Four Tips To Relieve Muscle Soreness At Home

As an older adult, you’ve probably noticed more muscular aches and pains in your body. Not the kind caused by extreme medical conditions or health issues, but the self-inflicted simple things you used to be able to do that seem to now cause joint pain and muscle aches. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? No matter what caused it, you want it to stop. It is possible to get relief from minor aches and pains without a trip to the doctor. LifeFone offers four tips to relieve muscle soreness right at home.

Do-it-yourself acupressure: Muscle pain is the most common type of pain.  Tender, marble-size knots are called trigger points. Many trigger points correspond to acupressure points used in treatments such as acupuncture or sports massage.  You can achieve relief at home using a similar method. Push on the trigger point (pain area) with enough pressure to see the white mark from your finger and hold it for at least 45 seconds.  It will hurt at first, but doing this increases the energy flow to help the muscle the same way a deep massage works to ease the pain. With a hard to reach spot, such as your shoulder, back or neck, apply pressure with a tennis ball.  Lay on the floor or on your bed with the ball near the area of pain and roll it around until you find the most tender spot.  Lie still for a few minutes, or until you feel your muscle relax.

Herbal Shoulder Pack: Purchase or make an herbal pack. They are a great sense of relief for shoulder, neck or hip soreness.  Place the pack in the microwave to warm it up. The therapeutic moist heat helps to relieve soreness.  If the one you purchase doesn’t have a soft cover, simply place a small towel on your skin to make it more comfortable.  This is great to use on a cold winter day simply for the warmth while reading a book or watching television.

Take a soak: Being deficient in magnesium can cause muscles to contract. The American diet has nearly 65% less magnesium than it did in decades past because we tend to eat more processed foods.  It’s easy to add magnesium rich foods into your diet.  Magnesium can also be absorbed through the skin.  A few times a week, add about 2 cups of Epsom Salts to your bath water and soak for 15 minutes or so.  Get a book and enjoy a relaxing therapeutic soak.

Move it.  Exercising has been shown to reduce pain. Gentle stretching, yoga, tai chi and walking all help stretch and relax your muscles and soothe soreness. Even 10 to 15 seconds of stretching can help. Start by stretching wherever you feel pain (such as a seated forward bend for lower-back problems), hold for 10 seconds or until you feel the muscle release, and gradually work up to 1 minute.

At LifeFone, even with minor aches and pains, we recommend wearing your medical alert device.  We have many options to choose from for home and away.