My muscles have been very achy lately and the internet tells me to do bath soaks with Epsom salts. I understand that warm water helps to relax muscles, but how does salt in the bath help? Do our bodies actually absorb Epsom salt through the skin to a degree that it actually makes a difference, or is it more a relaxing/scent/placebo? What mechanism is happening that the Epsom salts contribute to?
Similar vein: baking soda, magnesium, etc added to baths – do they actually help? What works best?
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It may be a placebo, or it may be that just taking a hot bath with no salt is also effective. I find similar relief from epsom salt baths as I find from spending an afternoon in ocean water. Again— could be a placebo, could be that just the act of being in the ocean (or taking a bath) is soothing so I’m just generally less tense— doesn’t really matter as long as it’s working.
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