Finding Relief for your Muscle Pain
We often see people from all age categories experiencing various degrees of muscle pain, some more severe than others. Sometimes pains can be anticipated when we overexert ourselves, sustain an injury, or experience some sort of trauma. However, the more chronic conditions connected with muscle pain, like fibromyalgia, myofascial discomfort syndrome, lupus, or advanced infections like malaria, influenza, or polio are another subject entirely.
In many cases, muscle pain is the body’s way of telling us that we’ve taxed our bodies beyond their comfy restrictions. Determining when discomfort is chronic or a trigger symptom for one of these more severe conditions requires close tracking. Regardless, there are specific steps you can require to minimize the soreness and swelling related to muscle pain.
Depending on which part of the body you are experiencing pain, prevention and treatement vary. For instance, if you exercise regularly, do not attempt to do too much prematurely. Conditioning your body to sustain unpleasant muscles as a needed component of fitness is foolhardy. The old saying no pain, no gain is a harmful state of mind that motivates people to push themselves too far too often.
While everybody experiences small pains and discomforts as a result of physical labor, workout, or long hours in stationary postures, chronic and repetitive tension on our muscles can break fibers down to the point that a permanent tear, strain, or dislocation develops that becomes challenging to heal.
Nutrition plays a part in muscle fitness also. When we sweat, we lose vital electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium that regulate muscle function. Too much or too little of these substances in our bodies can produce unpleasant muscle pains when we do not consume sufficient fluids to replace exactly what we’ve lost through exercise or a health problem.
If you do experience muscle pain, no matter the source, there are remedies that typically alleviate signs and symptoms. Utilized either separately or in combination, they commonly produce positive results within a few days. In general, using ice throughout the first three days of injury will certainly minimize swelling and pain in strained muscles.
After that, applying heat will enhance flow of blood to the muscles. Resting the area for a short period is wise, however good physical treatment constantly consists of gentle stretching and low-impact aerobic exercise like swimming, walking, or riding a bicycle, if possible.
When does muscle pain show a more serious condition that requires medical guidance? When pain is particularly severe, lasts for more than 3 days without improvement, or if there is swelling or redness at the source, a trip to the family physician may be in order. Other signs for concern would be shortness of breath, fever, throwing up, or weakness or paralysis in any part of the body.
You can, to a certain extent, minimize the possibility for painful muscle aches by being diligent with your everyday regimens. Heat up and cool down before exercising, drink lots of fluids throughout the day, and stretch more often throughout the day. Especially when sitting or not being active for extended periods of time. Use good sense in evaluating how your body feels and just how much activity you can handle without straining yourself and risking injury.
Integrated Pain Specialists Las Vegas
Dr. Marjorie Belsky
9333 W. Sunset Rd., Suite A
Las Vegas, NV 89148
Physical Health: