What to do when you have Muscle Aches & Stiffness

For many people, dealing with muscle aches and stiffness does not always necessitate a trip to the doctor. There are several measures that one can do to alleviate the pain. Some of the pain management methods include home treatments that ease muscle discomfort due to tension, overuse or injuries.

Muscle Ache Treatment At Home

There are different ways of treating muscle pain at home. Many of the muscle ache redemies are easy and require a minimal amount of effort. When you get muscle pain due to injuries, overuse or misuse of muscles, a good pain management primer includes resting the part of your body that is experiencing muscle pain.
 

Drug-Free Solution: Ice versus Heat Application Method

Muscle ache treatment can also be all-natural, depending on the type of muscle pain you have.

Applying ice right onto the affected area addresses acute injuries and brings down the inflammation. It is important to ice the affected area immediately, while the inflammation has not had a chance to flare up.

The use of heat is usually good for chronic pain or muscle recovery. Heat application stimulates blood flow. Improved blood circulation helps to repair the injured muscle faster and relieve joint pain.
 

Muscle ache treatment and pain management also requires conscious thinking about the way you move around. That would provide relief and prevent pain from worsening. Muscle pain can greatly benefit from gently stretching the muscles in the proper way (considering particular movement, frequency and amount of tension). Try out this series of exercises to relieve the lower back pain that you might have! 

Avoid physical activities that are high impact such as running and weightlifting sessions. You should only resume such activities when the muscle pain has gone away.

Low impact exercises that focuses on breathing, strengthening and increasing your range of movement will help you to recover faster. Pilates are yoga are great examples.

Give Your Muscles a Break

Ample time to rest is also a key component of pain management and muscle recovery. This allows your muscles to be fully restored.

Some types of muscle pain and strain can also benefit from stress-relieving activities like yoga and meditation. The exercises and stress-busting techniques required in these types of activities can help increase blood flow and oxygen to your body. This can further help in restoring your muscles back to their best condition.

When Muscle Pain Requires Professional Assistance

While many people are lucky that their muscle pain can be treated with simple pain management techniques, others might have to see a doctor in order to better address their pain, in particular for their back pain. Seeing a doctor is important as one can check that there are no underlying causes for the muscle pain.

Some reasons to see a doctor include:

• Persistent pain even after several days of muscle ache treatment at home
• Intense muscle pain that suddenly arises, especially if there is no clear cause
• Muscle pain accompanied by rashes
• Muscle pain that is followed by tick bites
• Muscle pain along with swelling or redness
• Aches, pain and discomfort right after the change in medication that you currently take
• Pain that comes with elevated body temperature

When muscle pain happens due to injury from exercises or because you were just a bit clumsy, it pays to know these effective pain management techniques. You will be in a better position to know how to address the situation and what to do to get your body back in shape!