Germany’s Little Miracle Worker
I’d like to introduce you to one of Germany’s go-to products for whenever there’s a joint or muscle ache: PFERDEBALSAM
What is it
Literally, Pferd means horse and balsam is a balm or ointment.
Horse balm is a balm used for the topical treatment of muscle, joint and back pain.
As a recipe, it was originally developed to care for the joints of horses. It was intended to improve the horses’ well-being after hard work. In the meantime, however, products that are approved for people have become available on the market.
If you have stiff, achy or even inflamed joins or muscles, Horse balm is used to give you some relief. I have recently had a muscle strain in my lower arm, which has slowly moved up to my shoulder. I massaged it with Pferdebalsam, wrapped it up with bandaids (or a simple clean cotton kitchen towel will do) and it was so much better in the morning. However, daily usage should be avoided.
What’s it made of
The trick lies in its unique composition, however they do vary from product to product. What they all do have in common is a large mix of essential oils and plant extracts such as camphor, menthol, essential oils and plant extracts such as arnica, rosemary. Those are the typical ingredients, they come usually in high concentrations. Other or additional extracts such as horse chestnut, red vine leaves, devil’s claw, eucalyptus or comfrey may also be included.
How does it work
Horse ointments help in two steps: first, camphor and menthol have a cooling effect on the skin, and then the essential oils and plant extracts have a warming effect. Circulation is promoted and pain is relieved directly, making walking or any other affected activity easier. Caution: Horse balm is very potent so please don’t use it on a daily basis as it can irritate the fine nerve endings of the skin. Horse balms have analgesic, circulation-enhancing, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
Let me tell you once again that horse balm has a strong effect, so your skin will feel very tingly and you will experience a strong sensation of hot and cold for quite some time, perhaps 20mins. This is due to the high concentration and mix of those essential oils.
application areas
For the external treatment of pain, for example muscle, joint and back pain. It also helps with trapped nerves, muscle cramps and any form of strains. I always apply it very generously to really get the full benefit from it as applying it sparingly might not be effective enough. See for yourself what works best for you and start by applying a tiny amount to see how you react to those essential oils.
To me it’s a regular staple in my medical cabinet, however, I wouldn’t use it lightly for every little pain, as often a hot bath might do the trick a lot gentler and just as effective. But I do find that it works very well on trapped nerves or lasting muscle pain in combination with a massage.
where to buy
There are many different brands and usually the essential oils combination doesn’t differ too much from each other. As long as it says Pferdebalsam, (in German), you should be good.
Here are some I found on Amazon. The one I have I bought in a pharmacy in Germany.
