Home Remedies for Muscle Weakness

Muscle weakness is very common. For instance, after an intense workout, your muscles become weak but soon recover after some rest. However, it’s a sign of a problem if you suffer from persistent muscle weakness.

You’ll know that you are suffering from muscle weakness or reduced muscle strength when despite your full effort, your body is not able to produce a normal muscle contraction or movement.

Apart from experiencing weakness in your muscles, you can also have symptoms like burning sensations in a specific part of the body, frequent falls, loss of coordination among the muscles, muscle spasms, muscle pain, prickling sensations and twitching, to name a few.

Do not take the problem of persistent muscle weakness lightly, as it may be a sign of an underlying health issue. In fact, several health conditions can cause muscle weakness.

Some of the conditions include chronic fatigue syndrome, muscular dystrophy, hypotonia, peripheral neuropathy, Graves’s disease, hypothyroidism, hypercalcemia, rheumatic fever, botulism, and prolonged bed rest or immobilization.

If you have muscle weakness for no apparent reason, make an appointment with your doctor for a proper diagnosis. Once the cause is known, you can opt for the correct treatment plan.

In the meantime, you can try some simple and effective natural remedies to fight muscle weakness.

Here are the top 10 home remedies for muscle weakness.

1. Epsom Salt Bath

Enjoying an Epsom salt bath once a week can help fight muscle weakness.

Being rich in magnesium, Epsom salt helps increase the magnesium level in your body, which is essential for your muscles to work properly.

The magnesium in Epsom salt also promotes muscle relaxation and healing. In fact, regular muscle spasms and cramps are noticeable symptoms of a magnesium deficiency.

1. Fill a bathtub with warm water.
2. Add 2 cups of Epsom salt and stir it thoroughly.
3. Enjoy this soothing bath for at least 15 to 20 minutes once a week.

2. Exercise

If you think you should not exercise when experiencing muscle weakness, you are making a big mistake.

Gentle exercises are a must to help build muscle strength and improve circulation.

One of the best exercises that you should do daily is walking. Try to walk for a minimum of 30 minutes, at least 5 times a week. If you have difficulty walking, use some kind of support or consult your doctor for suggestions.

Along with walking, you can also try swimming, jogging, running, biking, trekking, and similar activities to help strengthen your weak muscles.

You can also try yoga to keep your energy level high.

3. Oil Massage

Regular oil massage helps increase the flow of blood to the surface of the skin. This will loosen up the muscles and improve circulation so that more nutrients reach the weak muscles to make them stronger. This helps prevent and treat muscle weakness.

1. Warm up some olive, coconut or mustard oil.
2. Apply the warm oil on your body, especially the legs.
3. Gently massage for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Use this remedy several times a day for a few days.

4. Water Intake

Dehydration is one of the main causes of muscle weakness. Rehydrating your body can easily reduce this condition and help strengthen the muscles.

• Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
• Along with water, eat more water-based fruits and vegetables to keep your body hydrated.

Avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, which can cause dehydration.

Caution: If you have kidney problems, consult your doctor before increasing your fluid intake.

5. Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle weakness, hence it is important to correct this deficiency and give your body the required vitamin D.

Vitamin D helps regulate calcium, which is important for healthy muscles.

• To help your body produce vitamin D, spend some time in the sunlight. Simply expose your body to early morning sunlight for 10 to 15 minutes daily. But avoid the harsh ultraviolet (UV) sunrays during the peak hours of the day.
• Also, eat more vitamin D-rich foods like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and fortified milk, orange juice or cereal. You can opt to take a supplement, after consulting your doctor.

6. Blackstrap Molasses

To maintain strong muscles and prevent muscle weakness, blackstrap molasses is a very effective remedy.

There are several nutrients in blackstrap molasses that help keep your muscles healthy. For instance, it has calcium that helps provide energy to your muscles and the potassium in it helps maintain the electrolyte balance in the body.

• Mix 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses into a cup of hot milk. Drink this once daily.
• Alternatively, mix 2 teaspoons each of blackstrap molasses and raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar in 1 cup of water and drink it once daily.

7. Bananas

When suffering from muscle weakness, eat a few bananas daily. Being a rich source of potassium, it will help keep your muscles strong and functioning properly.

In fact, a potassium deficiency is linked to muscle weakness, fatigue, and cramps that occur on a regular basis.

• Eat 2 to 3 ripe bananas with 1 tablespoon of honey on a daily basis.
• You can also drink a banana milkshake daily to get your daily dose of potassium and calcium.

8. Milk

Milk is extremely rich in nutrients and is considered the best source of B vitamins that are vital for muscle health and help reduce weakness. Also, it is a good source of calcium that keeps your muscles strong.

In addition, being an electrolyte, it keeps your body well-hydrated.

• Drink 1 to 2 glasses of plain milk or milk-based smoothies daily.
• Alternatively, bring 1 cup of milk to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of licorice. Mix it well and have it twice daily.

9. Indian Gooseberry

Also known as amla, Indian gooseberry is a highly nutritious fruit that can improve your muscle health.

Indian gooseberries are a good source of proteins, calcium, iron, and vitamin C – all these nutrients are essential for muscles to function properly.

Plus, eating just one Indian gooseberry daily can strengthen a weak immune system.

1. Extract fresh juice from Indian gooseberries.
2. Mix 2 tablespoons of the juice with an equal amount of honey.
3. Drink it 2 or 3 times a day.

10. Acupressure

To strengthen your weak muscles, you can try acupressure. Acupressure involves applying deep and steady pressure to specific locations on the body that help promote optimal blood flow throughout your body.

Acupressure also helps reduce muscle pain.

You can try acupressure at home for yourself. But if you have any doubts about the acupressure points or how to do it, get it done by an expert for best results.

Additional Tips

• Before exercising, make sure you take time to stretch your muscles and warm up.
• Also, after your workout, you should perform stretching exercises.
• Get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep to help your body and muscles recover properly.
• Take a warm shower before going to bed and after a workout session.
• Avoid addictions like smoking, caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco as well as illegal drugs.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and hot surroundings.
• As muscle weakness can indicate a potassium or magnesium deficiency, eat more foods rich in these minerals.
• Eat more vitamin B foods to build strong muscles.
• Avoid eating foods that are high in saturated fats.