Muscle inflammation can be a natural part of a healthy life. The burn that you feel after a good work is satisfying, but it can be as much of an irritant and distraction as pain caused by a chronic condition like arthritis. In other words, sometimes it’s just about managing the pain rather than trying to find the root cause.
Muscle inflammation tends to go hand in hand with muscle pain, and relieving the former can have a dramatic impact on the latter. Fortunately, there are quite a few options available to you if you’re looking for a reasonable solution to muscle inflammation. We’ll start with common home remedies and continue on through more serious medical options.
R.I.C.E.
Working on your feet is only going to exacerbate the root cause of inflammation, so it’s important to find the opportunity to get off of your feet and apply some TLC directly to the point of pain. The most common treatment method for minor muscle pains and inflammation goes by the acronym RICE.
Rest the sore area, whether that means sitting down to reduce pressure on your feet or staying away from the keyboard to give a rest to sore finger joints. Apply ice to the area three times a day for about 15 to 20 minutes. Compress the affected area – preferably with a compression bandage – to directly minimize inflammation. Elevate the body part to prevent excessive blood flow to the area that causes inflammation.
Stretching
The maxim that prevention is the best medicine applies directly to the treatment of muscle pain. If you know what activities you’re engaging in and what muscles tend to suffer the worst inflammation, you can employ specialized stretches for those muscle groups.
But there’s a right way and a wrong way to stretch. If you’re looking to preventively reduce muscle inflammation that comes from a workout, start with a warm-up exercise. Medical science shows that stretching directly before a workout doesn’t have a meaningful impact on muscle pain. But if you take enough time to get your muscles warm and limber, a stretching routine can dramatically reduce your pain.
Over-the-Counter Medicine
The most ubiquitous form of pain management comes in pill form. That makes sense. Ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen, and acetaminophen are easy to ingest, generally effective for smaller inflammation and aches, and readily available. But while these medications are generally safe to use, all of them come with the potential for adverse side effects.
Pain relievers that fall into the family of NSAIDs can raise your risk for kidney failure, and many OTC medicines aren’t intended to be taken with alcohol, limiting its safe usage for some people. OTC pain relievers are mostly safe when taken in moderation, but they shouldn’t be treated like candy. If you find yourself using them regularly, you should speak with your doctor about a pain treatment plan or consider an all-natural alternative.
Hemp Products
CBD is gaining a lot of traction as an all-natural remedy for the treatment of multiple conditions, but it’s just one of many products made from the plant. Alongside proper CBD products, there are a number of options that are otherwise derived from hemp. Hempseed oil is one of the most popular.
And while there’s a lot of ongoing research that’s exploring the wide range of benefits that hemp can offer, it’s explicit that hemp offers potent anti-inflammatory properties. Hemp is safe to use and generally won’t interact badly with drugs or existing conditions. That said, hemp’s other main property is that it can boost the effect of other anti-inflammatories. When looking to use hemp for inflammation treatment, look for a brand that promotes a balanced formula of natural ingredients rather than a focus entirely on the CBD content.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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