Muscular Pain Relief - Soothing Stress and Muscle Overuse

Do you experience burning sensation on your thighs or back after hours of exercising? If your answer is yes, you are experiencing muscular pain. Most people suffer from muscle pain because of stress or overuse. This may also be a symptom of rheumatic conditions.

Here are some muscle pain relief options that may address this troublesome condition:

-Oral versus Topical Medication

When choosing muscle pain relief, the first decision you have to make is whether you prefer taking a pill or applying topical medication to your skin.

Pills and other oral medications enter the bloodstream through the digestive system. For systemic problems, oral medication is the clear choice. For problems like sore muscles because of vigorous activity, a topical solution is the best remedy.

-Topical Rub versus Patch

Topical medications are popular muscle pain relief options. They come in the form of ointment and salves; and also mixtures of healing herbs and animal fat or butter. Today's muscle rubs are direct descendants of original recipes. A recent innovation is the stick-on patch. This soothes aching muscles through direct contact with skin over a period of time. You may prefer the long-lasting effects of patches if your muscle pain is in an area covered by clothing.

Topical solutions may provide immediate relief for minor muscle pains if applied periodically. These are usually strong smelling and oily, so be careful when applying it. Make sure you wear loose or old clothing.

Muscular pain relief contain active ingredients giving off different effects to users- analgesic (pain-killing), counterirritant, and anti-inflammatory. Some ingredients may have more than one of these effects. One example is Aspirin, which is both an analgesic and anti-inflammatory medication.

Ingredients falling under counterirritant are menthol and camphor. These may cause a mild, stinging sensation or soothing effect for minor irritations. Reactions may vary - some people feel heat while others feel a chilling sensation. This leads to pain-relieving effects because the nerves become 'distracted' in sending the brain the heat or chilling message.

Homemade Topical Solution for Muscular Pain

If menthol-flavoured topical solutions are effective for you, you can choose to make your own. All you have to do is add five to ten drops of peppermint, eucalyptus, and camphor or clove essential oil into a tablespoon of unscented massage oil. Any vegetable oil will do. You can even use salad oils for your home-made rub.

Apply the mixture to the source of pain and rub in well. A good massage using these oils will be even more effective. Make sure you use pure essential oils as opposed to grocery store 'peppermint-flavoured extract'. Before using them, though, apply the solution to your skin sparingly until you are confident you have no allergic reactions to it.

Don't assume that herbal products are less effective than modern science. Many of our standard medicines were originally derived from herbal ingredients. Check the labels of products at the pain-relief section of your local pharmacy and try both analgesic and counter-irritant products to see which will suit you best.