http://www.care2.com/greenliving/best-sore-muscle-bath.html
Best Sore Muscle Bath
By Melissa Breyer, Senior Editor, Care2 Healthy and Green Living
Know what professional runners do after racing to prevent and ease sore muscles? Ice bath–brrrrr. Personally, I’ll take the achy muscles over submerging myself in a tub of ice water, thank you very much. As it turns out, I’ve come up with a pretty good alternative to the ice bath. It uses warm (yay) water, Epsom salt, and pure essential oils to make a bath that is as comforting to the muscles as it is to the spirit.
I may be Epsom salt’s number one fan. As unsexy an ingredient as it may sound (it brings to mind images of a foot bath for stinky feet), Epsom salt is a miracle ingredient for health and wellness. (Read my full love letter to Epsom salt here.) As it pertains to muscle aches, Epsom salt is fabulous! To that add the following pure essential oils: Eucalyptus for purifying, oxygenating and energizing, this oil also possesses antitoxin qualities and helps heal blisters and other skin irritations. Juniper to stimulate the lymphatic system, and also great for deep cleansing, and rosemary for detoxifying, energizing and uplifting. Not only will this bath ease and prevent further muscle pain, but will restore your energy levels.
Here’s what to do. To a warm bath add:
2 cups of Epsom salt
3 drops eucalyptus oil
3 drops juniper oil
3 drops rosemary oil
Soak for at least 20 minutes.
For an added bonus, add nutrient-heavenly seaweed to this, or any, bath, here’s how.
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4 comments
add your comment »If there is inflammation a cooler to cold bath is better, e.g. anything you get relief from by icing it, sports injuries etc.
If there is muscle tiredness then a hotter bath would be more benifit e.g. anything you get relief from by using heat packs, muscle strains, period pain, and cramps etc.
If you have a combination of the two types, its best to stick to a luke warm or cool bath, and let the relief come from the essential oils and salts you add to the water, relax your body rather than the water temp.
Hope this helps
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Comment - ice or cool bath would reduce any swelling that is holding any bones out of place.
Hot / warm bath would relax muscles but promote swelling.
therefore, depending on what your actual condition is, you'd have to choose one of the therapies.
Hope it helps!
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Be careful with the Eucalyptus Oil in a bath. According to the German Commission E Monographs it has the ability to detox medication from the blood stream. If you are dependent upon a certain medication for your health this could present a real problem.
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Would this work better in an ice bath or not at all? I have an awful crick in my back that is half emotional and half physical (I know because it gets worse or better with the ebb and flow of my moods). Ice or hot? I find hot works best for this--advice?
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