7 Best Home Remedies on How to Relieve Sore Muscles

As trivial as muscle soreness may seem, it can make you feel pretty uncomfortable and result in more negative consequences if not treated properly. Muscle soreness can be categorized into two types; acute muscle soreness, otherwise known as immediate muscle soreness, and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

The latter stems from microscopic tears in your muscle fibres and is characterized by pain and stiffness 24 to 72 hours after exercise.

Acute muscle soreness, on the other hand, is felt either during or right after exercising. It is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. If you battle with muscle soreness, you don’t have to worry about arranging visits to the physician’s office or purchasing some pain killers.

Here are seven home remedies on how to relieve sore muscles:

Home Remedy #1: Epsom Salt Bath

An epsom salt bath is one of the best home remedies on how to relieve sore muscles. Epsom salt is basically a combination of different minerals that treat skin conditions and relieve body aches, including sore muscles. When mixed with water, it breaks down into magnesium and sulphate, both of which assist with issues such as muscle pain, swelling and bruising.

For best results, add two cups of Epsom salt to a bathtub containing warm (not hot) water and soak in it for 10-15 minutes, up to 3 times per week. Besides improving blood circulation and relieving tension around the joints, warm Epsom salt baths also reduce the risks of muscle damage and soreness.

However, those with health conditions such as diabetes or heart problems are advised to steer clear of Epsom salt baths.

Home Remedy #2: Massage

Whether a full body or part massage, this home remedy improves your blood circulation and speeds up the healing process while releasing muscle tension. It also relaxes your mind, allowing you to take a break from it all and unwind.

Further, researchers have discovered that athletes who received massages after their training had lower chances of having muscle pains or DOMS compared to those who didn’t receive any massages.

Find out what self-massaging techniques you can try or ask one of your friends or family members to do it instead. Alternatively, you can also visit a registered massage therapist and seek treatment from a trained professional.

Home Remedy #3: Essential Oils

One of the main reasons you should try essential oils is the fact that they penetrate deep into the muscle tissues to loosen up tense and tight muscles. There is a long list of essential oil combinations you can choose from.

These oils include basil, almond, clove, nutmeg, marjoram, and helichrysum, as well as lavender, chamomile, rosemary, eucalyptus and peppermint. Peppermint is particularly loved for its cooling effect.

Mix 4-5 drops of the essential oil with 2-3 drops of the carrier oil and directly apply it to the affected area, massage the sore muscles with the essential oils or soak yourself in an essential oils bath for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Alternatively, you can choose the cold compress route by using a towel dipped in water mixed with the essential oil to dab the affected area.

Home Remedy #4: Diet

Deficiencies in certain nutrients can cause muscle pain, while other foods contain properties that alleviate muscle pain. Among the foods recommended for treating sore muscles are apple cider vinegar, ginger, turmeric, and garlic.

These foods can be consumed directly or mixed with food while cooking, depending on your preference. When consuming these foods, follow the recommended dosage to avoid harmful side effects. Consider adding calcium, vitamin E and magnesium to your diet, too, such as spinach, molasses and sesame seeds.

Home Remedy #5: Cold Treatment

Should you sustain an injury that causes muscle soreness, apply an ice pack on the affected area to prevent inflammation caused by fluid buildup around the trauma site. This also reduces soreness and quickens the healing process.

Ice as a treatment method for muscle soreness works best within the first two days following the initial injury. Before you apply the ice to the affected area on your body, make sure it is in a sealed bag that has been wrapped in a thin towel. Use it on each affected area for 15 minutes and at intervals of 4-8 times a day.

Home Remedy #6: Heat Treatment

In case your muscles are still sore from the injury after the initial two days, introduce heat treatment. To reduce neck and shoulder blade pain, and soreness around the thigh muscles, use heat packs or hot water bottles.

Experts advocate the use of heat treatment as a remedy for some of the most common muscle aches and pains, over-exertion muscle injuries, chronic pain conditions and cramping. Making your heat pack is as easy as filling a sock with rice and heating it in a microwave for approximately two minutes.

If the pack cools, heat it in the microwave again. While applying this heat pack, hold it on the sore muscle for 20 minutes thrice a day.

Home Remedy #7: Rest

Rest, diet and training. These are the most crucial elements of a healthy body. If you do one and leave the others, your overall wellbeing will be affected. We all need to rest, more so if you have sore muscles.

Avoid putting stress on the affected muscle until it has healed, reduce your movement and sleep no less than eight hours every day. In as much as this may seem too expensive in terms of time, its benefits are huge.

In case these home remedies do not help, and the muscle pain persists, seek medical help. Remember to keep yourself well hydrated at all times to ensure quick muscle recovery.