Learn a little more about muscle pain
Our body is made up of more than 600 muscles, so it’s impossible to avoid muscle pain, also known as myalgia. Common and most often benign, these pains should still be monitored.
What are the symptoms and causes of myalgia? How can they be relieved? We explain everything to you.
The symptoms of muscle pain
Although muscle pain most often affects the arms, legs, and back, myalgia can impact any other muscle in our body.
Muscle pain is often accompanied by other symptoms, including paresthesia.
You may also notice a hardening of the affected muscle, discomfort in your movements, and you may feel sharp pains.
The pain may sometimes be accompanied by swelling or a burning sensation.
The three common causes of muscle pain
Three main causes can lead to muscle pain:
· A physical effort
This is the most common cause of myalgia. When muscles are overexerted, pain appears, which is why athletes are the most affected.
When muscles are traumatized during physical exertion, you may experience muscle soreness resulting from inflammation, or/and cramps.
Contractures can also occur, which are more intense muscle soreness.
In more severe cases, intense effort can lead to a tear or even a muscle rupture.
· A wrong move
Our body has its weaknesses, and when we make sudden or too-fast movements, it can lead to intense muscle pain. The most frequent cases of myalgia caused by a wrong move are lumbago, stiff neck, and intercostal pain.
· A disease
As we know, when you catch the flu, you experience severe muscle soreness. This illness often causes muscle pain. Like the flu, COVID-19 can also cause muscle aches.
Other more serious diseases, such as polio, can lead to muscle pain. Don’t hesitate to seek advice from your doctor.
When to consult a massage therapist?
Although often harmless, myalgias should still be monitored. It is advisable to consult a doctor if the muscle pain is intense, lasts for a long time, and is accompanied by fever. These symptoms are a sign of a more serious underlying problem that should be addressed promptly. The doctor will then give you the green light for massage. Depending on the origin of the pain, a sports or therapeutic massage may be recommended, and often more than one session is required to resolve pain that has become persistent.
How to relieve and treat your muscle pain?
When myalgia occurs as a result of sports activity and is manifested by cramps or muscle soreness, there is not much to do. We recommend resting the affected muscle, massaging it, and regularly stretching it.
You can also try applying heat to the painful area.
When muscle pain is caused by a blow, ice should be applied and the muscle should be rested. Taking pain relievers and muscle relaxants is sometimes necessary to help reduce the pain.
Pain relieved but to be monitored
Muscle pain is part of your daily life, especially if you regularly engage in physical activity, but it’s important to take the time to treat it in order to prevent the development of chronic pain.
It’s also necessary to monitor the pain to ensure it’s not caused by something else.
If you want your body to take you far, take care of it!
