Have you been searching for way to soothe your shoulder pain with having to use prescriptions? There are a few things you can do, whether the pain is caused from a mild injury, muscle strain, or simply stress. One natural treatment is a salve called Tiger Balm.
History
The balm was originally prepared for Chinese emperors who suffered from muscle pain. Though the ingredients had been used for many years before, Aw Chu Kin, a Chinese herbalist, developed the final formula with all natural ingredients in the early 1900s. He gave it the name Tiger Balm, after his son Aw Boon Haw, whose name translated to Tiger. With the help of both his two sons, they marketed the new formula and became very successful.
Ingredients
The active ingredients that make Tiger Balm successful are camphor and menthol. Other ingredients include clove oil, cajuput oil, and a natural petroleum base. Combined, these ingredients create a warming effect that penetrates the aching muscle and causes it to relax.
There are two types of Tiger Balm you can buy. One is white, with mint oil. The other is the original formula. It is orange and has a warm cinnamon scent. It contains no animal products and is not tested on animals, which makes it vegan friendly!
Benefits
One of the greatest benefits of using Tiger Balm is that it is all-natural. It contains no strange chemicals that cannot be pronounced, and was not created in a lab run by a pharmaceutical company. The oils and herbs used in the balm work naturally with your body's own chemistry to help heal itself. Other benefits include no prescriptions and no side effects. Many prescription muscle relaxers to treat shoulder pain can make you feel less alert, and make it more difficult to complete regular daily tasks. Tiger Balm works at the site of the pain, without interfering with the rest of your body.
How to Use It
Just as you would with a conventional over-the-counter cream pain reliever, you simply put a dime-sized amount of the balm on your fingers and rub it into the skin on your shoulder where the muscle pain is located. After three to five minutes, you will start to feel your skin get warm as the ache begins to lessen. It can be used as often as needed.
Where to Find It
Tiger Balm is fairly easy to come by. Though you may not be able to find it at your local grocery store in the medicine aisle, most major commercial pharmacies will have it in stock in the pain relief section. The original white formula usually comes in a small one-half-ounce glass jar and can range in price from $6 to $10, depending on where you shop.
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