Ice, Ice, Ice Those Sore Muscles

!±8± Ice, Ice, Ice Those Sore Muscles

I know, I know, heat feels so much better, but it's not going to help you reduce chronic and acute inflammation the way ice will. Although heat feels good while it's on your muscles, it could actually cause your pain to increase. Heat increases circulation of blood and oxygen to the area, which can cause havoc to an already inflamed area.

And don't cheat by applying Icy Hot or Biofreeze. Although these products help lessen pain in the moment, they're only topical solutions. They really don't penetrate the muscle deep enough to create lasting results. Liquid or gel ice packs are okay to use, but I've had the best results with good old fashion ice from the freezer.

To apply an ice pack,

- Grab some ice from the freezer and put it in an ice bag, which you can get from any store with a pharmacy for about -15. If you need ice now and don't have an ice bag, use a two plastic grocery bags or a Ziploc bag.
- Place it on the affected area for about 20 minutes. Do not go over 20 minutes.
- If pain persists, wait an hour and then reapply the ice pack. You can continue with the "ice for 20 minutes, rest for an hour" cycle until you have relief

Ice is a great way to reduce acute muscular pain, but it's also a great preventative treatment. Icing your muscles after physical activity is a great practice. Also, if you have consistent or long-term pain in your low-back, shoulders, hands, or any muscle, you can begin using ice to experience relief. Ice helps counter the effects of stress on the muscles.

Next time you're in pain, reach for ice, ice, ice.

Ice, Ice, Ice Those Sore Muscles

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Natural Ways to Treat Pulled Muscles

!±8± Natural Ways to Treat Pulled Muscles

A pulled muscle can happen at any time and when it does, you'll know about it. It can happen when you're carrying out a manual task, when you're bending down to pick something up, when you don't lift heavy objects correctly or when you're playing sport or exercising, however it happens, you'll want to find a pain relief solution that'll get you moving again. A pulled muscle can cause intense and debilitating pain or it can be a milder pain that is uncomfortable but doesn't limit your movement too much.

The pain of a pulled muscle can be treated with painkillers, hot and cold therapies such as wheat bags and biofreeze gels, sports massages, physiotherapy and Tens electrode relief machines and choosing the right one is down to personal preference if you plan to treat your injury without help from a doctor. It is advisable to seek medical advice for a severe pulled muscle as if it is not treated correctly from the start, it can take a long time to heal and it can heal wrongly, causing problems in the future - in this case hot and cold therapies and physio supplies are great as complementary therapies.

Arnica sports gel is one great way to ease the pain of pulled muscles and it is great for treating bruising too, simply apply to the affected area prior to bandaging or putting on a support. Another popular and completely natural method of treating pulled muscles is to soak in a warm bath; many people swear by this method and often add muscle soaks and natural oils such as lavender, rosemary and chamomile to the water to speed up the process and to increase relaxation of muscles and mind.

The best part about the oils is that since they are natural, they are even safe for children to use and are less likely than chemical-based products to cause skin irritations or other adverse reactions. The same principle applies to hot therapies such as wheat bags and cold therapies such as ice packs and biofreeze gels, which are popular methods of treating the pain and inflammation associated with pulled muscles.

Remember that if you are an athlete, you must allow your pulled muscles to completely heal before you get involved in playing sports again, patience is the key to a full recovery as exercising too soon can cause lasting damage that is extremely difficult to treat. The great thing about physio supplies and back supports that you can use at home is that you won't be tempted to leave your muscles untreated because you can't get to a doctor or physiotherapist, instead you will have the alternative therapies you need on hand at home.

Natural Ways to Treat Pulled Muscles

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