Strained Muscle
Sprains and Strains

It's all too easy to come back from an exercise session with strains and sprains.

Find out how to use natural health remedies to tend to your strained muscle or sprain - they are very effective...

Unfortunately, while you are exercising, it is very easy to overdo it, and actually cause an injury.

Strains and sprains are very painful – and are all too easy to sustain, simply by over-reaching or over-stretching.

A sprain is when a ligament becomes over stretched – perhaps by a sudden, sharp movement. The tiny fibers in the ligament tear, which causes pain.

A strained muscle is when the fibers of the muscle become over stretched and tear - again, this causes pain.

As well as pain, sprains and strains can cause weakness and some stiffness, swelling and inflammation.

If you are in severe pain, you should always consult a doctor. But if your sprain or strained muscle is not serious, you can easily get muscular pain relief at home…

Always remember to consult your healthcare provider before taking any decisions regarding your health.

Rest

• Rest up the affected part – give it a chance to recover, and don’t do any further damage!

Ice

• Use ice packs or cold compresses on the injury as soon as possible. This helps to reduce inflammation.
• Wrap ice in a towel, or use a pack of frozen peas or other veg.
• Alternatively, create a cold compress on the injury:
  • Soak a towel in ice cold water, wring out well, and apply to the injury
  • Apply for around 10 minutes at a time, as often as possible, in the first few days of the injury.
• As the injury begins to recover, you can begin to apply hot compresses - these help to relax muscle tension and really help to soothe the pain of strained muscles and sprains.

Compression

• Use an elasticated bandage on your injury.
• This can help to reduce swelling and inflammation.
• It can also help to support the weakened muscle or ligament, as you begin to use and exercise it again.

Elevation

• As well as resting the injured part, you should try to raise it , above the level of the heart.
• This, too, helps to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Don’t be tempted to rely on conventional painkillers. These do kill the pain, but may mean that you are tempted to use your injured part before it is naturally ready to do so. This may cause further damage, prevent thorough healing and cause you more pain in the long run.

After the first few days of injury, when the swelling has gone down, try some more of these holistic remedies, to help strengthen and soothe a sprain or strained muscle.

Massage
Magnet Therapy
Herbal Remedies
Acupuncture and Acupressure
Yoga

Massage

• Massage is a really useful holistic remedy for all sprains and strained muscles.
• Massage gets the circulation moving, which helps to reduce swelling and inflammation and increase mobility and movement.
• Soon after the injury, massage the sprain or strain gently with essential oils.
  • Use 1 teaspoon of almond oil or olive oil, with 2 drops each of:
    • hyssop essential oil
    • marjoram essential oil
  • Massage into the painful part
• You can also make a compress with the same essential oils.
  • Soak a cloth in water, with 5 drops each of hyssop and marjoram essential oils added
  • Apply it to the injury, and wrap it around with cling-film, to hold it in place.
  • Leave it in place for as long as is practical.

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Magnet Therapy

• Healing magnets are very commonly used to help heal sprains, strained muscles and other injuries.
• Many sports men and women turn to healing magnets for muscular pain relief, and faster healing after an injury.
• Find out more about using magnets for health or visit my webshop.

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Herbal Remedies

Some herbs can really help with muscular pain relief for sprains and strained muscles. I have tried to source quality and affordable supplies for all the herbal remedies on this page to help you out.

Just click on any product to find out more…

Try:

Turmeric

• This is a traditional Ayurvedic natural remedy for muscular pain relief, sprains, strained muscles and relieving inflammation.
• Turmeric can be used internally or externally.
• Take capsules or tincture, or buy a natural ointment or cream which contains turmeric.
• If you take the supplements, try to take with bromelain, or flaxseed, as this allows the body to absorb the herb better.
• Caution:
  • Do not take internally if pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Do not take internally if you suffer from ulcers, gastric problems, bile duct problems, or gallstones
  • High internal doses can irritate the stomach lining and intestines

  Try these: (click below for more info)...

  Capsules:

  
  Turmeric Power (International Shipping)

  Skin cream:

  Vicco Turmeric Cream - 50 g cream

Horse Chestnut

• Horse Chestnut is a traditionally used remedy for injuries, bruises, sprains and strained muscles.
• Horse Chestnut can significantly reduce inflammation and swelling.
• Look for commercially available gels and lotions containing Horse Chestnut.

  Try this: (click below for more info)...

  
  Horse Chestnut Cream, 2 oz: W

Arnica:

• This is another traditional natural remedy which is widely used to help the healing of sprains, and strained muscles.
• Use bought lotions and creams to apply to the injury…
• Or use arnica tincture in a compress:
  • Soak a cloth in water, with a tablespoon of arnica tincture
  • Wring out well, and apply to the painful part
• Caution:
  • Do not apply to cuts and grazes.
  • Do not take internally.
  • Do not confuse this with the homeopathic tincture ‘Arnica’ which can be taken internally.

  Try this: (click below for more info)...

  Ointment:

  
  Weleda Arnica Ointment - 0.88 oz

  Tincture for External Use:

  Arnica Extract (Arnica montana) 2 fl oz: HH

Also look at other remedies used for muscular pain relief.

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Acupuncture and Acupressure

• Acupuncture and acupressure use ’acupoints’ in the body, to stimulate the body to heal itself.
• Acupuncture and acupressure can be very useful to help promote and encourage healing of the injury, sprain or strained muscle.
• Always consult a qualified practitioner who can treat your precise injury and problem.
• If your injury is long lasting or serious, you may be shown some acupressure points you an access and massage yourself, to further promote healing of your injury, and soothe your pain.

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Yoga

• Yoga can help very much with relaxing muscles, relieving pain and muscle tension.
• Yoga involves stretching, so it is also a very useful remedy to try to increase mobility and movement, after an injury.

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I hope that some of these muscular pain relief treatments can help to speed up your recovery from injury, sprains and strained muscles.

Do not worry, as most strain and sprain injuries are not long lasting or serious, although they may feel extremely painful at the time.

Do make sure that you rest up, and don’t over exert your injured muscle. Try some of these holistic remedies for muscular pain relief too – I think you will be surprised how effective they are!

Find out more about muscle and joint pain relief.

Do you have any tips for your own natural health remedies for strains and sprains? Share your tips and stories here

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