If you hesitate to reach for the hard stuff (OK, ibuprofen isn’t exactly “hard,” but it’s not something to be in the habit of) every time you feel a twinge of stiffness or pain, we feel you. It can cause gas or bloating, disrupt the delicate digestive balance you’ve worked so hard to cultivate, and in worst cases, if you’re totally hooked, cause ulcers. We know that’s a rare case, but if you can prevent popping a symptom-subduer and use natural remedies to treat the source, you’re doing yourself a solid.
Arnica
Price: $8
Boiron Arnicare Gel
An age-old herbal remedy, arnica can be found at even the most basic of drugstores. It’s typically used in a slightly sticky, lightly floral, medicinal-smelling gel that you can rub on sore muscles and bruises to reduce swelling or the color of bruises, but it also comes in pill form. Most health food stores have it in tiny sugar pills that dissolve under your tongue for quick absorption into the body. The compounds in the arnica plant come from the flower, and while it’s best known for its anti-swelling and anti-pain benefits, some studies show that it may even have antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor properties.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Price: $15
Bragg's ACV with "The Mother"
Apple cider vinegar is both anti-inflammatory and alkalizing. You can drink this potent-tasting elixir in water (around 2 tablespoons and up to an ounce diluted in at least 10 ounces of water so as not to upset your stomach), or apply it straight to your muscles to reduce pain and swelling. If you are looking to alkalize all over the surface of your skin, pour 2 cups of it into a bath and soak.
St. John’s Wort
Price: $13
Celebration Herbals
While this herb is mostly known to help with mood, it’s also great for muscle tension and pinched nerves. You can drink it as a tea, or soak a cloth in the steeped liquid to make a warm compress to the affected area.
Turmeric and Ginger
Price: $37
Mega Food Turmeric Strength
Well-known inflammation fighters, these aren’t just amazing for cold and flu, but also for muscle soreness, tightness, or strain. You can drink turmeric or ginger tea, or make a golden milk latte with fresh grated ginger (bonus points if you add a little spicy, warming cinnamon). Tight muscles love to be warm, so warm them from the inside out. Make sure to add a pinch of black pepper—its properties help our bodies fully absorb curcumin, the anti-inflammatory hero compound in turmeric.
Selenium
Price: $14
Kyolic Garlic With Selenium Capsules
Selenium is a beauty compound—a powerful antioxidant for fighting free radicals and aging—but it also has antirheumatic effects, meaning it’s great for joint pain and stiffness. You can take it in supplement form, but it’s abundant in foods like garlic. Garlic also contains sulfur, which is anti-inflammatory, so you get a lot of bang for your buck if you consume garlic, or garlic oil capsules if you want to avoid smelling like an Italian nonna’s kitchen.
Epsom Salts and Mustard Baths
Price: $11
Mr. Singha's Mustard Bath
Soak, soak, soak. Applying heat to sore muscles is an amazing way to loosen them up and get the tension to relax. Soaking in a salty or herbal bath is the best way to do two things at once: apply heat to your muscles, and let the magnesium and sulfate minerals found in Epsom salts absorb into your muscles through your skin. Mustard baths are very detoxifying and will open your sweat glands for purging as well as relax your muscles and any lactic acid buildup.
The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that Poosh, LLC (“Poosh”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. You understand and agree that Poosh shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.
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