Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
There are many causes and types of pain with even more ways to deal with them.
Every student of Chinese Medicine has the phrase “Tong zi bu tong, zi tong bu tong” drilled into their brain from day one of school. It means,
“If there is free flow, there is no pain. If there is pain, there is a lack of free flow.”
This helps to simplify pain and narrows our focus to figuring out what is not flowing freely so that we can free it.
Since there are many reasons and locations for pain, I will focus on the easiest type of pain to relieve at home: muscle pain.
Here are three tools to relieve your pain from home!
1) Heat
Most muscular pain can be attributed to repeating the same motions or staying in the same posture for too long, such as sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day. Heat is the rapid movement of molecules, when we want to unstick a painful muscle or joint, apply heat to the area and see if it feels better or worse.
If it feels better, **regularly apply a heat pad to the area throughout the day. When the area is nice and warm, gently move and stretch the area to regain range of motion. **
In TCM we tend to dislike cold as it constricts blood vessels and thus inhibits the blood flow we need to heal. We go so far as to have the saying “Ice is for dead people,” meaning that only the dead need to be cold, everyone else needs heat!
If there is an acute injury that would benefit from cold rather than heat, we use the formula “San Huang San” or “Three Yellow Powder” to make an “herbal ice” to apply topically to the injury. This formula is called herbal ice because it is composed of three very cold herbs that are used to reduce inflammation. However, they also move blood through the injury! **In this brilliant way, the ancient martial artists who masterminded this solution could avoid the damage caused by ice while accomplishing a better therapeutic effect! **
2) Self Massage
Another great way to reset muscles is with self-massage. Buy or find a ‘trigger point self-massager,’ often called a “Thera cane.” Or buy or find a lacrosse ball.
With self-massage, it can feel great to dig into painful spots on your back and shoulders. However, please exercise caution and do not hurt yourself more. Once you have loosened up an area, leave it alone for the day.
There are two ways to get the most out of self-massage with a lacrosse ball.
The first method is to lay on the ground with the ball under a meaty area of your back (avoid putting the ball on your spine, it does not feel good). Then roll the ball around until you find a sore point. Once you find a painful spot, stop rolling and stay in that spot, breathing as the muscle unwinds. After some tension has been relieved, move the muscle through a range of motion while keeping the ball in the same position.
For example, if I have the ball located medially to my scapula and lateral to my T4 vertebra (on the trapezius/rhomboid muscles), I will move my arm through every range of motion I can. The muscles will move against the stationary ball. This can help you to find more ‘sticky’ spots in that area, and it feels great to lengthen those muscles.
Once that spot has been released, continue to the next spot and repeat.
The second method is specific to the upper shoulders and neck area. Find a doorway with a flat surface on either side. Crouch down so that you can hold the ball against the doorway with your upper shoulder at about a 20-degree angle. (Your head should be through the doorway while your shoulder and the ball remain at the threshold). Apply pressure by using your own weight to press the ball into the upper aspect of your trapezius (the space between the bottom of your neck and the start of your arm).
Move the ball around to find sore points and release them with pressure and by moving your arm. Be gentle with your neck, it is okay to massage the muscles but do not vigorously attack them.
A bonus method is to massage the bottom of your feet with the lacrosse ball. Our feet take a lot of punishment with bearing our weight all day. From a seated position, roll the ball back and forth on the bottom of your foot with some of your bodyweight pressing down into the ball. Again, be gentle as it is easy to over massage this area.
3) Topicals
When all else fails and we need additional help, use a topical application to relieve pain.
One of my favorite discoveries is magnesium foam. Magnesium is needed at a physiological level for muscles to relax. I typically take supplemental magnesium bisglycinate at night to counteract the hours I spend at the computer and the stress-induced jaw clenching I do at night.
When I really need focused relief, I apply magnesium foam to my shoulders and neck. Also, magnesium foam is perfect to use on muscles that need to take a break. When my partner’s forearms are tight and painful after typing all day, massaging magnesium foam into the area helps relieve the tension.
When a larger area needs relief, I like to use an herbal liniment to massage into an area.
My favorite right now is “Relief and Recovery” by Bamboo Pharmacy. It has a strong mint scent but it does not leave a sticky residue on the hands like other topicals I have used in the past. The herbal extracts are suspended in an oil carrier so its best to wash your hands immediately after applying.
To use this topical, pour about a dime’s size worth of oil into the palm of one hand, then apply to the painful area. Massage it into the skin and the most painful spots. Continue to massage the area until it feels warm to the touch.
Do not expose the massaged area to cold wind or cold water for at least an hour to allow the muscle to remain warm and open to absorb the herbal extracts.
There we have three ways to self-care those aches and pains away from the comfort of your own home. If you have any questions or if a direction seems unclear, feel free to message me or leave a comment!