Muscle cramps aren’t anything that should frighten you. Everyone has experienced them at least once in their life. Although researchers have yet to discover just exactly what the biological and chemical process behind this situation is, the most common cause is overworking your muscles to exhaustion. The typical symptom of a muscle crap is sharp pain, which sometimes also comes with inflammation, soreness, and swelling. Either way, it’s very easy to treat and it hardly requires any OTC medication, expensive visits to the doctor’s, or anything of the sort. Keep reading to discover some effective and perfectly natural home remedies for muscle cramps that will immediately help you relax and get rid of the ache.
The following treatments are all perfectly natural and will grant you with nothing but benefits. We’ve also chosen them because of accessibility – they’re easy to procure and they don’t cost a lot of money either.
1. Epsom Salt
Epsom salt is rich in magnesium, a compound that your body needs in order to fight off inflammations, including those of the muscles. By undergoing a treatment which uses Epsom salt at its foundation, you’ll be able to find relaxation for your muscles in no time. For this reason, Epsom salt is one of the most potent home remedies for muscle cramps. Be careful that if you suffer diabetes, heart problems, or high blood pressure, you should not follow this procedure.
Instructions:
- Fill a tub with warm water and then add 2 cups of Epsom salt.
- Stir thoroughly as to incorporate the salt in the whole mass.
- Soak in this mixture for 20 minutes and let it work its magic on your aching muscles.
- Technically, undergoing this treatment once is going to be enough for it to work. However, there’s nothing stopping you from attempting you again if you still need some relief.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has a myriad of fantastic properties that immediately qualify it for this list. It’s a fantastic remedy for cramps and for a number of other conditions. For this one in particular, though, what’s spectacular is apple cider vinegar’s ability to soothe inflammations and to bring relaxation. Furthermore, it’s rich in potassium, a crucial compound to the health of your muscles. Deficiency of potassium is, in fact, one of the main causes behind muscle cramps.
Instructions:
- Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water and then stir thoroughly.
- Drink this mixture once every day to soothe your muscle cramps and to build resistance to them in the future.
3. Cold Compress
Sometimes some frozen water and a towel is all you need. Cold is one of the best home remedies for muscle cramps by far. It’s incredibly reliable and it can work wonders when you’re in need of some relaxation. A cold compress will help with submerging the initial ache and with ensuring that, once your muscles have relaxed, they won’t become sore as well. In other words, it’s truly a wonderful treatment that has a plethora of benefits.
Instructions:
- Take a handful of ice cubes and then wrap them in a thin cloth.
- Apply this compress directly to the affected area and keep on for about 15 minutes.
- For this remedy to work, repeat once every couple of hours for the next 2-3 days or so.
4. Clove Oil
Cloves are excellent natural analgesics, ensuring that your muscles won’t also end up swelling and becoming inflamed. They are the kind of treatment that you should absolutely undergo because of how natural and healthy it is. Furthermore, clove will also bring relaxation to your exhausted muscles and gradually drain the ache from them, leaving you feeling light and content.
Instructions:
- All you have to do is to warm up a little bit of clove oil
- Afterward, you just have to apply it to the suffering area by using massaging, circular motions. This will also stimulate circulation and boost your recovery.
- Keep doing this for 15 minutes and then repeat as many times as you need for the pain to completely submerge.
5. Yellow Mustard
Mustard is pretty excellent to eat, but it’s also great for treating muscle cramps. This is probably because when digested, yellow mustard promotes the production of a certain substance, mucilage, which contributes to the normal activity of the muscles. And when your muscles work right, the issue of cramps will soon become one of the past.
Instructions:
- To benefit from the effects of mustard, you should simply have a teaspoon of it every day.
- Since eating raw mustard with nothing else can be a bit odd, you can always follow up with some warm milk to wash down the strong flavor of the mustard.
6. Black Strap Molasses
Black strap molasses contains many vitamins and nutrients, but what you should focus on most is calcium and potassium. If these two aren’t in a percentage high enough in your organism, this could lead to muscle cramps. As a result, black strap molasses is one of the most useful home remedies for muscle cramps specifically because it can bring balance to your organism. By supplying your body with potassium and calcium, you’ll slowly get rid of the ache.
Instructions:
- Add 1 tablespoon of black strap molasses to a glass containing warm water or milk.
- Stir well and then drink this solution to benefit from the relaxing properties of the molasses.
- You can drink again as many times as you need.
7. Rosemary
Rosemary has a bunch of properties that can make life with the symptoms of muscle cramps easier. For starters, it has anti-inflammatory abilities, ridding you of the unpleasant inflammations of cramps in less than a few minutes. Secondly, it can also bring deep relaxation to your body and mind. The best part is that it’s also highly practical since your skin can quickly and easily absorb rosemary.
Instructions:
- Add 1 ounce of rosemary leaves to a one-pint jar and then cover them with boiling water.
- Cover the jar and then allow the mixture to steep for 30 minutes.
- Next, dip a washcloth in this mixture and then wrap it around the sensitive area for 15-20 minutes.
- When your pain has faded away, even if not completely, follow up with a cold compress.
8. Wintergreen Oil
You can find wintergreen oil in pretty much any store, which makes it one of the more readily available home remedies for muscle cramps. It contains a compound which soothes your muscles and drains the pain from them, leaving them relaxed. Furthermore, it also improves the flow of your blood, promoting recovery through an effective circulation. Also, if you are suffering from spider bites you can certainly use wintergreen oil.
Instructions:
- Blend 2 teaspoons of wintergreen oil with 8 teaspoons of any vegetable oil of your choice.
- Afterwards, apply this mixture to the sensitive area and attempt some circular massage motions for a quick relief.
- You can repeat this remedy several times until you get the results that you desire.
9. Drumstick Leaves
The drumstick plant can actually do so many things for you, not just be one of the best home remedies for muscle cramps. That’s pretty much just a bonus. Since it has deep anti-inflammatory properties, it can really provide relaxation to most forms of swellings and pain. Plus, it also improves circulation, an important aspect to recovering from a condition like this one. In other words, if you haven’t been paying much attention to drumstick, you totally should from now on.
Instructions:
- Take some drumstick leaves and then wash them thoroughly.
- Crush them to extract the juice and then massage your affected areas to ease the pain.
- You can repeat this treatment as many times as you need to start noticing improvements.
10. Castor Oil
Castor oil is one of the greatest home remedies for muscle cramps that you could use. It’s readily available and really easy to use when you need it. In less than a few minutes, you can already start feeling the soothing effects of the oil. Many people have been using it medically for the longest of times, to deal not only with muscle pains, but with joints and other aches.
Instructions:
- Pour a little bit of castor oil in a bowl and then warm well.
- Before going to bed, dip a cotton cloth in the oil and then wrap it around the area that’s bothering you.
- Cover with a plastic wrap to avoid any oil stains and then leave on overnight.
11. Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a natural anti-inflammatory compound that’s the foundation of many of remedies and ointments. When you drink a cayenne-based mixture, it can help with a number of pains and inflammations, including the strains of muscle cramps. If you need something to help you get rid of this ache, you don’t need to look further than this treatment.
Instructions:
- Preparing a treatment is very simple. You simply need to mix 1-2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper with some water
- Drink this solution as many times as you need.
12. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is an excellent natural remedy that can soothe all kinds of pains, including the ones of muscle cramps. Drinking some aloe vera juice is enough to completely shift around how you’re feeling and to relax your muscles once again. For this reason, it’s an easily accessible AND effective remedy that you should not miss out on.
Instructions:
- Take an aloe vera leaf and then slice it in two, extracting the gel.
- Cut it into small pieces and then mix it in with about 1/2 cup of water.
- Finally, down this mixture and repeat as many times as you need for relief.
Conclusion
Muscle cramps aren’t something that should make you worry, definitely not. They’re, at most, inconvenient. Luckily, this also means that you can find all kinds of natural and effective ways to deal with it. The home remedies for muscle cramps we’ve just provided are truly easy to find, effective, cheap, and they can shower you with a plethora of other health benefits. Go give them a shot next time your muscles are feeling a bit more swollen than usual and let us know which one of them worked for you.
Leave a Reply