Table of Contents
Muscle Remedies
Natural Remedies to Cure Sore or Aching Muscles and Muscle Cramps!
"Cramps are unpleasant, often painful, sensations caused by contraction or over shortening of muscles. Cramps can be caused by cold, overexertion or low calcium level in blood (especially for adolescents where they need calcium for both blood and bone maturing). Illness or poisoning can also cause cramps, particularly in the stomach, which is referred to as colic if it fits particular characteristics. See also Delayed onset muscle soreness.
There are six basic causes of cramping: hyperflexion; inadequate oxygenation; exposure to large changes in temperature; dehydration; low blood salt; or low blood calcium. Muscle cramps may also be a symptom/complication of pregnancy, kidney disease, thyroid disease, hypokalemia or hypocalcemia (as conditions), restless legs syndrome, and multiple sclerosis." (Wikipedia)
DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
POPULAR REMEDIES:
| APPLE CIDER VINEGAR | 13 YEAS |
| PICKLE JUICE | 6 YEAS |
ACUPRESSURE POINTS
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[YEA] 04/05/2010: Alfred from Bangkok, Thailand: "Cramps in your legs
Crazy time to get cramps.. Usually when I am sleeping..Middle of night or just before dauwn,, thats when I stretch.. Most of the time if i stand up, right away.. they stop. BUT IF I do not. O sh_ _..The Best thing that works is to pinch your upper lip with two fingers, and hold..., Hold for a while even if the lip hurts, You can bite your upper lip that will work also..
I am told another remedy, but never tried it.. Pinch the Opening between your Big toe and the one next to it.. Pinch where the toes go into the foot. Pinch hard and hold.
Health #1,
Alfred"
[YEA] 06/05/2011: A from Toronto, Canada replies: "I tried a energy medicine technique called "one hand near one hand far" on leg cramp - it worked. One hand 5 or so inches from the leg cramp (hand palm facing the cramp) the other hand about 15 inches from and just below the belly button area (palm facing toward but just a few inches below the belly button). Imagine energy flowing from the cramp up the arm and down the other arm to go into just below the belly button area. Keep doing it for a minute or 2 until better.2 chinese medicine doctors I know use this general technique. I cant say its safe or not for other body issues, but it worked for leg cramp for me."
[YEA] 10/09/2011: Gottasmyl from Dundee, Scotland Uk replies: "Acupressure by pressing the bone between your nostrils with your index fingers works to get rid of my leg cramps. I am 27 years old and had never suffered from this problem until about 2 weeks ago when I started a course of antibiotics to get rid of helicobacter pylori. Tried everything I could think of but nothing worked. Someone suggested I press the bone situated between the nostrils with my forefinger and it instantly went away. It's amazing!!!"
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APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
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[YEA] 07/07/2011: Ronnie from Oak Island, North Carolina: "For leg cramps or back cramps apple cider vinegar will eliminate them within seconds, almost imediately"
Replies01/16/2012: Asg01 from Ventura, Ca replies: "After some years of severe leg cramps at night and, occasionally other odd times, I discovered that Pickled Ginger was not a cure for this sleep depriving problem, but actually a cure.I acually eat about two or three ounces several time each week (three or four portions) and have virtually eliminated all muscle cramping. I now never awaken at night. In the past three years, when I have failed to remember or traveled without access, the problem returns until I can restart the regimen.
Unbelievably, for urgent relief of an acute cramp, a few ounces of Coca Cola work like magic. However, should I need quick relief in the future, I will certainly try ACV or Pickle Juice.
Ginger would probably work in any form. The pickled variety I discovered while eating lots of Sushi and have not bothered to try other forms of the plant. Good luck to all."
01/17/2012: Timh from Louisville, Usa replies: "Asg01, please accept my addendum as the phrases "leg cramps" and "sleep deprivation" are flashing light alerts for Magnesium deficiency, as the body very sorely needs this as well as many other minerals. As for the Ginger, it is quite possibly not really a cure but a simply a relief as there are no known Ginger deficiencies in the human body. The Coca Cola fix is another sign of mineral deficiency as Cola is loaded with phosphorous, (but causes calcium deficiency).A few mo ago I started a good Ionic Trace Minerals (72 known bioavailable mins) from the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and immediately (within hrs) felt profoundly better. There are tons of studies and ongoing on the importance of Minerals alone in human and animal health. In Livestock Agriculture, almost all animals in the developed world are supplemented with Minerals as a rule because intensive productivity depraves the soil and foods."
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[YEA] 05/09/2011: Kortni from Sonora, Ca: "My grandma taught me this trick. Both she, my dad and I get horrible cramps (doubling over) and within minutes of taking a shot (or making a hot lemon, apple cider vinegar, honey tea) the cramps usually go away. Sometimes I have to do it every 30 min but my body is pretty out of whack because I have lyme and cirrhosis so I am just thankful to have relief. It helps my dad, he only needs to take it one time."
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[YEA] 02/25/2011: Housemouse from Dover, Oh, Usa: "I noticed in the uses you list you omitted the fact it will take away leg cramps! Drink a shot of it straight.. Major leg cramps are gone pronto"
Replies[YEA] 04/08/2011: Crampless from Pittsburgh, Pa replies: "The vinegar works. I knew of this remedy from a friend whose son used get leg cramps. I got a Charlie horse last night. My husband massaged it out but everytime he stopped massaging, it would knot back up. He could feel the muscle knot up like a brick. I told him to get the vinegar. I was in so much pain I drank it straight and the muscle relaxed immediately. My husband could even feel it relax. Caution - stick to a tablespoon or 2. I gulped down so much, the vinegar messed up my stomach, but it was worth not having that pain."
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[YEA] 10/15/2009: Harriet from Federal Way, Wa: "I am 55 and battle fibromyalgia. One of the problems is muscle cramps, mostly in legs and feet, that approximate the hard, long cramps common in the 9th month of pregnancy. I can cramp up at any time depending upon the position I get myself into, but it is common for me to get bad leg cramps maybe every 2-3 months. Those keep me up at night loading on Vit C, Magnesium and Potassium, slapping hot towels on one leg then the other as I hop around crying in pain.
Last week it happened again, but because ACV was on my countertop (due to this site) I swilled down 2 TBSP straight (when you are in that kind of pain you don't care what it tastes like) then chased with maybe 6 oz water. WITHIN 2 MINUTES THE CRAMP WAS GONE AND DID NOT RETURN! This is amazing. On nights when this happens I generally attempt to sleep on the couch so I don't wake my husband because IF I get any sleep at all it is in between spasms that wake me up violently.
I am grateful for this site. Thank you!"
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[YEA] 07/10/2009: Redhen from Euclid, OH: "Thank you so much. I took two tablespoon of ACV and followed it with a cup of hot water.The cramps stopped immediately. The cramps start in my hands and feet and then my legs. I usually use mustard, it works but not as fast as the ACV"
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[BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS] 06/30/2009: Lori from Victoria, KS: "My husband has been taking 2 tsp of ACV 2 times a day for a couple of months for leg cramps. He takes the ACV with a medicine spoon and drinks it straight then chases it with water. Today he is experiencing tooth pain, not really sensitivity but pain. We are wondering if this could have anything to do with the ACV. He has been getting relief from his leg cramps so we hate for him to stop taking this. He was having such severe leg cramps that he wasn't able to get more than a couple of hours sleep at a time before being awakened with a cramp. He is carefull not to get the vinegar on his teeth and doesn't think that he can dilute it and drink it with water."
Replies08/13/2009: Connie from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA replies: "Try mixing the vinegar in some apple juice or tomato/vegetable juice."
08/18/2011: Bobeena from Los Angeles, Ca replies: "the tooth pain is a result of the acv. Vinegar will strip the enamel from your teeth very fast. you should try drinking it with a straw to minimize tooth contact."
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[YEA] 01/11/2009: Robert from Barnegat, NJ, USA: "I take 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar dilluted with 4oz. water for leg cramps at nite. Works very well! I used to get leg cramps 3 or 4 times at nite, no more since I've been drinking dilluted APC."
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[YEA] 06/02/2008: Mary from Grand Forks, North Dakota: "I had once read that APV helped Charlie Horses. So when my husband had one after a hard day on his legs, I gave him 2 Tbsp of ACV in a glass of water. I don't know which worked best, the ACV or the shock when he drank it. Since then, we have used it many times with almost immediate relief of the Charlie Horses or cramps in the legs or groin."
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[YEA] 02/10/2008: Jamal from Phoenix, AZ: "I just tried the Apple Cider Vinegar and glass of hot water. I had overdone a workout and hadn't stretched. My quads and calves were cramping up really bad. (really painful). It really worked! It worked almost immiediately, I couldn't beleive it! I'm still sore, but that's an easy alternative to constant cramping. Thanks!!"
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[YEA] 01/15/2008: Robbie from Laurel, MS: "I have found over the last few years something that has helped me tremendously that I would like to share. I am very susceptible to having cramps in my feet mostly at night but during the day as well. If a medication is prescribed to me and it has a side effect - even a 1% chance - of causing cramps, I will have them severely. I am so sensitive to cramping even by a slightest move at times.
I read somewhere a few years ago about ACV helping with night cramps. So I bought some and decided that the next time I had them, I would try it and see if it worked. It is the best solution I've EVER found. I take 1-2 Tbs. (depends on how often or severe the cramps are) and chase it with a glass of hot water from the faucet. It works every time! I can also attest - and some skeptics are going to think I am crazy, but - it works immediately! If I don't get relief fron 1 Tbs. with hot water within 10 minutes, I repeat this again. I've also found that if I am having trouble with a lot of minor cramping before I go to bed, I will go ahead and take 1-2 Tbs. with hot water. It seems to assure me of an uninterrupted night of cramps. The hot water seems to be the trick as I think it gets into my system quickly. Don't know about that. It also removes the taste from my mouth very fast. I don't know why nor do I care; I just know it works.
All I can say is that I will always keep a bottle on hand. It goes with me even when we go out of town or camping for a few days. I've not found any thing that is as effective and gives me such fast relief.
I've been told by others that I need to eat a banana. And I've also had my potassium checked and it doesn't show a deficiency (so they say). Therefore, doctors seem to toss this aside and take this terrible pain lightly. I got tired of this so I rarely, if ever, mention it to a physician any more. I really believe they do not know what to do. I use to take Q-Vel, which is quinine, vitamin e and lecithin in a capsule, until they took it off the market because of the quinine. It worked well but lost access to it. Since then, I've tried this and have found this is a quicker relief anyway. I'm telling you this is the best "drug" you can buy. Oh yeah, I forgot to say, I use the cheapest there is in my area. Therefore, I am not relying on an organic product or high-priced brand name ACV.
Thanks for letting me share and I hope this will help someone else. I've suffered all my adult life with this and am finally finding relief!"
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[YEA] 12/27/2006: Clarence from Kaiserslautern, Germany: "I had a leg cramp the other night. I went to my kitchen and took a tablespoon of ACV in a glass of water (4 - 6 ) ounces. It helped almost immediately."
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[YEA] Ottelie from Ontario, Canada: "Apple Cider Vinegar cures muscle cramps almost instantly. Because Mom, age 88, is using this cure she needs to know, "What are the adverse affects of all the vinegar?" // Mom uses rather a strong potent. This makes it easy to sock it back, to hold a spasm at bay. // Lately, more doses of vinegar are needed for stronger, 'lurking' spasms in her weakened leg. // On another note, her need to gain weight is being stifled, not knowing why."
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[YEA] David from Chicago, IL: "I saw somewhere that apple cider vinegar cures Fibromyalgia. I don't definitely have it, but was diagnosed with it based on symptoms years ago. I've had muscle spasms varying in severity for 24 years. I just started to come out a 1 1/2 year bout with it. Drank vinegar and have been completely pain free for a week. It's asinine this isn't common knowledge. It feels kind of like an metabolism enhancer too. I'm down to 1 tablespoon twice a day. And I repeat I'm completely pain free. I don't know what was wrong with me, thought it was just something I had to live with. Somebody tell a doctor!"
Replies03/31/2011: Viola from Hampton Bays, N.y. replies: "reply to David of Chicago, Ill. -- You tell a Doctor "
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APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, WATER
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[YEA] 07/02/2007: Sandy from Oakland, CA: "I used to get serious leg cramps and tried vinegar from a recommended home remedy. One to 2 onces of vinegar brought relief from almost any cramp within a minute or so. A happy side effect was the complete elimination of heartburn. I had an ulcer as a teenager and very serious heartburn as an adult. I used to take wads of antacids, but haven't touched one in over ten years. As an avid bike commuter I became aware of the requirement to drink plenty of water at least 24 hours before riding. This keeps my cramping to a minimum. The total combination of adequate daily water and periodic vinegar (apple cider vinegar is the tastiest and gentlist) and consistent aerobic, sweat exercise has eliminated the above two maladies and when combined with adequate sleep, has eliminated fatigue.
After 15 years of personal experimentation I have become convinced that a regimen of organic, pesticide-free food, adequate water, sleep and daily exercise is the key to be a default state of human health.
http://www.bluejayway.net/green_living.html "
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ASPIRIN AND CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND ZINC
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[YEA] 12/02/2007: jeanne from wpb, fl: "i've tried several of these remedies .. the one that works within 15 min is taking one aspirin . . also , i read on the net'' afew yrs ago that taking magnesium would help . .so i take it religiously everyday . 3 in 1 calcium, mag, and zinc . that took care of the horrible calf cramps .. but i still get a little one in my feet . . and i dont' have to be sleeping to get one either .. it can happen at any time . not every day .but a few times a wk . well, thanks for all the remedies .but try that aspirin the next time you're woken up by one . it works!!! really .."
Replies03/14/2010: Anna from Philadelphia, Pa, Usa replies: "calcium, magnesium, zinc (all in one) also healed completely my calf cramp (no aspirin tried though), but then I run out of it, got another brand and... it didn't work that well... So I checked the bottles: the working one has copper! Now I have only those!"
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BAKING SODA
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[YEA] 10/27/2008: Barbara from Austin, Texas: "I just started using ACV as a mouthwash and it seemed to clear out my sinuses and stopped my tooth from hurting. I gargle with it and no sore throats. Allergy symptoms gone. So far so good. On baking soda, it is high in sodium so I dont think taking it on a regular basis is a good idea. If I get leg cramps and cannot sleep and have to walk it out, I put a pinch of baking soda in water and drink it and it does immediately relieve the cramps. Cramps due to acidity. ACV is an antiseptic. I also use ACV as a tone on my face just dab it on and it makes y our skiin feels so clean. I dont use it on my face everyday just a coupld of times a week."
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BAR OF SOAP
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[WORKED TEMPORARILY] 04/29/2010: Traveler from Santa Barbara, Ca, Usa: "I found on the peoples' pharmacy website a recommendation for using soap for restless leg syndrome. I think any soap works well, though you could google search people's stories. All I know is that I recommended it to my father, and while it didn't work for his restless legs at night, it DID work on his leg cramps for around two months. After that, the effect, sadly, wore off. For those who want to try, just put a bar of soap (doesn't have to be expensive, I remember people writing about trying it with the little hotel soaps) under the sheets near your legs or even touching. If you start to feel a cramp coming on, put the leg into contact with the soap. My father saw results within three days. Unfortunately, it didn't last-- but it was nice to know that it worked for at least two months for him."
Replies08/28/2010: Mtnwindsong from Lubbock, Tx replies: "Change to new bar of soap when it quits working. I can taste soap when I drink water first thing in the morning so I think something in the soap is going into your body."
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[YEA] 08/09/2009: Rooster from Apple Valley, Minnesota: "A bar of bath soap placed at the end of the bed have cured my foot cramps that I had for many years. Whenever my wife changes the bed linen and forgets to include the bar of soap, my foot cramps re-appear."
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[YEA] 04/12/2009: Kathy from North Platte, NE: "Foot cramps, leg cramps: While listening to a hospice nurse talk one day, she happened to tell a story about her father having leg cramps at night. They tried everything possible but nothing would stop them. Until one day someone told him to put a bar of soap under the fitted sheet on his bed, down near his feet. (I use a sport scented soap - but apparently plain soap works too)So I thought, why not try it? I have been having leg and foot cramps for a few years at night, sometimes excruciating pain! The first night with the bar of soap I had no occurence of cramps and I thought it might be the power pf persuasion. But it has been months now and I have had one or two very mild cramps and that is it!! What an easy solution- but I have no idea why it works!"
Replies[YEA] 06/29/2011: Jennifer from Baskin, La replies: "I could not believe the bar of soap actually worked! I woke up last night with severe leg cramps and tried everything to get rid of them. I then saw the advice here and decided that using the soap wouldn't hurt.. I just put the soap in the bed and went back to sleep. No more cramps!"
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BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES
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[YEA] 10/31/2010: Olivia from Imperial, Ca: "I have been taking molasses for about 4 years now and it works like magic. One day I had a leg cramp at night that was so bad I was literally dragging my leg down the hall to the kitchen to get at the molasses. I just dipped the spoon half way into the jar and then ate it off the spoon and drank a little water to get it down. It's the same molasses you will find next to the pancake syrup. My doctor check me for potassium, magnesium and calcium deficiency, but all was normal. I don't know what it is but it works. It has been a life saver. You're able to get right back to bed with no problems."
Replies11/01/2010: Francisca from Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France replies: "Olivia, be aware that when you are tested for something it often doesn't mean much because the levels they find normal are maybe not! These are conventions. The same goes for the amounts of vitamins and minerals you need a day, they are conventions too and often far off what your body really needs. This is the reason I am not so keen on testing my blood anymore unless I would have a doctor who really knows the true levels. Just look at cholesterol, it needs to be lower and lower (they say)although it is known that low cholesterol is more dangerous than high and that in women and older men you should never try to lower cholesterol. Still.... There are already tests which suggest that normal cholesterol can start at 0. If molasses helps you, no matter what the blood test says you must be low on something!"
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BUFFERED SALT
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[YEA] Jo Anne from Clearwater, FL: "Living in Florida, the heat can be harsh on one who works outside in it. My husband had been having severe muscle cramps and low energy. Our pharmacist recommended a salt supplement called Thermotabs (a buffered salt supplement). After taking this daily, he has no muscle cramps and also has a higher energy level. Hope this works for you too. Take as directed on the bottle."
Replies11/26/2009: Jan from Mesquite, Nv replies: "My husband also had a very bad problem with leg cramps, especially in the evening. I found a bottle of buffered salt supplements I had purchased and started giving them to him. Rarely does he get a cramp anymore, unless he forgets to take the buffered salt tablets daily. I just wonder if it's good for his blood pressure, but don't know who to ask."
11/28/2009: Robert Henry from Ten Mile, Tn replies: "JAN, cramps are usually caused due to the lack of electrolytes. Athletes are given Gator or Power ade to prevent this. It works for me and I'm not a jock."
[YEA] 04/03/2011: Sue from Delray Beach, Fl replies: "My husband was told that when he gets the cramp, to just take a little salt - I put some sea salt in a dish next to the bed - when he gets a cramp, he takes a piece of salt, and is still amazed that the cramp disappears immediately. And he doesn't have to take anything daily because it works!"
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CALCIUM
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[YEA] 05/24/2009: Kathy from Ontario, CA: "I used to have leg cramps almost every night. So I would get up and just raid the fridge! I knew that I was missing something in my diet. So ultimately the thing that really helped was taking a calcium pill or 2 before bed and that always lets me sleep thru the night with no cramps! Also on the days that I didn't drink enough water my cramps would flare up. I would just but the chewy calcium....but it seems that any brand works!"
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CANDIED GINGER SLICES
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[YEA] 02/27/2006: Hugo from E Freetown, MA: "I WAS ON A DIET SO I MADE LITE CANDIED GINGER SLICES TO SUPRESS APPETITE. I WAS ALSO SUFFERING FROM SEVERE SCIATICA AND BACK SPASMS. AFTER A WEEK BOTH DISAPPEARED. IT WAS BY ACCIDENT THAT I DISCOVERED THE TOTAL RELIEF OF LOWER BACK PROBLEMS. I AM 64 YRS OLD. I HAVE DISCONTINUED GINGER AND MY BACK HAS BEEN PAIN FREE."
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CAYENNE PEPPER
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[YEA] 09/21/2006: Vince from Philadelphia, PA: "I make up a plaster with cayenne and salt to cure muscle strains and pains. I wet a paper towel and sprinkle just a little of both on it, and apply. The salt is rough being crystals, and irritates the skin a bit, so I make a saline solution and wet the paper towel with that. The cayenne may irritate some peoples skin, but it is used for irritated skin, so isn't a big problem. I even heard of using it on sunburn.) It usually takes 20min to cure pains or strains. I once had a Really strained back and leg. The back came from working under a car, laying on concrete, and the leg was sciatica from siting on a wooden bench after it. My back hurt from my neck to my foot, and my thigh would hurt SO bad I could only walk about 75' before I had to sit down. I decided to do the cayenne plaster, and I was SO Bad I felt I had to Really heat it up. I used a piece of paper/plastic drop cloth, since I was going to add a heating pad, and didn't want it to dry out or wet the pad. I cut a piece to reach from my neck to my butt, applied it and heated it up. The regular plaster usually only needs to stay in place till the heat of the cayenne dissipates. I kept this on a while longer, and after I removed it the pain was gone."
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