Muscle ache and pain is common after doing exercise or physical activity. Here is how you can treat it by using castor oil for sore muscles.
Sore muscles can be bothersome and make us feel uncomfortable. They occur after doing a workout or any physical activity. This condition is treatable and doesn’t require seeking medical attention. You can cure muscle soreness at home by using castor oil for sore muscles. Keep reading this article to know more!
- What are Sore Muscles?
- Causes of Sore Muscles
- How Long Muscle Soreness Lasts?
- How To Use Castor Oil for Sore Muscles?
- Preventing Sore Muscles
- Precautions To Consider
- Final Thoughts
What are Sore Muscles?
Muscle soreness happens when stress is applied to the muscle during a workout or any physical activity (1). It is of two types:
Acute muscle soreness: This is felt during or immediately after the exercise. It occurs when lactic acid is built up in the muscles. It also heals quickly.
Delayed onset muscle soreness: A common type of muscle soreness that happens after six-eight hours of physical exertion due to inflammation of the muscles. It lasts for one-three days (2).
Causes of Sore Muscles
Our muscles expand and contract rapidly during a workout, this leads to overexertion that causes sore muscles. It can happen due to (3):
- Exercising more than often
- Adding new exercises in the workout
- Doing a heavy and high-intensity workout
- Not taking sufficient break between the exercises
How Long Muscle Soreness Last?
According to research, muscle soreness lasts four-five days, depending upon the severity of the exercise. Also, it varies with the type, intensity, and duration of the workout.
How To Use Castor Oil for Sore Muscles?
The anti-inflammatory properties of castor oil makes it is an excellent massage oil for sore muscles (4). It is therapeutic and provides relief from the pain and calms you down. Here is how you can use castor oil for sore muscles.
You’ll Need:
- Castor Oil
- Cotton Pad
- Bowl
What You Have To Do?
- Take a bowl and add a half cup of castor oil in it.
- Heat it on low flame and gently apply it on the sore muscles.
- Massage well, and repeat the process until the muscle soreness goes away.
How Often You Should Do This?
For effective results, you can massage your muscles every night before going to bed.
Preventing Sore Muscles
Sore muscles are common and hard to prevent if you workout daily. However, you can significantly reduce the risk of getting muscle soreness by taking the following measures.
- Take breaks between the exercise.
- Stay hydrated by drinking water before and after the workout.
- Change your exercise routine slowly.
- Use a foam roller after the workout to relax your muscles.
- Take seven hours of sleep to relax, it provides the rest your muscle needs.
- Do light exercise the next day, after a heavy workout.
Precautions To Consider
Before using castor oil for sore muscles, do consider the following precautions.
- Always use cold-pressed, organic, and hexane-free castor oil from a trusted brand.
- Consult with your doctor if the sore muscle pain intensifies and becomes unbearable.
Final Thoughts
Coming to the conclusion, castor oil is an excellent remedy for curing muscle soreness. It penetrates deeper into the muscles and reduces the inflammation with its therapeutic properties.