Leave the towel on for 20 minutes or so, up to three times a day, until your soreness improves.
Have a hot bath. Have a hot shower. Go in a hot tub. Go in a steam room. Go in a sauna.
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water (at least 8 cups a day). Prolonged exposure to heat can cause dehydration so it’s important to drink ample water. [3] X Research source Be careful not to burn yourself. Check the temperature of the hot towel before using or, if you are using a heating pad or hot water bottle, you should wrap it in a towel or cloth prior to use to ensure you do not burn your skin. [4] X Trustworthy Source University of Rochester Medical Center Leading academic medical center in the U. S. focused on clinical care and research Go to source Check your skin for blistering. If this occurs, or you experience pain, remove the compress. Your body will generally tell you when things are too hot.
Muscle pain commonly occurs in over-worked muscles due to the build-up of something called lactic acid. [6] X Trustworthy Source University of Rochester Medical Center Leading academic medical center in the U. S. focused on clinical care and research Go to source Lactic acid is a metabolic by-product of challenging workouts (or challenging sports games), and you need to increase the blood flow to the sore muscle in order to clear the lactic acid out. [7] X Trustworthy Source University of Rochester Medical Center Leading academic medical center in the U. S. focused on clinical care and research Go to source Note that if you have chronically sore muscles, heat prior to working out (or prior to a sports event) can help to ease any pain you may feel during the activity itself. [8] X Trustworthy Source University of Rochester Medical Center Leading academic medical center in the U. S. focused on clinical care and research Go to source
Pay attention to the dosage. Even though these are topical treatments, they can be absorbed systemically, and dosage needs to be acknowledged and followed. Be careful not to apply medicated creams to broken or damaged skin. See your physician if your pain persists longer than a couple of weeks after trying these topical treatments.
Note that capsaicin may take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks (applied once daily) to become effective in terms of pain relief. [13] X Research source If you are going to try this method, stick to it for this time frame before coming to any conclusions about whether or not it works for you.
If there is something more serious going on, you will want to know about it sooner than later so that you can treat the injury properly before it gets any worse.
