Muscle Relaxant - Natural Muscle Relaxants
Natural muscle relaxants have been around for quite some time - European explorers who visited the Amazon Jungle in the 16th century were intrigued to discover the natives using poison darts to induce muscle paralysis. Today, we know this poison as curare and its active ingredient - tubocurarine, along with its various derivatives - was important in developing muscle relaxants.
Muscle relaxants like Soma -- also known as skeletal muscle relaxants - not only relax the body's muscles, they also help to reduce stiffness and pain. They don't actually heal injuries; rather they prevent muscle spasms and generally relieve pain and discomfort. Some relaxants are also used to treat fibromyalgia, a condition that results in aches, stiff joints and fatigue.
Over the counter muscle relaxants are available in Canada, but not the United States, although you can purchase them online in the US without a prescription. It's actually illegal to buy, attempt to buy or use muscle relaxants without a prescription written by a doctor based in your country - you also run the risk of purchasing a substandard or a dangerous product.
Many products used as natural muscle relaxants can be found in your local health food store or garden store. Many are common plants or herbs that give the same results as prescription muscle relaxants, but which avoid many of the side effects; in fact most natural relaxants are safe and effective, although some should not be taken by women who are pregnant or breast feeding.
Catnip doesn't just satisfy your cat, its oil can also be used as a natural relaxant for muscle spasms or tension, as well as helping to relieve colic, menstrual cramps and swelling of the joints. Several other plants are also effective - valerian, bergamot, basil and caraway. Valerian has been used since medieval times and is particularly effective in alleviating tension in the neck.
The medicinal benefits of St. John's Wort are well known in treating not only muscle pain and spasms, but for treating many other maladies - insect bites, malaria, ulcers, sleep disorders and depression. St. John's Wort is easy to find in pharmacies, health food stores as well as on line and it can be digested in several ways.
Kava is also effective as a natural muscle relaxant and has been grown and used in the South Pacific for hundreds of years. There's also some evidence that it is effective as an aid in the improvement of memory and concentration. Kava is considered to be generally safe to use, although people can experience side effects including an allergic reaction; it also should not be used with alcohol.
Natural muscle relaxants are also effective in relieving back pain; they not only relieve the pain but can also lead to increased mobility and long term improvement. Around 35% of those suffering from mild back pain are prescribed a muscle relaxant, although there can often be side effects including nausea, blurry vision, drowsiness and headaches; for this reason many physicians are reluctant to prescribe them.
If you are taking any natural muscle relaxant, always consult your physician first. Be particularly cautious if you are taking other medication as well.