Published: 11/12/2010 - Updated: 02/23/2018
Author: K. Laura Garcés G
Muscle pain is not a disease but a symptom that results from a number of internal factors. Muscle pain is known as "myalgia" and a muscle fiber pain as "fibromyalgia". Both are symptoms that may be chronic or occasional, and represent the third layer of the root causes that generate them.
Let see gradually how muscle pain originates from the symptom to the root cause that can generate it:
a) Third layer (obvious symptom): Muscle pain.
b) Second layer (deeper symptom): dysfunctional muscular contraction. In this layer, the muscle shortens and pulls the tendon, which is attached to the bone. When muscle pain is deep, you can feel to the bone and is perceived as ache. This is where muscle pain can be confused or diagnosed as tendinitis, shin splints or fasciitis, when in fact the problem is muscle shortening due to irritation of the nervous system.
c) First layer (cause or condition that causes symptoms): the causes of muscle pain may be several; the most common are listed below:
- Excessive and persistent emotional stress tends to occur in the muscle and wear out, causing severe pain in the muscle as a result.
- Overloading the body with a sudden and excessive weight.
- Exercise or demanding or intense physical labor. This could cause the muscle contractions to be really fragrant, and which are due to the muscle becoming saturated with lactic acid which is not long enough to be eliminated. In some situations, this muscle pain tends to involve specific muscles and activity and can be so intense that many athletes are forced to stop training or doing physical activity.
- Walk over or make a new exercise can tire the muscle, which is full of lactic acid.
- A sudden, quick and energetic movement, which employs more strength or endurance of the usual. For example, a milestone, a fall, pushing something heavy, etc. This causes muscle fibers to tear and create pain.
- Muscle pain also can be a sign of diseases that affect the whole body, like some infections such as influenza, and disorders that affect connective tissues throughout the body such as lupus.
- A common cause of aches and pains is fibromyalgia, a condition that includes tenderness in muscles and surrounding soft tissue, and which also has the symptom of muscle pain, other possible symptoms are trouble while sleeping, fatigue and pain head. The fibromyalgia is a possible symptom of hypothyroidism that could cause muscle aches.
Treatments for sore muscles
Symptomatic treatment is focused on treating the symptoms of a condition, which means a temporary solution, without solving the root cause that creates the condition.
It’s important consider treatment not only to reduce muscle pain, but treat it at its root.
- Rest: In the case of muscle tears or contractures, it is important to rest and the application of some special ointment and arnica for the muscle to recover. Here we can include all therapeutic massage to dissolve tension and / or contracture. Physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, bio-energy therapy, acupressure, reflexology or acupuncture can effectively help dissolve pain.
- Diet: to help the muscle remains strong and in good recovery, you need a diet rich in protein and quality food. It is recommended to include in the diet yeast, the alga spirulina, fish, plenty of water (2 liters or more), getting enough calcium, (almonds, almond milk, lemon, soy, etc.) vitamin C (lemon, guava, orange, Goji berries, broccoli, etc.), and include whole grains like brown rice, oats, wheat, etc.
- Exercise: When the muscle pain appears after exercise or weight training, does not necessarily require rest. Many times, more gentle activity helps the muscle to remove lactic acid faster.
- Emotional Cause: a lot of muscle pain may also be related to continuous stress, pressure, or feeling that is "carrying too much weight", i.e. excess of or self-imposed responsibilities.
- Massage with lavender oil: this oil can help relax the muscle and contractures. Friction should be made in the muscle with this oil, which can be prepared with olive oil or almond of first pressure (250ml) and 25ml of oil of lavender.
Fibromyalgia
In the case of fibromyalgia (a symptom that may be associated with hyperthyroidism), muscular pain can affect the high or low back, neck and shoulders, arms, forearms and hands, lower back and even the thighs and legs, knees, ankles and feet. A common symptom in this condition is usually numbness or lack of flexibility in the muscles, and slight pain when these muscles move. Other symptoms associated with this condition include depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, etc.
Causes: The condition is that there are alterations in the functioning of the muscular system where the cells are not well nourished and oxygenated, do not regenerate and reproduce well, grow older and turning muscle old and weak.
In this case, you should pay special attention to food, work emotionally with the inflexible attitude of resistance which may be accumulating in the muscles. Many times the cause is "unknown" to some physicians because it is considered that the muscle keeps emotional tension, and fear, and for a prolonged time can certainly be exhausting and cause muscle pain and poor performance. Here we recommend especially working with bio-energy, acupressure or therapeutic massage.
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