I’m writing this blog post from the perspective of someone who must fight muscle pain and inflammation on a daily basis. I am not a medical professional, nor should anything here be taken as medical advice. This is just me, as a fellow sufferer of pain, exploring what does and doesn’t work for me; and what I’ve found helpful. What works for me may not work for you–and vice versa.
In order to successfully fight pain, it’s helpful to know that pain is our body’s warning system to announce that our bodies are taking damage, and warn us to stop before the damage is irreversible. This is a good thing!

One of my favorite places to walk to fight muscle pain: light frequent exercise helps me fight muscle pain and soreness.
However, there are circumstances under which it is very frustrating to have pain.
“Yeah, so I worked out and I’m not used to that, and now all my muscles are spasming and I hurt all over. I did something good for my body. Why is it complaining?”
AND then there’s fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis, and other mystery illnesses where excruciating pain develops for no discernible reason. I do not have fibromyalgia, but I have a lot of friends suffering from it, and I am very sympathetic because I can also sometimes have debilitating pain all over my body thanks to chemical sensitivities. Not knowing why you’re in pain can also be the very worst: if we know why we’re in pain, then we’re half way to fixing it. Not knowing why makes it almost impossible to fix.
What I’ve learned about successfully fighting pain:
- There is never “no reason” that pain occurs. There is always at least one reason! To successfully treat muscle pain, it’s important to find out what is causing it. (more about this further down)
- Fibromyalgia is a “junk drawer” diagnosis. So’s R.A. An MD can tell you that you have fibromyalgia or R.A., but will he explore the reasons or discover the cause or give you an action plan for healing? Most likely not! (you need a natural healer to help you do that)
- I like to use Boiron Arnica gel on sore muscles and bruises, but while I’ve found it useful, the results haven’t always been consistent.
- I can’t depend entirely on just one treatment or therapy for relief. I’ve had to explore all of my options.
- Find what works for you.
Pain can be caused by our bodies not receiving the proper nutrients to repair tissues.
Two of the most important nutrients that our muscles need in order not to ache or cramp are:
- calcium
- potassium
We need to take the right calcium though, or it isn’t as effective. Calcium lactate is what muscle cells need in order to effect daily repairs. I’ve had to source new supplements with calcium lactate in them more than once. If I take enough calcium lactate, my muscles function better, my S/I joint pops out of joint far less often, and I’m in a lot less pain. If you’re looking for a good calcium supplement, make sure that it’s readily absorbable (chewables are best), and that it has some calcium lactate in it for your muscles.
Potassium is easy to get from bananas and potatoes. A banana a day keeps that ol’ Charlie Horse away! Organic is always better–
In order to enable the proper absorption of calcium, a supplement needs to have some magnesium in it. But be careful: too much magnesium, and you’ll get the runs! Some people are more sensitized to it than others. The type of magnesium compound matters as well. .I can’t take magnesium citrate. It wreaks too much havoc. Fortunately, there are other magnesium compounds that I tolerate.
Did you know that Omega 3 oils are also important for promoting muscle health and pain reduction? It’s true!
Hot Tip: they’re also very good for reducing menstrual cramping and other symptoms of PMS including crabbiness!
Omega 3 is obtained from fish oil. Anchovies and sardines are a high quality source for fish oil, krill oil is even better, but has become very expensive. I used to say salmon was good, too, but that was before Monsanto created the frankenfish cross between a salmon and an eel. Unless you eat a lot of quality, wild caught non-frankenfish salmon (because you’re living in Alaska), you’ll probably want to take a supplement instead.
Our bodies need Omega 3 oils…
Eating dark leafy greens like Swiss chard and kale is also beneficial because they’re rich in iron.
Now, maybe you’re already doing most or all of this, but you’re still in pain. Sometimes, there are serious medical reasons underlying our pain that must be dealt with on another level.
For instance, if your body can’t break down and process nutrients, you won’t derive any benefit from any amount of dietary supplementation–and–you will still be in pain. This is why it’s helpful to develop a working relationship with a naturopath or a doctor who practices functional medicine (chiropractors with additional training).
Naturopaths and functional medical doctors are far better at diagnosing and successfully addressing most issues that cause chronic pain than almost any MD or other allopathic specialist. The big exception would be where surgery is necessary.
The best thing I like about how my naturopath–and now my functional medicine doctor–taught me how to treat my pain is that most of the time, I don’t have any unpleasant side effects from the supplements and therapies they’ve recommended. If I have a bad reaction to something, I can stop taking it and we look for something better that doesn’t cause trouble.
I can’t tolerate most pharmaceuticals. It’s very difficult to find pharmaceuticals that don’t cause side effects and don’t have bad drug interactions, even for “normal” people!
Therapies used to treat muscles aches and pains that I’ve found helpful for my own pain:
- massage therapy
- DIY hot rocks massage
- DIY ice cube massage
Finding a massage therapist who makes your muscles feel good can also be a huge help to stopping the pain.
When I lived in Colorado, a massage therapist friend had what I like to call “healing hands.” She’d find just the right pressure points, and–suddenly–the pain would be gone, and it wouldn’t come back again for days, maybe even weeks!
While you may not know my massage therapist or be able to visit her (she lives a long way from me now), making a study of the pressure points to turn off pain may help you and your loved ones learn how to help each other. Here’s a great chart to help you get started.
One of these hand-held massagers may also come in handy. We really love ours and have replaced the batteries more than once since we bought it!
A great trick my massage therapist friend taught me was to heat up palm-sized smooth river rocks in a small crock pot on low to medium heat covered with just enough water. Putting a little olive oil on one of the warm rocks, rub it around in small gentle circles on knots and sore places on muscles: five minutes in each general area. This softens the knots, loosening the pinching around nerves. When the rock cools off, put it aside (not back in the crock pot) and get another. Repeat until all painful spots have been treated.
Wash the oil off the rocks with dish soap and hot water before re-using.
To follow up a hot rock massage, rub an ice cube (or if there’s nerve damage, a cool wet rolled up washcloth) on the knots and sore spots for five minutes each. This stimulates the capillary system in the tissues to wick away the excess fluid from the irritated tissues, taking the knots down like magic! (It’s fun to watch it happen)
More tips for fighting muscle pain:
There’s more I could say, like how soaking in a hot bath with 1 cup Epsom Salts and a few drops of lavender oil can really relax sore muscles, or how a therapist who practices acupuncture can help.
And how regularly eating raw almonds, curry, ginger, and cinnamon (all natural anti-inflammatories) can be a good thing.
Also, how twenty minutes of steady walking helps cycle lymph through the body one time, which helps raise endorphin levels and fight inflammation. You don’t have to walk fast; you just have to keep going long enough. Walking twenty minutes three times a week can make a real difference–as long as your body is able to handle the exercise.
The important thing, though, is to remember that no matter how much pain you’re in, there is always hope for relief!
Never give up on looking for a solution! If you’re stumped and you don’t know where to look for relief next, it never hurts to ask. If you don’t want to ask me, then–ask your friends and family what they’ve done that works! Ask your co-workers, neighbors… Find someone to ask. Keep on asking until you get answers.
Never, ever give up.
And–last but not least: God is my great Healer. I ask Him for healing and strength, and He has continued to provide me that healing and strength, even when sometimes it’s only enough for one day at a time.
I’m happy to pray for your healing too if you want me to. Feel free to contact me any time!