5 Ways to handle pain without medication
Being an active person is clearly good for your health, generally speaking. It can keep your body working properly while helping you deal with the mental stresses of everyday life. Unfortunately, one of the downsides to being active is that sometimes your body does not appreciate being pushed. Sore muscles and aching joints can make you feel a little rough the day after heavy exercise. While over the counter medications may alleviate the symptoms, if you are leery of taking anything from the pharmaceutical industry, you may want to look at some alternatives. Either way, it is important to discuss pain management with your physician before you try anything new.
1. Go for a walk
It may seem counterproductive to work your core muscles, but if you are not suffering from an injury, exercise can help those sore muscles out. By moving your muscles around, you can help warm them up and get the blood pumping through them. That can ease the tension that is causing your muscles to ache and give you some pain relief. Just don’t overdo it to the point that you are feeling worse than you were when you started. Basically, don’t push yourself.
2. Get some sleep
If you are not getting adequate sleep at night, your body is not going to be able to replenish the muscles that were heavily worked the day before. Resting your body is when it has a chance to heal and recover. If you do not sleep well or for the right amount, then your muscles are not going to recover and you are going to feel very sore and stiff the next day. If you are having trouble resting at night, you may need to look at your diet and nighttime habits to see if you can help yourself get adequate sleep at night.
3. Get a massage
A massage can help with muscle tightness and pain as well as reducing your stress levels. The nice thing about a massage is that the therapist can focus on the places that give you the most trouble, rubbing out the built up tension and sore muscles. A professional will be able to work out the issues and help your muscles in the best way to help lessen your pain. A warm bath, shower, hot tub, or even a sauna will also help heat up your muscles to the point that they are not so stiff and sore.
4. Put some ice on
It may seem contrary to the heat suggestion, but it is not. Heat applied to sore muscles will help them to relax and alleviate some of the stiffness and pain. Ice, however, can prevent your muscles from tearing. If your muscles are especially sore and you are concerned about what further exercise is going to do to them, it is time to put on the ice. The ice itself is soothing and can help numb out the pain, but it also can help speed up the healing process and stop any further damage in its tracks.
5. Find some arnica
Arnica is a herbal remedy for pain of all kinds. Some studies have proven that arnica is as effective for pain management as ibuprofen, but does not cause any kind of bodily harm. There are arnica gels available from most pharmacies. You simply rub it in like lotion to the sore area then let your skin absorb it. Arnica is a natural anti-inflammatory so you should see some reduction in swelling in the area of concern as well as some pain relief without the worry.
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