Tight glutes. Throbbing hamstrings. Aching quads. Nagging shins. Sore back. You do not have to be a professional athlete to experience muscle strains and sprains. Recreational cyclists, runners and gym fanatics are also prone to aches and pains caused by overstretching or overloading their muscles when they exercise.
If you’re experiencing some aches and pains from exercising, it is a good sign. Some muscle soreness tells you that your muscles are starting to grow and develop. Let’s look at how you can treat sore muscles, and which essential oils you can use for relief.
Rubs and massage
Gently rubbing or massaging your strained muscles with a warming balm or massage oil can help to loosen them. Don’t overdo it. A few minutes of gentle rubbing once or twice a day is enough. Look for massage balms that contain essential oils known for their pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory strengths. The ones to look out for are:
- Thymol for spasms, pain, redness and inflammation
- Menthol, which has a cooling effect on inflamed muscles
- Lemon grass oil, which relaxes strained muscles
- Citronella oil, which reduces pain and swelling
- Eucalyptus oil, which relieves pain in joints and muscles
- Cinnamon oil for its pain-numbing effects
- Terpentine oil which creates a warming sensation that reduces the perception of pain
- Peppermint oil for its anti-inflammatory, fatigue-fighting and mood-lifting benefits
- Camphor, which reduces pain and spasms
The ideal combination of essential oils for sore muscles
Add essential oils to a warm bath or use a formulation like Leopard balm that contains the ideal amounts of the best essential oils for relieving tight, sore muscles. Leopard pain balm contains all nine essential oils to give you the benefits of the best essential oils for soothing sore muscles. Gently rub or massage Leopard balm onto your affected muscles after your bath or shower.