According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 50 million Americans suffer from joint pain, muscle pain and arthritis. It can be caused by a number of different things such as age, gender, weight, injuries and infections. While joint and muscle pain can be treated with many different pain medications -- over-the-counter pain medications, corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and topical creams and ointments -- many people are turning to alternative methods for pain management. Two natural alternatives are cherries and almond extract or oil.
Cherries
Cherries are a fruit that can be available year-round in the form of fresh, dried or frozen fruit, or juice. They are filled with antioxidants called anthocyanins and provide health benefits such as reducing inflammation, belly fat and total cholesterol. Cherries are beneficial if you suffer from heart disease, arthritis and gout. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a half-cup serving of cherries has 224 calories and provides 56 mg of calcium, 428 mg of potassium and 378 mg of vitamin A.
Almond Extract
Almond extract or almond oil is obtained from the dried kernels of the almond tree and is a widely used oil for massage therapy. It is a great moisturizer and a fast-penetrating oil that provides excellent lubrication for massaging the skin. It has natural anti-inflammatory properties. A massage oil for muscle pain can be made from a combination of oils from ginger, cinnamon, cajuput, chamomile and almond oil.
Joint and Muscle Pain
While almond extract oil creates a great topical application for joint and muscle pain, cherries provide a dietary supplement that can aid in the reduction of muscle and joint pain. According to Oregon Health and Science University, tart cherry juice is a safe and natural way to treat muscle pain and inflammation. Researchers from the university tested the consumption of cherry juice for pain on runners participating in Oregon's Hood to Coast Relay, a 197-mile race from Mount Hood to Seaside, Oregon. A group of runners were given cherry juice for the week preceding the race as well as race day. Those runners who received the cherry juice reported less pain than the runners who received a placebo drink.
Considerations
While almond extract oil is usually well tolerated by most people, use caution if you have an allergy to nuts. It can cause an allergic reaction to those with nut allergies. Cherries for the most part are a very safe fruit to consume; however, there is one catch. You have to make sure you don't eat the pit found inside the cherry. A cherry pit, if crushed or chewed, can produce prussic acid, or hydrogen cyanide, and is poisonous.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Arthritis; October 20, 2010
- Oregon Health and Science University: Tart Cherry Juice Reduces Muscle Pain and Inflammation; July 7, 2010
- United States Department of Agriculture: Cherries, Dried, Red Tart, Pitted, 4 LB; May 11, 2007
- Birch Hill Happenings: Aromatherapy Recipes Using Essential Oils for Massage
- Esoteric Oils: Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus Amygdalus Var. Dulcis)
- Almond Oil Massage: Almond Oil Massage
