Did you know that there are nearly 650 different muscles in the human body? Some experts believe that the figure can go up to more than 800 muscles if you also count smaller ones within large muscle groups. These muscles are separated into 3 categories – cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle.
Even if you’re a very healthy person, chances are that some of these muscles will cause you pain at some point in your lifetime. That’s why it’s recommended to know more about muscle pain relief and how you can alleviate painful muscles regularly. Keep reading to learn more about muscle pain treatment and how to get rid of body aches.
Try the R.I.C.E. Method
R.I.C.E., in this case, stands for rest, icing, compression, and elevation. If your legs are sore after an intense workout or because you were standing for many hours, go home and rest for a while. Ice your legs to reduce inflammation and pain. Apply cold compression on your swollen feet to alleviate discomfort. Finally, elevate your legs on a pillow to make your heart pump less blood into your legs and reduce inflammation. These simple techniques should alleviate most leg pains and they should be practiced for around 20-30 minutes at a time.
Take OTC Medication
Especially if your muscles don’t ache very frequently, you might be able to reduce your pain and inflammation using over-the-counter medication such as Advil or dupuytren’s contracture. This type of medicine contains ibuprofen that can reduce inflammation and soreness in different parts of the body. Make sure that you read the instructions in the box first to know how often you should take the medicine and for how long.
Do Yoga
Doing yoga is by far one of the best ways you can alleviate muscle pains, tension, and soreness. This type of physical exercise can be used as a preventative measure as well. You can create a yoga habit by doing simple poses for 10 minutes every other day. Build up to 30 minutes or more and stick to your routine for a couple of weeks. You’ll see that your muscles won’t ache that often and you feel more energized throughout the day.
Yoga has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. It can provide additional benefits such as mental clarity, improved flexibility, muscle toning, and better control of your emotions. If you don’t really feel like doing yoga on your own, join a yoga studio in your area and practice this activity once or twice a week.
Use a Foam Roller
Foam rollers can work wonders on sore and stiff muscles. In most cases, muscles are painful because there’s a reduction in blood flow through veins and capillaries. As a result, the muscles don’t receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients. A foam roller helps to separate the muscle fibers, so more blood can pass through. This improves blood circulation and alleviates muscle pain.
You can use a foam roller to massage different parts of your body. Most people massage their legs, but you can also use the foam roller for your back, oblique muscles, neck, and shoulders. Make sure that you don’t apply too much pressure at first because using a foam roller is supposed to be a comfortable and enjoyable activity.
Go for a Deep Tissue Massage
If the foam roller is not sufficiently relaxing for you, it’s also a good idea to try a deep tissue massage. This type of massage is specially designed for people who have chronic back pains. During a deep tissue massage session, the massage therapist applies more pressure on certain trigger points or muscle “knots”. This makes the muscle fibers relax and improves blood circulation.
Deep tissue massage is ideal for chronic pains, but you can also try a Swedish massage if your pains are acute. A massage session can completely recharge your batteries and it should be done especially after intense athletic performances or surgeries.
Soak in a Hot Bath
There’s nothing more relaxing and rejuvenating than a hot bath. Soaking in a hot bath will help your blood vessels and arteries dilate. This improves circulation and delivers more oxygen to your organs and tissues. As a result, most pains will simply disappear. You can make a habit of taking a hot bath after a long day at work to decompress and recharge your batteries.
Even better, try to add some Epsom salts into your bathwater. These salts have a relaxing effect, making you feel even better. Epsom salts can be bought from health food stores and they are inexpensive.
Go for Trigger Point Injections
In some cases, tight muscle fibers can develop knots that might cause pain in other parts of your body. These muscle knots usually develop in the hamstrings or your back and they can cause headaches and even earaches. Trigger point injections might solve this problem because they target these muscle knots specifically. After such an injection you will experience profound pain relief and you’ll feel much better.
Try an Acupuncture Session
Just like yoga, acupuncture has also been used for millennia by Asian civilizations. It involves inserting fine needles into certain trigger points in your body. These fine needles will restore proper blood flow in your muscles and help you get rid of pains, both chronic and acute.
You shouldn’t try acupuncture on your own at home. Ideally, you want to find a reputable acupuncture studio in your area. Go for one session and see how you feel. If this treatment option proves beneficial and you learn how it works, you might be able to buy acupuncture kits and do it at home on your own.
Now You Know More About Muscle Pain Relief
These are just a few muscle pain relief strategies you can try to alleviate symptoms of discomfort and soreness. In your body. Try one at a time and see how you feel. You will eventually be able to come up with your own routines to alleviate pains and significantly improve the quality of your life.
In the meantime, don’t hesitate to check out the other articles on our website to learn more about pain management and how to improve your health!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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