Written By: Anusuya Suresh | Updated : June 26, 2015 8:30 AM IST
Each one of us has suffered an occasional niggle in the back or the knee. Most of us have experienced a sense of feeling achy for no apparent reason other than being tired. While some believe time will heal the pain, others pop a painkiller (beware of its side-effects). But why do you want to take a chemical route when there are natural ways to deal with body aches.
Use a hot water bag
It is amazing how effective heat can be against minor aches and pains. When you use a hot water bag on your back or your calf muscles, you can feel the tense muscles relaxing, and the pain dissolve. Even if you plan on applying a pain-relieving cream or gel to the painful area, do it after you ve used the hot water bag. This works well because the heat opens up the skin pores, allowing the cream or gel to penetrate deeper, giving more effective pain relief.
Soak in an Epsom bath
Magnesium is good for muscles magnesium deficiency has been known to cause muscle cramps. Getting enough magnesium into your body may be the right answer to those frequent aches and pains. Epsom salts are made up of magnesium sulphate and the magnesium can be absorbed through the skin, too. Add 2 cups of Epsom salts into the water in your bathtub and soak in it for about 15 minutes. Do this a few times every week and you will notice a distinct reduction in those niggles.
Get regular exercise
When you feel achy all over, exercise may be the last thing on your mind. In reality, the pain or your perception of it, too will only get worse by lying in bed. Instead, get moving and you will find the pain has reduced. Whatever form of exercise appeals to you walking, jogging, tai chi or yoga make sure you do it regularly. If short on time, do few basic stretches every day. Exercise makes your muscles and joints more flexible and also has the effect of releasing endorphins in the brain both of which contribute to a lesser experience of pain.
Massage with essential oils
Essential oils extracted from Peppermint, Wintergreen and Rosemary contain chemical ingredients that have natural anti-inflammatory properties. This makes these oils highly effective against aches and pains. Dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil such as coconut oil and gently massage into the area where you feel the pain.
Include turmeric and ginger in your diet
Both turmeric and ginger have been found to have potent anti-inflammatory activity. Including them regularly in your diet can help you stay healthier and avoid aches and pains. Add these herbs to your regular food or make an herbal tea by steeping the washed and cut rhizome in hot water. Some people also use a ginger compress grated ginger root wrapped in cheesecloth and dipped in hot water for half a minute and then applied to the painful area.
Drink valerian tea
Valerian is a natural painkiller and tranquilliser that relieves pain as well as anxiety and stress. Drinking a cup of valerian tea can thus help you soothe those stress-induced aches and pains quite effectively.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne contains capsaicin that is a natural anti-inflammatory substance. It is therefore, a common ingredient in several natural products used for relief from muscular pain. Use a natural cream that contains cayenne as one of the ingredients and gently massage it into the affected area for some quick relief.
According to some New Thought self-help gurus, aches and pains in the body are an indication of being under constant stress. So, while using these natural remedies may help provide temporary relief, what you should be looking at is avoiding stress or at least, dealing with it in a positive way. Yoga, Pranayama, and meditation are probably the practices you should be exploring to drive those aches and pains away for good.
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