There are all sorts of ways in which you can treat sore muscles and bring yourself relief from aches and pains, whether you decide to engage in regular myofascial release, go for deep tissue massages, use a massage gun or take a hot bath… but if it’s massage therapy you’re considering right now, you might want to throw some peppermint oil into the mix as well.
Peppermint oil has menthol in it and this is renowned for having a cooling effect for sore and painful muscles, as well as serving as an analgesic (so it acts to relieve pain) and boasting anti-inflammatory properties, all of which means it could be particularly beneficial if you are feeling the effects of strenuous physical activity at the moment.
When using your oil, make sure that you dilute it with a carrier oil (like olive oil, argan oil or coconut oil) before you apply it to your skin, or you could cause an irritation and make any swelling worse.
It’s also important to make sure that your muscles are as relaxed as possible when massaging affected areas. This can be difficult to achieve if you are in a lot of pain, so focus on your breathing and aim to go deeper with your massage pressure when you exhale.
What you might prefer is to go and see a professional massage therapist if you’re feeling particularly sore and immobile. Massaging yourself may be hard and you may not be able to fully relax enough in order to ease out all the knots, so booking an appointment with the Clear Physio team could help get you back to full fitness more quickly.
If you’d like to find out more about our massage therapy practices, get in touch with the team today.