If you’re a little hesitant to pop a pain reliever pill for sore muscles, try using home remedies to ease your muscle pain. All of these methods are easy to use and offer no side effects, in addition to being considerably cheaper than analgesic creams and pills.Fore moderate muscle pain, home remedies work great. For severe muscle pain, it’s best to visit your doctor and act on his recommendations.
1- For immediate relief as soon as you strain your muscle, apply an ice pack--20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Make sure you drink plenty of water. Proper hydration helps heal your muscles quicker. Heat, although it might be much more soothing than ice, shouldn’t be applied in the first 24 to 36 hours after injury.
2- Take it easy! Gently stretching your muscles is fine, but continuing with a strenuous workout schedule won’t ease your muscles. To reduce swelling, lightly wrap the area in an ace bandage. Be careful not to wrap the muscle too tightly as this can cause swelling around the affected area.
3- Soak in a warm bath with 2 cups of epsom salt or 2 cups of white vinegar. Pour the vinegar or salt into the tub as it’s filling and soak for 30 minutes. Epsom salt contains magnesium sulfate that helps replace lost magnesium in the body. Vinegar helps draws out lactic acid from the sore muscles--a main culprit of muscle soreness.
4- Compresses soaked in apple cider vinegar should be applied to the sore muscle for 20 minutes. Again, drawing out the lactic acid is a great way to alleviate soreness.
5- Eat some bananas to boost your potassium levels. Muscles stiffen and cramp up when your body is low in potassium. Bananas are a great source of potassium. Make sure to drink plenty of water too!
6- Massage helps stimulate the blood flow in and around the affected muscle. There’s no need to pay for an expensive masseuse. Use your own hands and gently rub the affected area after applying an ice pack, soaking in the tub, or applying the vinegar compress.
