The traditional way to combat muscle pain is to apply ice to the sore areas and take anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen. However, one little known way to relieve muscle pain is to apply gel made from the Arnica plant.
Arnica gel is made from the roots of the Arnica Montana species of the plant, which is native to Europe. The roots of this plant are processed into a gel that can be easily applied to sore muscles. It is thought that substances within the root held to dilate the subcutaneous blood capillaries in the body and promote healing.
Originally known as Leopard’s Bane, the positive benefits of the Arnica plan were first discovered in the 16th century. The German philosopher Goethe, who lived from 1749-1832, wrote about the positive effects of the plant.
There is some debate about whether Arnica actually helps muscles. Some studies have found that Arnica is ineffective in relieving muscle pain, while other studies have found that applying Arnica does help decrease muscle pain.
It is difficult to know what to make of these conflicting studies. However, it you have muscle pain after running it would not hurt to experiment that see if the gel actually helps you recover. I have had positive experiences each of the times that I used Arnica to treat muscle pain.
