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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I take it orally in powder or pill form but read transdermal is best so I take the baths or lotions/oil. I need this mineral for extended fasts
It definitely makes me fall asleep when I get out. And nothing does
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Ice baths! I used to run ultra-marathons and nothing helped sore legs more than a 2-3 min dunk in an ice bath.
That, or a good foam roll.
Makes my skin feel soft. You can get epsom salts that smell good too.
My mom told me to soak in them when I had excruciating lower back/upper butt pain.
That didn’t work, so she let me get underage drunk on wine because it was Thanksgiving and she couldn’t get me into a doctor that day, even if she wanted to.
It definitely made me not care as much about the pain. My mom is not much of a drinker either, so it was surprising.
It turned out to be a pilonidal cyst. She couldn’t have done any better for me unless she wanted to lance that bitch herself.
Moms always have the best “I’m not sure what to do” remedies haha.
Sitz baths! After the last year of medical issues and doctors visits I can say for a fact I don’t know how tf it works, but it does. At least three different doctors have recommended them to me; one for cysts and another for matrixectomy post op care. Most women after giving birth also do them to help relieve pain and speed up healing. I’ve used it mainly for pain relief but to help with draining of infection. I work on my feet and for the hell of it decided to only soak one foot after work and boy it was like night and day. My bones and joints ache pretty frequently due to my line of work so Epsom salt soaks have become a part of my routine.
There’s much controversy so I’ll tell you the things it does for sure.
1. Prevents pruning. An Epsom salt bath prunes the skin less, or not at all. So you can spend longer in it. Even if the only benefit is from warmth, extending that time is beneficial.
2.. increasing density. By making the water denser, you float more. This takes some weight off your joints while soakiing. Most bath tubs are a piss poor excuse and impossible to stretch out in, floating better helps.
Dr. Teals Epsom body wash seems to help more than non Epsom. Don’t know why but I keep a bottle in the shower for days I feel I need the relief.
One thing that definitely helps me and my sore crampy muscles is equal parts of magnesium flakes and water heated up until magnesium melts. Add any oil/smell in it, store it in a glass spray bottle and spray when needed. Every night is a good option too
This is just my own, non-formally educated scientific opinion, but I think there’s a rational explanation for why studies done on Epsom Salt baths are so conflicted: the people who see results from Epsom Salt baths are accidentally introducing bathwater into their rectums, and absorbing magnesium through their rectal lining.
Yhe high salinity of the water attracts excess water away from areas of swelling, reducing inflammation.
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