Modern Vespa

After last week's spill I finally broke down and broke out the Bengay muscle rub. What a soothing difference for the sore spots! So I got to wondering if perhaps other riders find themselves reaching for this sort of quick relief.

Am I off-base here, or do people go through tubes of this stuff each year?

yes, but not because of riding.... i use lashings of Deep Heat and Ibuprophen gel after capoeira practice.

muscle relief

I am a fan of some stuff called "White Flower"

It is just the active ingredients, menthol and mint oil without the cream base.

Kinda the "nuclear option", but kinda smelly compared to other options. You end up smelling like you work in a candy cane factory. Not unpleasant, but strong.


Another is a China Gel, it is the same but is in the really cool AreoGel that just melts into the skin with no oiliness. Really strong scent that fades pretty fast.

A product I use a lot for aches and pains is Traumeel cream (the tablets don't do anything). I was recommended to me by my physician and and I find it in the health food store or alternative pharmacy. It works wonders for both my wife and I.
best
Miguel

i had some mad stuff from an african shop that probably had all sorts of illegal ingredients in it but worked a treat. it was best not to breathe too deeply whilst applying it, as it tended to irritate the sinuses... and it did leave a bit of a red rash on the skin... but boy it was dandy for aching muscles.

Tiger Balm ... nothing better ... honest! http://www.tigerbalm.com/

Arnica gel from the homeopathic medicine shop! Sadly, it's best applied before the bruise or muscle aches begin... but it works well after the fact too.

Heal fast so that you are strong for the new year

welcome to the world of getting old. Most all creams do about the same thing, The major factor in the relief is the rubbing/massage action that provides the most relief.

Your replies make me feel better. At least I'm not the only one with the aches and pains. This stuff is very stinky. It smells like I'm in a locker room (full of old men). I'll try those other less-smelly remedies next trip to the pharmacy.

+1 have a large stash here!

+1. I love this stuff for muscle aches.

+1 again. Get serious and get the "ultra." 8)

depends, some injurys need cold instead of heat. I am sure our MV resident doctor Benito can help out lol ps I bought 10 pots of an ice rub from giant tiger in Canada $1 each made in Canada and the best stuff ever

In initial stages of my knee joint work (still underway), I received several TENS (transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulation) unit treatments, and and was so impressed at the pain relief, ordered my own home unit.

Apparently, for some people, this can also cause dumping of mass amounts of endorphins into the brain - I laughed uncontrollably the whole time. Your mileage may vary.

So.... you put this thing on your head?????

Whatever balm and / or medication you need to provide you relief from pain bring it to the attention of your Primary Care Physician, PA or LPN.

As my PCP reminded me "pain is an indicator of something going on and it doesn't "hurt" to tell me about it".

Then again...it could be old age setting in...

Ask your doctor to prescribe you Amrix. It's a muscle relaxer that really takes the edge off. I used it when I went down.

No, but By Gum, that's an excellent suggestion!

Capoeira? Genie, I would not want to piss you off!

Getting old is definitely not for wimps. My mom used to tell me that, I guess as a warning and to make sure I did not mistake her gray hair for anything but an indication of her strength and tenacity (I never did, for the record.)

I am currently in a sling with a bum left shoulder (thank goodness it is not my dominant side, is what the doctor said and I agreed by telling him thank goodness it is not my throttle side! ) I am set up for physical therapy for the next 3 months and a recheck with my orthopedic doc in March. We are hoping to get things strong enough so I can have surgery in the winter of 2011.

Definitely make sure there is not something bigger going on, unexplained pain is not a normal situation. Also, make sure your doc knows about all of the medications that you are taking (for example I take a lot of Ibuprofen, so I have to be careful to take the medicine with plenty of liquids and watch for any signs of GI problems).

If you are doing something that causes you to have lots of muscle pain you might want to talk to someone who can help you to make sure you are adequately warming up and stretching out before the activity and following a nice and gradual cool down time after the activity to ensure you are not stressing the muscles to the danger point.

Good luck,
-v

i play 'angola' style - much slower, more dance-like, and less aggressive than the 'regional' style - which typically involves acrobatic moves, high speed kicks, and occasionally, depending on where/who you are, knives. the first video is angola, the second regionale.

if you piss me off i'll just swear at you

WOW! Never heard of capoeira before. You can do that? Awesome.

Purchase a bottle of the highest proof alcohol you can find, like 151.
Purchase the hottest Habanera Peppers you can find.
Finely dice the Habaneras.
Stuff small; repeat small, glass or plastic bottles with the Habaneras.
Fill the void space in the bottles with the 151.
Let it ferment for 3, 6, 9, 12 months marking the bottles / age.
Dab the liquid solution created on sore muscles / joints for soothing relief.

Best regards

Mike Lynch

Genie,

It looks like a very interesting form of dance/performance. How did you get into it?

a friend introduced me to it about 7 years ago - i was writing my phd dissertation at the time, leading a fairly sedentary lifestyle, and had developed a dreaded 'muffin top'

she dragged me a long to a local group - at first i thought it was all a bit hare krishna (players provide the music, by singing, clapping, and playing on traditional musical instruments) but was slowly drawn in. it's in incredible combination of stupidly vigorous exercise and trance-like relaxation induced by the music.

Looks like it is a great form of exercise to remove the muffin top. I wonder how it works on "bundt-tops" (no muffins for me, way too small) LOL

Did I miss the thread on the spill? What happened..?

That sounds awesome. It sounds like a good substitute for the scooter when the weather is bad

Heck no. I just languish in the hot tub for a while. Beats all them chemicals.

In fact, I just got out. That's why I am sounding so relaxed and dreamy.

All ready for tonight's gig.

Heet Linament. It burns so bad you don't feel the muscle ache.

A535 is also good, especially their arthritis roll on.

See The New Scooter is Now Christened

It was nothing. A novice mistake going around a curve on a street and fixating on the curb rather than where I wanted the scooter to go. Going fairly slow on a side street.front wheel hit the curb and I tumbled on the grass. Result was the wind got knocked out of me and my right shoulder muscles were bruised.

I'm trying to get past it. Used my wife's nail polish to hide the scratches to the paint. gloves and jacket worked like a charm. Grass stains came off the jacket with water and elbow grease.

Manteca de Ubre de Vaca

ah, that sucks. sorry to hear/read.
Can't win'em all though... glad there was a lesson to be learned in all of it.