How to Treat Muscle Pain?

Many people at one point or another have experienced muscle pain of some sort. It's quite common and often involves more than one muscle at a time. This results in the pain seeming almost unbearable, especially when you add the involvement of tendons, ligaments and cartilages, which are also often involved.

What is Muscle Pain?

Muscle pain or myalgia is not a pathological condition in and of itself but rather a symptom of a tremendous number of disorders and diseases as well as of misuses of particular muscle. In that sense, muscle pain is similar to fever because it too is a mechanism that alerts or warns that there is something which is going on in the body that needs to be fixed or, stated more correctly, healed.

What causes Muscle Pain?

Your muscles can become sore in several different ways. If you understand where your muscle aches come from, it's easier to figure out how to prevent them from aching in the future.

• Fatigue: Muscle aches during or right after an activity are usually due to a tired muscle. For example, if your muscle hurts right after the last repetition of a strength training move, or after you sprint up the stairs. The soreness should go away after a few minutes of rest. If it doesn't, you may have a more serious muscle injury.

• Unusual Activity: If you perform a difficult activity that your muscles aren't used to, like a new workout, or a long hike, you may feel significant soreness beginning from 12 to 24 hours up to 72 hours. Your muscles may feel sore, swollen, stiff, and less flexible than before the activity. The soreness comes from microscopic tearing and swelling of your muscle fibers. This is a normal part of how your muscles gain strength.

• Repetitive Activity: If you use a set of muscles repetitively for a long duration, on a regular basis, by operating a machine, in weightlifting sessions or long-distance running, even playing a musical instrument, the muscles can become painfully sore and may lose their normal range of movement. These muscles are probably not getting adequate rest between movements. The problem may be more severe if your body isn't correctly aligned while you're engaged in the activity. Half of all on-the-job injuries (in careers involving physical labor) come from this kind of muscle problem.

How Do I treat Muscle pain?

Here's How:

• Rest: Rest is a key part of repair. Without rest, continual strain is placed on the area, leading to increased inflammation, pain, and possible further injury. Also, most soft tissue injuries will take far longer to heal. In general, the rest should be until the patient is able to use the limb with the majority of function restored and pain essentially gone. Immobilization is not usually necessary, and can be potentially harmful. Immobilization in a splint or cast should be carefully supervised by your doctor, as this can lead to stiffness of the muscle.

• Ice: Ice application helps reduce swelling, bleeding, and pain. Ice application should begin as soon as possible after sustaining a muscle pull. Ice is excellent at reducing the inflammatory response and the pain from heat generated. Proper usage of ice can reduce the destruction over-response which can result from inflammation. A good method is to ice 20 minutes of each hour. Other recommendations are an alternation of ice and no-ice for 15–20 minutes each, for a 24–48 hour period. To prevent localised ischemia to the skin, it is recommended that the ice be placed within a towel before wrapping around the area.

  It should be noted that exceeding the recommended time for ice application may be detrimental, as blood flow will be too reduced to allow nutrient delivery and waste removal.

• Elevation: It is advisable to follow elevation of the injured part as ice is being applied to it or just after such a session. Elevation drains excess fluid out of the injured part. This relieves muscle pain and swelling. In case one has pulled a muscle in his back or neck, lying down comfortably on the stomach would work. If the injury is in the arm or leg, the limb could be propped up on pillows as one is lying down.

• Compression: Wrapping the injured part in an elastic bandage or with an ace wrap helps to reduce swelling by application of pressure. It provides extra strength to the muscle and also reduces movement, thereby ensuring that the muscle is not subjected to unnecessary strain. Compression works best when applied after the area has been treated with ice and elevated.

• Anti-Inflammatory Medications: Anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce swelling and alleviate painful symptoms. However, many of them cause side effects like an upset stomach. It is best to consult a physician before taking these medicines.

• Strengthening: After the muscle has healed, it is important to regain strength before returning to athletic activities. Both the injury itself and the rest period following the injury can reduce the strength of the muscle. Not only the injured muscles but also all the muscles should be stretched before starting the workout. One should be slow with the workout regime, as over-straining the weak muscle may cause muscle injury again.

• Heat Application: Heat is generally used for chronic injuries or injuries that have no inflammation or swelling. Sore, stiff, nagging muscle or joint pain is ideal for the use of heat therapy. The heat can help increase blood flow to the painful muscle and help relax the muscle. Because heat increases circulation and raises skin temperature, you should not apply heat to acute injuries or injuries that show signs of inflammation. Apply heat for about 20 minutes at a time, a few times a day and use enough layers between your skin and the heating source to prevent burns.

• Avoid Muscle Fatigue: Muscles help absorb energy, and restoring the strength of the muscle will help prevent re-injury. Muscles that are fatigued are more likely to be injured. Athletes should use caution, especially as they become fatigued, as the muscle becomes more susceptible to strain injuries.

• Warm-Up Properly: Warming up prior to athletic competition or sports will help loosen the muscle and prevent injuries. Jumping into a sport with stiff muscles can lead to a higher chance of straining the muscle.

• Sip Ginger Tea: Ginger has known anti-inflammatory properties and is one of nature's little secrets for healing. After you've had a tough workout, drink a cup of ginger tea every few hours throughout the day to help prevent some of the soreness associated with muscle overuse.

• Have Cherry Juice: When you exercise vigorously, your muscles suffer small tears which set up an inflammatory reaction resulting in pain and muscle soreness. Cherries are super rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins which help to offset some of the anti-inflammatory changes and soothe the pain of inflamed muscles.

• Epsom salt bath: An Epsom salt bath can wonderfully reduce the muscular pain, and it provides instant relief for the suffering patient. To avail this remedy one has to pour two cups full Epsom salt in hot water-filled bath tub and then the patient suffering from muscular pain should take a relaxed bath in it. It is a natural cure process of muscular pain and strain.

How do I prevent Muscle Pain?

Follow the steps below to prevent Muscle Pain:

• Warm up before exercising and cool down afterward.
• Stretch before and after exercising.
• Drink lots of fluids before, during, and after exercise.
• If you work in the same position most of the day (like sitting at a computer), stretch at least every hour.

Participating in a regular exercise program will help to restore proper muscle tone to the area you have been resting. Light aerobic activities should be started first, such as swimming or aqua-fit classes until you are sure your muscles are back to full potential. It's also important to get plenty of sleep, while trying to reduce the amount of stress you have in your life. You might want to try yoga or meditation before sleep to ensure maximum relaxation.