recommend me topical muscle-pain relief

[kate_nepveu]

For extremely tight muscles: menthol, menthol and camphor, or capsaicin? Bonus if you can vouch for non-stinky brands.

(No Aspercreme or equivalent.)

Comments

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

Bathtub with epsom salts?

[kate_nepveu]

Not one of the options! Please to be reading the request, thx.

(Hot baths are Not Allowed for pregnant women, because you might cook the fetus.)

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

OOF I didn't know that! eeep sorry.

(and the question mark was to connote "why wasn't this one of the options?")

Can't really recommend anything else... except to say that I like the smell of mint. not that that matters on several levels.

[kate_nepveu]

(and the question mark was to connote "why wasn't this one of the options?")

Ah. Say that, next time? And I will say, "out of only these," and we will all have communicated a little more clearly!

[papersky.livejournal.com]

I am so glad I only found this out now!

[kate_nepveu]

Since Z seems entirely uncooked, I'll just point to the "might"!

(Apparently the raise in core body temperature needs to be to about 101, 102 F; I have no sense of what that feels like and anyway am not much inclined to baths, so never bothered to try and figure it out.)

[avitzur.livejournal.com]

I use arnica. It is aromatic, though. To be honest, I've never been able to discern whether the benefit derives from the helenalins, or just from the massage and heat applying it.

[kate_nepveu]

I don't know that one from looking at ingredient lists in CVS; what's it in?

[avitzur.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I get the extract at the local farmers market. As it's herbal, it's pretty much unregulated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnica

[avitzur.livejournal.com]

Reading a little more online, there are mixed reports on whether or not it is considered safe to use even topically when pregnant.

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks for doing the extra reading. Since it wasn't one of the ones I explicitly cleared w/my doctor today, I was probably going to skip it anyway.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Arnica is very popular is Spain for sore muscles and sprains.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Capsaicin is good for me. Avoid ANYTHING with wintergreen listed as an ingredient.

I like Capszasin-P:

http://www.amazon.com/Capzasin-P-Analgesic-035-Percent-Capsaicin-1-5-Ounce/dp/B000FKGHBQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1208901181&sr=1-2

The extra-strength (not shown here) is best.

DO wash wash wash your hands after applying.

[kate_nepveu]

Why not wintergreen?

Thanks.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Because that's the horrible aromatic scent you're trying to avoid. Think Ben-Gay.

[kate_nepveu]

Cool, thanks.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

I'd second that.

[leighdb.livejournal.com]

I always favored a plain old heating pad, myself. Always worked better than any of that topical Icy-Hot-ish stuff for me.

That's for shoulder/back/leg pain, though. If we're talking about pregnant belly muscles, I don't know whether applying heat directly to the area is recommended.

[kate_nepveu]

Hips, actually; sleeping on my sides exacerbates my hip bursitus like a mad thing. I'm getting PT (aka "torture") but would like something to do at home after stretches and, particularly, before bed, if it might possibly dull the pain enough to let me get to sleep faster.

Heat and ice on my hips seem to be okay, though I'll be keeping the heat limited.

[leighdb.livejournal.com]

Hmm, well, bursitis is different from strained/knotted muscles, from the little I know of it. A cursory Google leads to various WebMD-ish sites, all of which recommend ice rather than heat to relieve the symptoms.

I personally alternated between heat and cold for my back problems, which worked well for me. Cold to numb the pain, then heat to relax the muscles. Half the problem is other muscles adjacent to the problem knotting up in sympathy.

I suppose a cortisone shot is out of the question?

[kate_nepveu]

Fuck, I forgot to ask about cortisone. Well, I have another appt in two weeks, and anyway I'd probably wait until at least then to see how PT is doing.

(I've had them in the past and they helped some, *except* for the time when an idiot masseuse leaned hard on the tight muscles around it, which I think caused them to seize up so much that it undid the good effect; so I'm dubious whether one would help since I'd have to keep sleeping on that spot.)

My PT hit the spot today that I thought was the bursa, which has been causing me pain when I sleep on it, but she said it wasn't, the bursa is way too far down and it was the muscles. She said alternating ice & heat was okay for inflammation generally, though.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

As far as heat goes, I've been very happy with the ThermaCare air-activated disposable heating pads. Some of 'em (the menstrual ones, I think) you adhere directly to the skin, others to the clothes over the affected area, either way you get an isolated heat source.

[kate_nepveu]

Oh, I love those for menstrual pain.

I meant to say that I was going to avoid those because they do tend to raise my body temperature generally, though I've never checked how much; but if body temperature isn't a concern, they *rock*.

[leighdb.livejournal.com]

If you really want to make it easy on yourself and don't mind spending a little cash, I highly recommend an automatic cold therapy cooler/pad system, like this one (http://www.cszmedical.com/products/localizedcold/portablecold.htm).

It may seem a little frivolous, but my mother has one and dude, that thing was a lifesaver last Christmas when I wrenched my back right before flying home. Much, much less problematic than dealing with ice packs all the time.

Hope you feel better, whatever you end up doing.

[kate_nepveu]

I may recommend that to my mom, who has back issues . . .

Thanks.

[missysedai.livejournal.com]

NOT Capzacin-HP if your skin is in the slightest bit sensitive.

I had an exceedingly unpleasant experience (http://missysedai.livejournal.com/258975.html).

Though I've yet to find something non-stinky, I find menthol very helpful when dealing with RA flares.

[kate_nepveu]

Right, I'll avoid that for the moment. Thanks.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Tiger Balm uses camphor and menthol. It's quite effective, but stinky and makes the area feel very hot. Worth trying if you've never tried it; a lot of people swear by it.

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks; now that you say it, I remember seeing people recommend it.

[readinggeek451]

Tiger Balm (menthol and camphor) is wonderful, but as noted quite stinky. CVS Muscle Rub cream (menthol) is also quite good, but it, too, is rather smelly. I find the CVS cream to have a more pleasant odor; Tiger Balm smells of mothballs. When working, they both give a sensation I can only describe as a cold burn. Not unpleasant, but odd.

[kate_nepveu]

Thanks. I'm probably going to start with the purportedly non-stinky menthol creams. My PT used some Icy-Hot this morning and yeah, cold burn was pretty much it.

[janni.livejournal.com]

If you can find a place that's affordable, massage. :-) Which I believe can be done in ways that are pregnancy-safe. (At least according to the local massage school where I get occasional massages.)

[kate_nepveu]

I get my torture from a physical therapist. =>

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

I'm a fan of general bog-standard Deep Cold-style liniments. They're what I used to use when I was fighting.

At the same time, I have no idea what the active ingredients were. And I prefered a hot bath followed by a standard amateur massage, when I could get it. So I'm really not helpful, here.

[kate_nepveu]

Sounds like menthol, probably, if they give a cold feeling. Thanks.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Tiger balm is menthol and camphor and works fine and is perfectly safe when pregnant (but I had hot baths too, fortunately not knowing I shouldn't) but it smells very strongly and gets on the sheets.

[kate_nepveu]

I specifically cleared menthol & camphor with the doctor. =>