It is without a doubt the most common ailment out there is soreness or pain somewhere in the body. The most common of this problem is probably going to be muscle pain. Let’s discuss herbal and home remedies for pain and soreness.

The reason pain and soreness most of the time go hand in hand is because in herbal or Chinese medicine both are manifesting from the same problem, blockage! Whether you are talking about muscle pain, constricted muscle, pain anywhere, joint pain, back pain there is a blockage of Qi and blood to the area. This can cause coldness to set in the area, healing not to happen, area not getting nutrition it needs.

Blockage can happen several different ways. Self inflicted by working out and causing tearing of the muscle (normal), areas not getting used so circulation is low, coldness constricting the area, the body using self protecting mechanisms to contract and hold muscles, and many more. Most of the time all of these problems can be handled with herbs that move Qi and blood, including general pain or syndrome pain like fibromyalgia.

Wei Ling Xian / Clematis – Is an herb actually that is categorized to open blockages from what is called wind – damp or Bi syndrome (a problem that manifests similar to arthritis or other joint pain). Wei Ling Xian is an herb that regardless of category has a special focus on helping with pain. This is mainly thanks to its invigorating properties or movement properties. Wei Ling Xian can be used internally, soaks, liniments, poultices and more.

Dang Gui / Angelica Sinensis – Dan Gui (Chinese Angelica) is used as a tonic (blood tonic more specifically) and is heavily used in Chinese Medicine. I want to use Dang Gui as an example because it has a bit different use. Dan Gui also moves blood and is used in many external applications to move blood to an area, but it also has a soothing effect on the area. For example, Dang Gui is found in balms to help with burns and such. As you can see a bit different than Wei Ling Xian, Dang Gui can handle a bit different of pain. Externally used Dan Gui is very versatile; if you are wanting mostly the invigorating properties you should use the TAIL of the herb, or Dang Gui Wei.

Mo Yao & Ru Xiang / Myrrh & Frankincense – These two herbs deserve a part in this post because they are so widely used and respected for their invigorating properties. You will find Mo Yao and Ru Xiang in many formulas, especially external, for pain and blockage. Externally they make the base of most liniments and such, when taken internally a tincture is more common and low dosage is normal. You will find many arthritis patients that are seeking alternative medicine taking a tincture of these tree resins. Last great thing to say about Myrrh and Frankincense is they are quite inexpensive. I also realize that while I really never mention exotic herbs on here, some of the herbs I talk about aren’t easy to get unless you order online or go to a Chinese Herb Shop. Myrrh and Frankincense can be found even at most health food stores, so sourcing these 2 herbs should be easy for anyone.

San Qi / Tien Qi – Here we go again, my 1 Herb To Rule Them All. San Qi easily fits into this category for many reasons. San Qi reduces swelling, stops bleeding, invigorates the blood, and warms. You can see an almost complete package for pain relief but more commonly soreness and acute trauma. San Qi is in about every good external formula, but care should be taken internally especially if pregnant.

For most applications of these herbs a decoction is okay and easy to do. 3-9g of each herb can be taken in a decoction daily. Externally applied poultices can be made easily by making an even stronger decoction and applying externally with a cloth. Tinctures can be made as a 4 ounce herb to 500 ml of alcohol and soaked for 2-4 weeks. Liniments are by far the most potent and useful for soreness. Liniments are bit more complicated with herb dosages and amounts and soaked for 6 months to a few years. Therefore, liniments are best bought pre-made from a reputable seller.

Dimmak Herbs has many herbal liniments for externally treating many ailments. For soreness I would recommend Dimmak ‘19’ Liniment as it is a complicated formula that is very warming and makes soreness better on contact! Visit Dimmak Herbs’ Herbal Liniment Section to look over all the liniments you should ever need.

Balms are familiar to most people, they are jelly or wax bases used for a variety of problems. Tiger Balm is a popular balm or ointment that people use for external soreness. Here is what I like about Tiger Balm. Tiger Balm uses some of its Chinese roots to create a very popular balm, rather than Western over the counter applications that use a small percentage of menthol in a jelly base. What I like about Dimmak Herbs’ Ageless Sinew Butter is that it uses an HERBAL blend that is infused into the oil based balm. Then the balm adds a good percentage of essential oils like Cajuput & Cassia. Tiger Balm is just 3 essential oils in a jelly base. Our balm gives you the most luxury feeling thanks to Shea and Mango Butters!