massage as needed.
* Arnica is a flowering plant that can be used medicinally for pain and swelling associated with bruises, aches, sprains, arthritis, and muscle and cartilage pain. I have used it for many years. My medicine cabinet would not be complete without it.
You can get topical arnica preparations at most drugs stores and online, usually as a gel. I recently found arnica in spray form called Novarnica that is fantastic. It works well for arthritis, back aches, strains, bruises, and sprains. Ingredients include Arnica Montana flower extract, clove essential oil, eucalyptus oil, and peppermint oil. I like that I can spray it on areas that would otherwise be hard to get to, like the small of my back. It is also super easy to put in your gym bag or your field bag (when hiking and wildcrafting).
If anyone will trip and sprain their ankle on a big tree root…that person will be me. This spray is great to have on hand for the associated sprains but also pain from any bites or stings. It works, it smells nice, and the spray feature is a huge bonus for me.
* Exercising those muscles is one way to keep them from being a problem. A strong lower back and abdomen will help prevent pain and injury from daily activities. Exercise also helps us maintain correct posture when sitting, lifting, standing, and bending…which also keeps us pain free.
If you are feeling the pain try one or more of these natural remedies and you will start to feel improvement in no time. Do you have a remedy or tip to share?
