Of Oil Baths and Epsom Salts

What do you do when your body aches all over? One of the best remedies is to soak in warm water with epsom salt. That’s what the English lady told me when I was aboard British Airways going to London from Mumbai in 2002.

I had been sandwiched between this woman  and another burly man sitting by the window. I squirmed uneasily trying to stretch my legs, my face barely able to conceal the pain I felt, and then she asked me, “You …not well?” I had been on my feet for the past two days and my body begged for a respite. That’s when she asked me, “You are a South Indian, aren’t you? You can go home and have an oil bath.”

I was taken aback; already oil bath was lamentably becoming an unheard of thing, and how come she knows about it?

She must have read my mind. “I have many Indian friends. And I am coming from an Ayurveda workshop in Rishikesh. The fact is, all over the world our folk medicines and wisdom are given a pass-by. My mother would put epsom salts, lavendar or calendula oil and eucalyptus drops in our baths when we were tired. Now we reach for all those over-the-counter pain killers. It only kills our body.”

I couldn’t agree more. Many health practices were quite interwoven with our lives back then, even as late as the seventies. Every Sunday my mother would massage our heads with warm oil, in which she would put, as the occasion demanded — black pepper (for colds), and dried neem or hibiscus flowers ( for dandruff). Then she would massage our bodies as well and we had to soak for sometime before washing it with a paste of soapnut powder (Latin name Sapindaceae). Special easy-to-digest food used to be served for lunch and we had to compulsorily sleep for an hour or so after. The refreshing effect of siesta was enough to carry us for another week.

The following video shows Thai head massage. This very much looks like how my mother would massage the oil into my head.

I decided to do in England as the English do. So I had a refreshing Epsom salt bath when I reached home and soon fell into a peaceful and relaxing sleep. Ever since, I use it often to relieve me of my aching shoulders or back.

Image via Wikipedia

Why Epsom Salt Works

Epsom salt is Magnesium Sulfate. Many of us are deficient in magnesium, and this can cause nervousness, insomnia, cramps, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, joint pain, and chronic fatigue. Excess adrenaline and stress drains magnesium that is necessary for binding serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical essential to create a feeling of well being and relaxation. Magnesium is a natural tranquilizer, as it relaxes body muscles, the smooth muscles of blood vessels and the gastrointestinal tract.

Simply soaking in Epsom salt , which is essentially Magnesium Sulphate, can boost Magnesium levels in the body. Magnesium gets absorbed through the skin and helps the body in important functions such as muscle control, energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.

Remember, hot baths can dehydrate you, especially if you soak for longer than 20 minutes; so remember to keep a handy water bottle next to the bath.

A Note of Caution

Is Epsom salt bath good for everybody?

It’s best to consult your physician if you have hypertension, heart trouble, arteriosclerosis or diabetes.

Epsom salts can dry the skin and make the skin fragile. People with diabetes can develop sores and ulcers on their feet, so they need to be careful and not soak too long.

There is a very delicate balance between several minerals like Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Phosphorus in the body. Magnesium is an important intracellular nutrient that is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keep heart rhythm steady, and bones strong. It is also involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Improper Calcium and Magnesium balance can affect thyroid. Calcium helps muscles to contract and magnesium helps muscles to relax. The optimum ratio of Calcium to Magnesium is about 2:1. When levels of Magnesium fall, more Calcium flows into the vascular muscle cells, which contracts and tightens them leading to higher blood pressure.

If you have moderately high pressure, Magnesium in the bath salts help to relax and lower blood pressure. But caution is necessary, as it can lower blood pressure much below comfort levels for some people. It is better to soak only your feet for about 10 minutes. People with  thyroid and kidney problems should be careful too.

If you regularly take Magnesium-containing antacids, or frequently use enemas containing magnesium, you may have excessive Magnesium—Hypermagnesemia—in the body. Since it is not possible to monitor the levels of Magnesium in the body in our everyday life, it’s best to limit the frequency of Epsom baths to once a week and be alert to body reactions.

Read Other uses of Epsom salt