Comments on: Muscle pain remedies

Question: Muscle pain remedies

jedro — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 20:47:50 -0800

How can I soothe muscle pain?

I did a triathlon yesterday, and didn't do the right things post-race. Does anybody have any advice for how to sooth the pain a day after?

By: four panels

four panels — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 20:55:34 -0800

ICE BATH: A lot of runners suggest a freezing bath. I'm talking cold water + ice cubes. Sit and chill for 10 to 30 minutes.

The shit is cold. Keep the Scotch handy.

By: cardboard

cardboard — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 21:48:52 -0800

Massage Therapy from a registered massage therapist who specializes in sports massage. They know exactly what to do.

By: Tixylix

Tixylix — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 21:56:20 -0800

i thought the ice bath was for the immediate recovery? like, you might see rugby players in an ice bath immediately after the game. I'd want some more opinions or references on the benefits before jumping into a bath tub full of ice cubes.

Maybe get a massage and an epsom salt bath, and maybe try some tiger balm/heat cream or equivalent ointment. ingest some (potassium) salts & calcium, eat lots of protein and maybe a zinc supplement.

I have an amusing anectdote about wearing boxer shorts, applying tiger balm to my thighs, then shrieking and jumping into a cold shower trying to work up a lather and get that accursed ointment off my scrotum, but i'll save that for later.

By: cholly

cholly — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 22:03:29 -0800

I find that heat packs accompanied by Dencorub are always good for muscle pain.

By: bangitliketmac

bangitliketmac — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 22:29:22 -0800

Icy Hot - Wikipedia entry. Great stuff

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 23:16:48 -0800

My wife is an ATC and RMT and she recommends ice for the first 24 hours (never more than 20 minutes out of every hour) then heat (hot bath) afterwards. Also apply ice for pain as needed.

By: zhivota

zhivota — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 23:16:56 -0800

Ice bath is pretty much right after the event, in my experience. Never tried to do it the next day or anything. It wouldn't really do what what it was supposed to do at that point anyway (reduce immediate inflammation associated with punishing endurance sports).

By: lumiere

lumiere — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 23:27:17 -0800

Stretch, slowly and purposefully. Drink enough water to ensure that you're rehydrated. The combination of cold and heat (hot bath! with bubbles!) is very effective. While in the hot bath, work very purposefully on relaxing and letting the tension accumulated in your muscles go.

While it can be hard to even think of doing anything active following a gruelling endurance event, I find that a bit of gentle, low-impact activity--like aqua jogging or swimming--can make a world of difference. Incidentally, aqua jogging is the recovery exercise of choice for the my local professional rugby team. There's nothing quite as amusing as watching a bunch of very big, fit men wearing floatation belts aqua jog alongside (to be stereotypical) the blue-haired granny brigade.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 03:57:17 -0800

Piling on, but yeah, rules of thumb: ice immediately after any strain, heat later (like the following day(s)).

I get good results with one of those parabolic heaters that look like Death Star weapons aimed at my neck/back/shoulders/whatever hurts. Just bathe in the heat radiation for a couple of hours while reading or working and eventually I'm surprised to notice the pain has melted away.

By: jacalata

jacalata — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 04:26:31 -0800

I completely forgot to stretch after a day-long athletics carnival, and the next day I went for a long 'jog', jogging for a block or two, then stretching lightly for five minutes, then maybe walking a tiny bit, but trying to keep a little warmed up. This lasted about an hour, and I definitely felt better afterwards, although it feels like the last thing you'd want to do.