Self-Treating Stiff and Sore Muscles

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Jan, 2001 by Michael Blate

Then, particularly with leg cramps, or "charley horse," I'd also trigger G-Jo point #115. This point is located on the face, in the so-called "philtrum," or indented area centered between the bottom of the nose and the top of the upper lip. Pinching and massaging this tiny spot when a leg cramp strikes, or is about to, has saved me from wrenching agony more times than I care to remember.

Another good friend is the homeopathic remedy, arnica montana. I've come to keep a large, economy-sized bottle of both 6X and 30X arnica readily available on my nightstand, for those occasional nights I suspect I might be awakened with the feeling of crampiness in my legs. This is a common problem for me after a morning of heavy lifting -- I nearly always pay for my overexertion at bedtime.

But four or five of these tiny "sugar pills," repeated a couple of times over a ten-minute span, does literal wonders...especially if I'm too tired to trigger my G-Jo points as deeply as needed.

When I first began using homeopathic remedies, back in the mid70's, they were arcane and had to be ordered directly from the manufacturers, in most cases. Today, even my local farm supply store carries homeopathic remedies -- for horses, no less! -- as do most drugstores and nearly every health food emporium in America.

Admittedly, by most Americans' standards, I am at the outer fringes of my useful life. Those of my age group -- those who can afford it-- would hardly be taking on the chore of developing a labor-intensive eco-farm, such as I am doing. Instead, they'd be retiring to the golfing meccas of Scottsdale or Fort Lauderdale (from whence I recently departed) to end their days deteriorating in luxury and worrying about the stock market.

I feel certain that the self-health and wellness techniques I have used for most of my adult years -- and continue to use -- are responsible for the creative optimism that's still so much a part of my life. For although I may go to bed aching and sore, nonetheless I arise the next morning nearly always pain-free...and always looking forward to the new day ahead.

Michael Blate is Executive Director of The G-Jo Institute, a natural health educational organization he co-founded in 1976. He is the author of more than 20 books on natural healing; and since 1978, he has appeared on nearly 2000 radio and TV talk shows to share self-health information and techniques. For a free, illustrated Special Report on the healing benefits of G-Jo Acupressure, please contact: The G-Jo Institute, P.O. Box 1460 Dept. T, Columbus, North Carolina 28722 USA, 828863-2872; www.g-jo.com.