Effective Natural Remedies for Muscle Health and Recovery

I went to the Dr. last year because I was experiencing some stiffness in my lower back on the right side. I could only feel the stiffness when I stretched. I have not been doing anything strenuous so I could not figure out why I had this stiffness. Two months later, the stiffness traveled to the middle of my back on the right side. I answered no to all the Dr.s questions. Then she told me to bend over while she pushed on my back. She said she could feel resistance. She told me that exercise would be good for it. I have not made time to exercise but I do stretch. Months later, I am still having the same problem. Is there anyone who has experienced this? What kind of remedy could I use?

Thank you for your response, Dave. I will try your suggestions and see what happens. This is why I love Earthclinic. I have used this site several times and it sure beats going to the Dr. unless you have to. Thanks again!!

I'm 49, male, and white and over weight, I'm 5'9 and weigh 194 - 197.

The issue: I have a pulled muscle in my upper back. its located from my neck down to my lower back. Its primarily around my rib cage area. This was diagonsed by my doctor. Currently, its very sore. Also, my left shoulder blade is also affected, it acts like it sticks. I'm not sure how I got this one. I was having this before the August job.

How I got it? Probably overdid by picking up something I shouldn't have.

This job started on August 16. I moved 105 boxes, weighing between 40# - 50#. Then on the 17 - 18, working for pizza delivery, carried 2 - 3 big bags containing 12 pizzas to a roller skating rink. then on the 19, moved 25 more boxes. In this particular group, I think this is where I hurt myself unintentionally. I was loading the boxes on the cart, but I didn't loaded it properly as it was going to tip over when I turned the cart. So I had to unload the boxes from the cart and reload the boxes correctly. one of those boxes. Weighed roughly 80#. So, basically, I picked up this box 4 times.

To make matters worse, I got sick that week (I didn't realize that I was sick with a flu like sypmtoms). my back was bothering me alot, my being sick made this worse. my back pain masked my sickness. it wasn't until I had pain in my legs that I realized I was sick and had body pains consistent with being sick. I used asprin, allegra, Aleve & advil. Asprin & Allegra was used to fight off my sickness, it kept it at bay, but usually came back. It wasn't until I found a dayquill generic brand that had and forgot about. It took care of colds/flu. I alternated with allegra & this product and the flu-like symptoms were gone in 3 days. Aleve & advil were used to reduce the pain in my upper back while I was sick.

What I would like to know is there any treatment for dealing with a very sore pulled muscle in the upper back. Would seeing a chiropraction help?

If you could find a good chiropractor, that may help.

Also, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar poured onto a cloth and covering the area with it (then cover with plastic and a towel) is also great for this type of thing. You could do this for an hour or two while watching TV or do this overnight. Try this daily for a week if needed.

Turmeric - 1/2 -1 t. twice a day is also a great anti-inflammatory and may help this, too.

I have had a bad upper back for years. Yes, the chiropractor can help. If you pull a muscle, and keep over using it you can send it into spasm, and just throw everything out of whack.

I also have a foam roller I use. They look like large foam "Water weenies" that kids use in pools, but the foam roller is much sturdier. You lay it on the floor and then roll on top of it.... It is excellent for self back massage. There are videos on the web showing how to use them. I love mine, it only cost around twenty dollars if I remember correctly.

Another thing, but much more expensive, is an inversion table. Cost anywhere from a couple hundred on up for a decent one.... Maybe a person could find one on Craigslist more cheaply though. They are excellent for stretching also. Again, more info on inversion tables online also. YouTube is usually a good source for videos.

And it goes without saying.... a decent massage therapist can do wonders if you have good insurance that will cover it.

I know how miserable a bad upper back / muscle spasm can be. I wish you very good luck in getting your back healthy again! :-)

Inversion tables can be very expensive and many times you buy one without actually being able to try it out. When I was looking for an inversion table I read a lots of reviews as well as lot about inversion therapy and was able to find the table that was the best fit for me.

Hi all, just reading about a muscular condition called sarcopenia abd wondered if anyone could shed a little light on the subject. There is no info that I can find here on it...

I am posting this in hopes that someone knows a natural treatment for hemifacial spasms. I do not want to take drugs or get botox injections.

Hi Lin from Florida - Are you able to visit a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner? Perhaps a licensed acupuncturist would help. I did hear that SPZM tablets have alleviated various spasms (including facial, upper back, neck, etc.). They are available at Amazon as well as other online suppliers. I'm sure a TCM doctor would have them as well.

One customer review for SPZM tablets (on pureformulas.com) said: "I have been using SPZM for over six months to help control my hemifacial spasms. It has helped me quite a bit with this condition with no noticeable side effects."

Hope this helps. Cheers, Bess

Dear Lin from Florida, Looks like Bess had some great ideas for you! A couple of things come to my mind that you could safely, easily and inexpensively try. One is Blackstrap molasses. 1 T, once or twice a day. (Right off the spoon, or mixed in milk or coffee or whatever.) I have seen it so helpful for calming muscle problems.

Another thing to try is chamomile tea. At least 2 mugs a day. But it is very relaxing and might make you sleepy. Pour boiling water over the tea bag in a mug. Let it steep for 10 minutes or so. Remove tea bag and sweeten if you like.

Finally, some peppermint and/or lavender essential oil massaged in the area of spasm a couple of times a day, or when it is bothering you might help. The peppermint oil is pretty strong and you might want to mix a few drops into 1/2 t. of coconut oil. Don't get it in your eyes. It will not cause long term harm, but it will not be comfortable.

Let us know what helps you!

~Mama to Many~

Thank you for your suggestions. Currently I am on a limited income and cannot go to practitioners mentioned. I started taking liquid magnesium chloride last week. No change in frequency of spasms so far.

In reply to Ceann (Manchester , Ia) on 02/09/2013

Please help! My 16 year old had her 3rd disc rupture and 2nd back surgery in 3 years. She is still not pain free and doctor said she won't be due to ddd. Her incision is still oozing 2.5 months after surgery. I will start her on the hyluronic acid and sea salt, but what else for the muscle pain??

Vitamin K, Vit D plus Calcium for strong bones. A warm soaked Epsom Salt wash towel over the affected area 2x daily will help.

My first thought was Magnesium for her muscle pain. Perhaps nice, long soaks in the tub with Epsom Salts? (1-2 cups dissolved in the bath water.)

It may even benefit the healing of the incision.

Most of us have a magnesium deficiency. Please read Dr. Sircus about transdermal magnesium. I have found it very helpful for arthritis. I do not think you should apply it on the wound. But elsewhere would be good. It will absorb and help heal. The product is called magnesium oil. It is not actually an "oil" but does share some characteristics of an oil. It absorbs in a few minutes. Like most all supplements, patience helps as defiencies are not corrected overnight.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I have had muscle knots in shoulders off and on for about 7 years. I believe it has been from a troubled relationship that is on and off with daughter. (just background for you)

I started MSM and it is wonderful nutrition, however, when I take it, in the muscle knots, msm causing swelling in the muscle knots and it causes severe pain from swelling.

Motrin or anything does not help with swelling. It makes it hard to work. I was on 2 gm. Went down to one gm. But cannot take the swelling pain so had to stop taking it.

Any ideas? I think its healing it and I tried to hang in there so only took it on days off. Can't handle the swelling that causes pain. But I want to continue msm for the wonderful other benifits.

Any ideas would be nice. Nora

My husband shot a finish nail (no head on nail) from a nail gun into the muscle of his leg. The xray shows that the nail is an inch or so embedded in the muscle. We would like to avoid surgery. Any suggestions on how to get it to work its way out? The entry hole is very small about the size of a pencil point Thanks. Really like this site.

Ss, if you could find a magnet powerful enough it would pull that nail directly out. A warms sea salt pack would help if neccessary.

I once had a toothpick go through my sock and broke off inside the bottom of my foot as I stepped down on it. Swelling/pain/had to walk on my toes of that foot.... Nothing to grab onto to get it out. I went to a doctor, afraid that he was going to slice my foot open. He said, either your body will accept it or reject it. After working on it for a few days... Gently sqeezing the swollen area... it popped out and healed fine.

Magnet.

Update -- The magnesium and B6 helped relieve the sharp pain, but I still have pain. I've stopped taking the magnesium for my trapezius pain, and am now utilizing stretching. I must have done something exercising that I didn't realize would cause a problem.

I'm also scheduling a back massage this week to specifically target the trapezius.

Note: I mistakenly took magnesium chloride too early, before bedtime the other night. It made me so sleepy, but I didn't want to sleep yet, so I fought it and my head and eyes started to throb. I wouldn't advise taking Mg chloride unless you're absolutely ready for bed.

On the alcohol absolute? Can you just use regular alcohol like you use making tincture? thanks the camphor and clove will numb it, used to use as anestesia at the dentist, lol

I would like to know if you have a natural solution for spasmodic dysphonia? I have had this condition for 4 years now. I have seen several ENT's and none of them could give me a definitive answer or cure for this condition. I had a severe upper respiratory infection. I have lost the use of my natural voice. It is very strangled and unintelligible now.

The ENT's have taken videos of my larynx and vocal chords and found no sign of trauma or cancer. They prescribed prednisone, which elevated my blood pressure. I am presently taking a fluid pill to lower my blood pressure and a pill for acid reflux. They have suggested botox injections in the sight of my vocal chords, however, I am very leary of this radical treatment although I have seen others that have had great success with this treatment. I would love to find a natural cure for this malady! Anyone have any suggestions?

I would suggest that you hypnotize yourself. Get a tape recorder and talk into it, suggesting that your vocal cords work perfectly, your blood flows to them perfectly, etc... Talk into it with positive suggestions for around 15 minutes. Play the tape to your self every night before falling asleep.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I was having a lot of muscle pain in my hands and wrists and my right arm and shoulder. It hurt so bad when I moved and it was really affecting my ability to complete my daily tasks. I ate cloves of raw garlic and cooked wild salmon ( I dont know if farmed salmon is good for you) for lunch and dinner. Next day, I felt a lot better. It's not completely cured and my stomach felt a bit uncomfortable from the raw garlic, but the pain was much better. Also taking a cold shower temporarily reduces the pain, but the garlic and salmon pain relief lasted longer. The pain for me keeps coming back because I always have to be on my computer, thus my hands/wrist and right arm never have a chance to fully rest. I switched to an ergonomic keyboard and mouse and this has helped a little bit... But still, not cured completely. If anyone has any suggestion, would be greatly appreciated.

Why don't you try adding the raw garlic to food? That is what I do, I add it to salads or just any food before I eat. I suppose that would be easier on your stomach..... As far as pain goes I have just finished a book on MSM, it might help you.... I haven't tried it yet but I consider trying for my allergies. Sauna also helps me so we bought a little one for our garden, an infra-red one which warms very fast and it is very economical to run!

I can vouch for the emu oil. It works better than any other topical analgesic I've tried.