Neck Pain Therapy with Epsom Salt

Epsom salts are available at most grocery stores and pharmacies around the world. Used to treat bruises, sprains and sore muscles all over the body, Epsom salts can be especially helpful when dealing with neck pain. Whether you simply carry your worries and stress in your neck muscles or are suffering from an injury, Epsom salts can help to alleviate the pain.

Ways to Use Epsom Salts

• Sprinkle Epsom salts into a hot bath to help muscles to relax, reducing stress and pain in your neck muscles. Fill a bathtub with hot water, and add 2 to 4 cups of Epsom salts to the water. Swirl it around with your hands, then climb in. Soak for at least 20 minutes.

  If you are having trouble getting the water to your neck, soak a clean cloth or towel in the bathwater and rest it on your neck as a compress.

  A number of products made with Epsom salts will treat pain in your neck. These products combine the power of Epsom salts with other ingredients, such as methyl salicylate, which is used in many muscle rubs to heat and relax muscles, and capsicum (also know as cayenne pepper), an anti-inflammatory.
  Most of these medicines are in the form of a gel or a lotion. Rub directly on the affected area as needed for relief from pain.

Why It Works

• Epsom salts contains magnesium sulfate, which removes toxins from the body. It also draws lactic acid out of the muscles. Lactic acid is formed when muscles are tense or overused; when your muscles are sore after a long day of walking or a heavy workout, it's because of a buildup of lactic acid.

  Magnesium can also have an anti-inflammatory effect on muscles in the neck, reducing painful swelling and tenseness. Sulfates increase the productivity of digestion and metabolic processes, which helps to remove toxins as well.