How to prevent and/or treat muscle tension and pain

Tension and pain  muscular:  The main causes, how to prevent them and alternatives to treat them

Img. Gerd Altmann

Muscle weakness occurs as a result of loss of strength and flexibility in the muscles.  You may start out feeling almost insignificant discomfort and suddenly, days later, feel overwhelmed by pain that does not allow the affected body part to perform its full range of motion.

Muscle tension often begins at the neck, which becomes rigid and prevents you from turning your head to the sides, although it can also occur where the trapezius muscle attaches to the spine.

Does this sound familiar?

Image from www.fisio.es

Even worse if it is the lower back.  The pain can be so intense that you are unable to concentrate on what you are doing or even walk normally.  Often, the option is to resort to painkillers to be able to continue.

Pain resulting from occasional muscle tension is normal.  Furthermore, when the weather is especially rainy or windy and the temperature drops, muscles tend to lose elasticity.

Most common causes of muscle stiffness and pain

Muscle tension occurs mainly if you lift too heavy a weight or maintain poor posture for a long time.  However, muscle pain can have very varied origins as you will see later.

The mobility of the musculoskeletal system, from the cervical to the lumbar vertebrae, passing through the shoulder girdle area  which starts at the base of the neck and goes to the lower edge of the pectoralis major muscle, is supported by a system of around 300 muscles arranged in an extremely precise manner.

Often, muscles that are too fragile to withstand the strain caused by prolonged sitting postures or repetitive movements typical of work react by contracting.  When the muscle retracts, blood flow decreases, causing pain in those areas.

Up to this point, muscle tension can be remedied quite easily.  A well-directed preventive strategy can neutralize or mitigate the causes.

People who work in front of a computer for long periods of time, without interruption and with poor posture tend to develop tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders.

Static activities such as reading, sewing, sitting or leaning forward tend to cause tension in the neck and back muscles.  Sometimes, tension in the lumbar vertebrae can even cause stomach pain and even nausea.

According to physiotherapist Claudia Witt, from the University of Bern, Switzerland, these pains can be avoided by changing your posture in your chair regularly, working standing up and taking regular breaks every 30-60 minutes to get up, stretch and walk around.  Likewise, try to make sure that the chair where you work, if you work for long hours, is sufficiently comfortable.

Muscle strains can occur during leisure activities such as gardening for long hours when you are not used to it, or weekend athletes who want to make up for hours of training in a single day.

Tensions can also be caused by poor posture when performing activities that are not common, for example, carrying heavy bags from the market or carrying different objects of different weights while moving.

Finally, muscle tension can appear when you have slept in a bad position, either in bed or in an unsuitable place such as a sofa or other.  Sometimes postural pain can last from 2-15 days, but there are several self-therapy methods that can help you relieve it and regain mobility faster.

Underlying causes of muscle weakness

Unfortunately, there are some chronic diseases that cause rapid deterioration of the muscles or make the person feel very fatigued.  In other cases, an infection will lead to muscle weakness. These may include:

1. Addison's disease This occurs when a person's adrenal glands do not produce enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. In addition to muscle weakness, other symptoms of Addison's disease include fatigue.  chronic, weight loss, loss of appetite and stomach pain.
2. Anemia: This is when hemoglobin levels are low due to an iron deficiency in the body.  Other symptoms include dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, irregular heart rate, and cold hands and feet.
3. Hydroelectrolytic imbalance .  They are alterations in the water or electrolyte content in the human body when the amount of these substances drops or increases too much.  It is important to maintain adequate levels of calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium.  since any alteration can cause muscle weakness.  Imbalances occur mostly due to loss of fluids through sweat, vomiting or diarrhea; chemotherapy, poor diet; and treatments with antibiotics or immunosuppressants.
4. Diabetes. By not producing enough insulin or not using it optimally, the body responds with symptoms such as vulnerability, reduced mobility, excessive fatigue and muscle weakness.
5. Hypothyroidism.  This condition is due to an underactive thyroid gland. If left untreated, its symptoms may include muscle weakness and cramps, but also excess weight, dry skin and hair, fatigue, joint pain, fertility problems, feeling cold, and irregular menstrual periods.
6. Chronic fatigue syndrome .  It is a condition that refers to unexplained fatigue, or fatigue that your doctor cannot relate to an underlying medical condition.  People suffering from chronic fatigue experience acute tiredness and sleep problems.  Its symptoms include muscle weakness, dizziness and concentration problems.
7. Fibromyalgia .  This is a chronic condition that causes muscle pain and weakness, as well as constant fatigue, memory problems and sudden mood swings.
8. Sleep disorders .  Disorders such as insomnia and narcolepsy inevitably result in fatigue and daytime muscle weakness.  Similarly, if a person must remain in bed due to convalescence, he or she will experience muscle weakness and disturbances in his or her sleep cycles.
9. Stress.  Both at work and in private life, this can be the cause of retracted muscles or knots.  The chances of improvement depend largely on the conscious reduction of these tensions. If permanent stress takes hold in your life and you do not take the corresponding measures In this respect, this situation tends to worsen rather than improve.  Unfortunately, in today's society, stressful situations bombard us from all sides and more and more people find it difficult to control them.
10. Infections , neuronal diseases and certain medications are other possible causes.  of  muscle weakness so there is a wide range of conditions that can affect the proper functioning of your muscles.

Address muscle weakness before it progresses to a point where it becomes impossible to reverse.

In reality, the fundamental causes of muscle weakness are lack of exercise, too many hours in a sitting position, stress and being overweight.

Muscle weakness has a domino effect on health.  It reduces metabolic function (your ability to use energy), alters body posture, puts pressure on joints and consequently affects physical balance and greatly limits the body's efficient mobility.

The good news

You can start improving your muscle performance at any age.  Activities like yoga, RFS band training, you can find all the information in this article , and strength training are the best I know.

Expert doctors from Harvard University (USA) and the University of Zurich (Switzerland) recommend the help of a personal trainer to assist you with a training program and to obtain the best results.

Tips to follow in case of muscle contractions

Depending on the cause and severity of the contraction, certain changes in lifestyle must be made. In principle, and to immediately address a contraction:

1. Motion

Studies show that the best way to support your recovery is to stay active and move as much as possible, even if the contraction is painful.  Exercises targeting the muscles involved stimulate blood flow and stretch them, which allows for regaining mobility and reducing pain.

Make small movements with the cervical vertebrae  and thoracic during working hours allows you to alleviate any pain, although it does not disappear completely.

2.  Natural methods

Natural methods can go a long way in relieving sore muscles.  Natural medicines can be just as effective as painkillers. A comfrey-based ointment can take care of the pain just as well as Diclofenac or another painkiller.  Willow bark extract has a chemical formula comparable to that of aspirin with sedative properties.

Peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil act as mild analgesics thanks to their refreshing effect.

Consuming the mineral magnesium in high doses (at least 600 mg) visibly relaxes the muscles.  Magnesium salts (available in drugstores) are also very effective.

Acupressure, on the other hand, reactivates the body's self-regenerative abilities as it acts in minutes: pressing with your finger in the precise spot (there are applications on the Internet to find these points) can unlock the energy.

3.  Relaxation.

Meditation is a technique that helps loosen muscles and reduce stress.  While you meditate, you focus on a fixed point, often your own breathing, and this allows you to let go of the flow of stressful thoughts.

Rapid and general relaxation of the muscles can be obtained with the Jacobson method of progressive muscle relaxation, which consists of strongly contracting different muscle groups, one after the other, for 5-7 seconds, moving up from the feet to the head, and then relaxing for 20-30 seconds.

4.  Medications

The quickest thing you can do in times of intense pain is to run to the pharmacy to get some painkiller, especially during the first few days when the muscle may be completely retracted and have little or no mobility.  The most effective in these cases, if this is the option you prefer, are Ibuprofen, Diclofenac or Naxos.

Remember that it is not advisable to take painkillers for more than three days as side effects may occur.  Chemical muscle relaxants are not advisable due to their side effects and potential for addiction.

5.  Heat

Pleasant heat relaxes the muscles, allowing you to regain mobility and reduce pain.  An infrared light lamp is suitable for all types of debilitating muscle contractions.

The DoTerra brand ointment called Deep Blue, which contains, among other ingredients, wintergreen leaf, camphor bark, mint, blue chamomile flower, helichrysum and osmanthus flower, is highly recommended in these situations, as well as to relieve pain resulting from sports practice.

The essential hot water bottle always brings comfort to tired muscles.  A hot shower or bath with essential oils can have a very relaxing effect, especially before bed.   

In case of fever, infection, or blood circulation problems or varicose veins, it is best to consult with your doctor to make sure heat therapy is advisable for your condition.

Kinesio taping

The elastic tape called “Duk Tape” is an immediate relief for pain in any part of the body where you suffer from it without restricting the mobility of that part of the body.  The tape supports the body's healing process and improves muscle function.  This can be a great help when the pain is unbearable and you still need to continue working or moving.

It is also used for prevention during sports practice.  Duk Tape is an excellent alternative to painkillers and in mild cases. It is simple, easy to use, sticks easily, can last for several days and can be put in the shower without risk of it coming off.  On the other hand, when removing it, it comes off easily.

This is a product invented in Japan and the Nikken company, which is Japanese, has the best quality. It has far infrared technology that uses ceramic fibers and absorbs the far infrared part of the light spectrum, but unlike other materials it does not dissipate it and instead maintains a comfortable temperature. The reflective properties cause the body to warm itself, using the far infrared rays and at the same time preventing the body from losing excessive heat.

By applying heat to the body's tissues, it increases blood circulation in that area. Better circulation helps our body improve its pH, detoxify, recover, and causes tired and sore muscles to soothe and relax. Muscle spasms tend to reduce in frequency and intensity.

In addition, it has negative ion technology.  Charged ions, whether positive or negative, gain their charge by losing or gaining electrons.  Negative ions contain more electrons which give them a negative electrical charge.

Science has long studied the relationship between negative ions and the harmonious balance of human beings.  Negative ions are called the vitamin of the air and an environment that is charged with negative ions is a factor of calm, health and homeostatic balance for people.

There are high levels of negative ions in the air in the forest, on the beach and near waterfalls, and in all of these we feel a sense of relaxation naturally.  And this is precisely what Nikken's “Duk Tape” provides when you stick it to the area of ​​your body where you feel the pain.

In this video you will find testimonials and the correct way to use the Kenkotherm Duk Tape

Here are two new products that can help you perform better in your daily activities as well as in sports!

Kenkotherm Duk Tape. Buy it here .

DoTerra Deep Blue Ointment

Maximum relief without chemicals. Buy ithere