Have you ever tried homeopathic Arnica? Either in the pellet form (most easily and expensively found at a health food store, but they are in other stores as well sometimes), or in lotion or gel form (Boiron makes a nice gel, though be careful if the skin you're putting it on has just been shaved).
I personally LOVE
this Arnica lotion. I sent some to my stepdad after his second hip replacement, as he had a really hard time healing from the first hip, and he said it really helped with the sore muscles around the incision(s?).
We found that brand at a farmer's market (the company is semi-local to us). We were in the middle of moving to a new place, and DH was doing most of the heavy-lifting and every muscle was tired and sore. He was limping everywhere, and we decided to take a break by walking the couple blocks to the market. We stopped at the booth and decided to try it. I put half-a-pea sized drop in my palm and put it on DH's calf (he has sumo wrestler legs so it was significant that such a small amount covered he calf), and by the time we walked away from the booth, his leg felt better. Went right back, bought a bottle, and put it on his other calf and his lower back. He was a new man inside of a minute.
I can't recommend it MORE, it's so wonderful!
But the homeopathic pellets of arnica are wonderful, too; it's our first, and usually only, line of pain relief.
