Effective Home Remedies for Body Pain

Introduction:

There might be days you experience sudden, intense pains or a profound, steady ache all over the body. No matter your age, there may have been some odd posture that you sat in for long hours as a result of which you are experiencing muscle pain.¹ If you are searching for remedies to manage your body pain, then you have come to the right place. In this blog, you will find various home remedies that might help you ease out your body pain and get you going. 

What Causes Body Pain?

Body pain can occur due to one or a combination of more than one of the following factors: 

• Tension and stress 
• Fibromyalgia (inflammation causing pain in soft tissue and muscle) 
• Cancer including leukaemia (blood cancer) and sarcomas (cancer of soft tissue) 
• Compartment syndrome (increased pressure in muscles) 
• Electrolyte imbalance  
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (causes extreme fatigue and pain) 
• Hypothyroidism (hypoactive thyroid) 
• Peripheral artery disease (fat accumulation in the arteries in your arms or legs) 
• An injury like tendinitis (inflammation of the tendon), strain of the abdominal muscle like when you lift something heavy, back sprains and strains, tendinosis (degeneration of tendon), myofascial pain syndrome caused by repetitive movements, external injury, and fracture 
• Infections caused due to malaria, colds, flu, etc. 
• Autoimmune disease like lupus (causes inflammation of joints and skin), multiple sclerosis (damages the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord), inflammatory myopathies (chronic muscle inflammation) 
• Neuromuscular diseases like muscular dystrophy (progressive muscle-weakening), spinal muscular atrophy (a genetic disorder causing muscle weakness), myasthenia gravis (abnormal weakness of muscles), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (affects the nerves of the spinal cord and brain) 
• Medications like cancer treatment (radiation therapy and chemotherapy), statins (lower cholesterol level), high blood pressure (BP) medicines [ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor medications relaxes the blood vessels and helps lower high BP]¹ 

Symptoms of Body Pain:

Body pain is itself a symptom of some underlying condition. You may experience body pain as: 

• Pain in a specific area 
• Pain all over the body 

You might also notice other symptoms along with body pain like: 

• Muscle spasms/contraction 
• Muscle cramps 
• Joint pain¹ 

Home Remedies for Body Pain:

Some common and useful home remedies for body pain are: 

1. Ginger

Ginger has been used as a medicinal rhizome in India and China for more than 25 centuries. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are useful for treating disease conditions. In several human studies, ginger was found to be very helpful in healing body pain. A study showed that daily consumption of ginger lowers muscle pain. Ginger also eases pain during menstruation.² You can take some ginger, cut it, and boil it in water. Later, drain out the ginger pieces and enjoy the tea. 

2. Cinnamon

Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties. Extreme physical activity or exercise can cause an inflammatory response that causes muscle soreness and damages the cells. A human study was conducted on sixty healthy women (13 to 25 years), where cinnamon was tested for its effectiveness in muscle soreness. It was found to lower muscle soreness; therefore, it might be helpful in relieving body pain.³ You can put some cinnamon in water, let it boil, and drink the decoction. You can also add honey to it. 

3. Turmeric

Turmeric has been used for thousands of years for various medicinal purposes. It has anti-inflammatory and analgesic (painkiller) effects that may be useful in various types of pain.4 The tribal people of West Bengal apply the paste of turmeric rhizome on the body to treat body pain.5 You can add a little turmeric powder to warm water or boil a turmeric rhizome in water. You can drink the solution to reap the benefits of this age-old Ayurvedic remedy. 

4. Cold Compress

Several studies have reported that cold compression works as a pain killer. Cold slows down the transfer of signals from sensory nerves and prevents the transmission of pain to the brain. Therefore, it might be beneficial in relieving body pain.⁶ You can massage the affected area with an ice pack or ice cubes. Alternatively, a cold shower might do the trick in case of generalized body pain!  

5. Mustard Oil

Mustard seeds are effective in curing body aches as they contain selenium, a mineral that helps in combating joint pain. Therefore, mustard oil can benefit body pain.⁷ You can use mustard oil with some salt to massage the painful area. 

6. Cherry

Who knew eating cherries can be not just fun, but medically beneficial too? Cherry is found to be beneficial for chronic pain and inflammatory diseases like gout, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that might be beneficial in relieving body pain.⁸ You can enjoy sipping on a glass of some cherry juice too at the end of a long day to ease out body pain. 

You can also try these tips to lower body pain: 

• Take a warm/hot bath or soak in a warm bath with Epsom salts.  
• Rest and lift the area that pains  
• Alternate use of cold and hot compress. Cold compress lowers the inflammation, and hot compress improves the flow of blood to the painful area, flushing away the toxins that cause pain.  
• Therapies like meditation, acupuncture, or massage.¹  

When to Seek Medical Help:

You must seek medical help if your body pain continues to be unrelenting, or if you notice the following symptoms: 

• Muscle weakness 
• Chest pain 
• Tingling or numbness in limbs (arm or legs) 
• Fever 
• Loss of control on bladder¹ 

Conclusion:

Every individual experiences body pain. It becomes harder to work or do anything if you have body pain. Although you can try some of the above-mentioned home remedies to ease your body pain.¹ If your body pain becomes severe and chronic, you must consult your doctor. If you have any doubts, always confirm with your doctor about the correct way, dosage and duration of prescribed medicine to reduce the chances of any side effects.

Also Read: Effective Home Remedies for Swollen Legs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

References:

1. Muscle Pain [Internet]. Cleveland Clinic. 2021. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17669-muscle-pain 

2. Irfan S, Ranjha MMAN, Zahra SM, Mahmood S, Mueen-ud-din G, Alam MQ, et al. A Critical Review on Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Importance of Ginger. ACTA Sci Nutr Heal [Internet]. 2019;3(1):78–82. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shafeeqa-Irfan/publication/338361864

3. Mashhadi NS, Ghiasvand R, Askari G, Feizi A, Hariri M, Darvishi L, et al. Influence of ginger and cinnamon intake on inflammation and muscle soreness endued by exercise in Iranian female athletes. Int J Prev Med [Internet]. 2013;4(Suppl 1):S11-5. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665015/ 

4. Razavi BM, Ghasemzadeh Rahbardar M, Hosseinzadeh H. A review of therapeutic potentials of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and its active constituent, curcumin, on inflammatory disorders, pain, and their related patents. Phyther Res. 2021;35(12):6489–513. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34312922/ 

5. Corti L. Nonpharmaceutical Approaches to Pain Management. Top Companion Anim Med [Internet]. 2014 Mar;29(1):24–8. Available from: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1938973614000063 

6. Mhapsekar DT. To Study the Beneficial Effect of Mustard Oil and Salt Massaging With OralProphylaxis in Patients With Gum Diseases. NIH US Natl Libr Med [Internet]. 2017; Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02638740 

7. Kuehl KS. Cherry Juice Targets Antioxidant Potential and Pain Relief. In: Medicine and Sport Science [Internet]. 2013. p. 86–93. Available from: https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/341965 

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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