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Muscle Pain - Causes and Treatment
Man consists of about 656 muscles. These are involved with 40 percent of body weight. Without muscles it will not live. For example, when laughing up to 70 muscles involved - almost unimaginable. Muscle pain (myalgia) can usually affect all muscles, but most of these are reflected in the muscles of the back, shoulders, arms and legs.
contents
- causes
- Everyone knows muscle soreness
- Muscle cramp
- Muscle hardening (myogelosis)
- Treatment options muscle hardening
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- thyroid disease
- Autoimmune diseases
- fibromyalgia
- Metabolic myopathies (metabolic disorders of the musculature)
- Muscle inflammation - myositis
- Flu or flu
- Lyme disease
- osteoporosis
- menopause
- Medicines as causes of muscle pain
- Summary
causes
The possible causes of muscle pain are many. Everyone knows this unpleasant pain in connection with sore muscles or by one-sided stress or overload, which leads to muscle tension, which is associated with muscle pain. Other causes include flu, muscle injuries, cramps, autoimmune diseases, thyroid disease, fibromyalgia, metabolic disorders, excessive consumption of alcohol and some medications.
Muscle pain often affects the back, shoulders, arms and legs. The causes can be extremely different. (Image: artstudio_pro / fotolia.com) Everyone knows muscle soreness
Everyone knows the sore muscles, a common cause of muscle pain. The result during the sport smallest injuries, so-called micro injuries in the muscle fibers. The pain usually does not occur immediately after exercise, but only hours later. The peak of muscle soreness often reaches on the second day after exercise. Those who want to prevent this muscle pain should slow down unfamiliar exercise, do not perform new exercises too often, warm up the body before exercise, wear appropriate clothing and stretch the muscles easily before and after.
After exercise, rubbing in the muscles with ointments helps to have a muscle relaxing effect. These contain, for example, lavender oil, rosemary oil, peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil. Also, rubbing with a good St. John's wort oil helps. It is equally good to provide the affected muscles with a suitable magnesium oil. Or sauna, soon after the physical stress, offers a good way to protect yourself from muscle pain. Arnica from homeopathy can, taken immediately after exercise, also slightly relieve the pain. The muscles are best spared with a sore muscles until the pain is gone.
Muscle cramp
Spasms such as nocturnal waking up with calf muscle cramps are also known to most people. This causes massive muscle pain. A fall asleep is initially no longer possible. Such a muscle spasm is a sudden, unwanted muscle tension that causes massive muscle pain. The affected muscle, for example the calf, feels rock hard.
The normal reaction is to massage the muscle so it relaxes a bit. As a rule, such a muscle spasm goes by itself. Causes of muscle cramps are pregnancy, electrolyte imbalance, over-exertion during exercise, varicose veins, alcohol consumption, liver disease, polyneuropathy and hormonal diseases. In order to counteract the muscle pain caused by the cramps, the cause should be treated in any case.
The general assessment that causes muscle spasms is magnesium deficiency can not be confirmed. Although this is a possible cause, only in very few cases actually exist. If you suffer from magnesium deficiency, rubbing in with a good magnesium oil or magnesium gel often helps a lot better than oral intake. What can also bring relief is the ingestion of Schüßler salt No. 19 Cuprum arsenicosum. This is a good "detoxifying agent".
Muscle hardening (myogelosis)
Overuse, wrong posture, stereotypical posture or restraint, for example triggered by a herniated disc - all of which can lead to muscle hardening. And these are associated with sometimes massive muscle pain. The constant stimulus changes the metabolism in the affected area. By-products are produced that the body can no longer carry away properly - an inflammation develops. The affected area hardens painfully.
In order to counteract the myogelosis, it must be tried in any case to reduce or eliminate the causes. Wrong or exaggerated training, wrong posture at the workplace, any restraint - all this should be reconsidered. In addition, it is important to eat a rich base. Acidification usually helps to make myogelosis more easily and then does not dissolve these muscle hardening.
To sum it up: Everything that is animal is sour; Vegetables and fruits are basic. The Internet has many lists to help you choose the right foods. Also, a sufficient hydration in the form of still water and herbal tea is recommended. In order to do something naturopathic against the hyperacidity and thus to reduce muscle pain, the Schuessler salts No. 9 sodium phosphoricum and No. 10 Natrium sulfuricum help. Furthermore, the "hot sieves", at least once a day, recommended. For this, 10 pieces of the salt No. 7 Magnesium Phosphoricum in hot, boiled water are added, stirred with a plastic spoon and swallowed swallowed.
Massages can help with many forms of muscle aches, but they do not always provide relief. (Image: djoronimo / fotolia.com) Treatment options muscle hardening
Regular massages, physiotherapy, heat treatments and stimulation current therapy are all treatment options for muscle hardening. It is important that the inflammation, which has formed in the tissue and is also responsible for the sometimes massive muscle pain, is broken down. If the symptoms are bad, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. These have both analgesic and anti-inflammatory.
Myogelosis can also be related to mental health problems that commonly cause neck and shoulder tension and muscle aches. Here should be thought of regular relaxation. Meditation, yoga, autogenic training, or progressive muscle relaxation are good ways to solve the inner tension a little. Also helpful are aromatic baths with essential oils, such as lavender, lemon balm or rose.
Musculoskeletal injuries
Injuries to the muscles can cause massive muscle aches. These include bruises, strains, a torn muscle fiber or even a muscle tear. These injuries happen most often during sports. To prevent this, a sufficient warm-up and the appropriate sports or protective clothing is important. Especially with sports with fast direction changes, such as squash, tennis or football, such injuries can happen. If opponents are involved, bruises are easier to achieve than in sports that are conducted alone.
Muscle aches are often seen as a result of sports injuries, and the cause is usually relatively easy to diagnose. (Image: Andrey Popov / fotolia.com) thyroid disease
The thyroid produces the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. These have the most varied tasks in the body. As far as the muscles are concerned, they increase the protein consumption, the energy production and the tension and relaxation speed of the muscles. Accordingly, thyroid disorders such as hypo- or hyperthyroidism affect the musculature, which can cause muscle pain.
Autoimmune diseases
In autoimmune diseases, the body targets its own tissues and organs. An example of this is SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus. This results in a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, hair loss, lymphatic swelling, joint pain, muscle pain and much more. Another autoimmune disease that can also cause muscle pain is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland.
fibromyalgia
In fibromyalgia or the fibromyalgia syndrome, pain is in the foreground. These are mainly on tendon attachments and in the muscles. There are also complaints such as sleep disorders, tiredness, gastrointestinal problems, feelings of swelling and depressive moods. The resulting muscle pain can be quite severe. In the treatment of fibromyalgia is usually treated only symptomatically. The real cause of this disease is unknown.
In the naturopathic practice an attempt is made to see and treat fibromyalgia holistically. Therapeutic measures include foot reflexology, acupuncture, anthroposophic medicine and homeopathy. Add to that phytotherapy and aroma massage.
In fibromyalgia, for example, foot reflexology can provide relief. (Image: Werner / fotolia.com) Metabolic myopathies (metabolic disorders of the musculature)
Every muscle needs energy to keep up with its performance. In metabolic myopathy, this energy metabolism in the cells of the musculature is disturbed. Differences are disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, purine metabolism and a defect in the mitochondria (mitochondrial myopathies - mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells).
Depending on the severity of the condition, sufferers may experience muscle aches, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, reduced ability to endure, and protein in the urine. The symptoms are not always present but occur episodically.
In the treatment of metabolic myopathy endurance training, a specific diet and additional supplements of special dietary supplements are recommended.
Muscle inflammation - myositis
Myositis is a rare disease, an inflammation that occurs in skeletal muscle. The symptoms that occur are loss of strength in the arms and legs, muscle pain and possibly also swallowing disorders and skin symptoms.
The muscle inflammation may be hereditary or caused by a variety of pathogens. These include viruses, bacteria, parasites and toxins. Depending on the nature and severity of myositis, cortisone is the drug of choice. If necessary, immunosuppressants or immunoglobulins are administered. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy are also part of the treatment spectrum.
Flu or flu
A flu infection or flu is usually associated with complaints such as cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose, headache, general malaise, body aches or muscle pain. In the inflammation that prevails in the body, so-called messenger substances are released, which on the one hand stimulate the immune system, but on the other hand make the pain receptors more sensitive, which means that the pain threshold is lowered. This so-called hyperalgesia is the cause of the unpleasant limb and muscle pain.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is a disease transmitted by infected ticks. After transmission, the pathogens, the Borrelia, multiply, first in the skin, at the injection site. From there they migrate further into the body - the Borrelia spread and can attack the most diverse organs. The pathogens can, if left untreated, survive for years and cause repeated complaints.
Muscle pain is also part of the symptoms of Lyme disease transmitted by ticks. (Image: mirkograul / fotolia.com) The first manifestation can be seen in the place of the puncture. This is a circular redness around the stitch. However, this skin reaction does not necessarily occur. Often the first symptoms are generalized malaise, fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, and more. Unfortunately, it is not immediately thought of Lyme disease. Also, the first symptoms may show weeks to months after the sting. Then usually the nervous system is already infected.
Lyme disease is a serious condition that is extremely difficult to treat. There are now Lyme disease centers that specialize in the treatment of this disease.
osteoporosis
In osteoporosis, the interaction of bone formation and breakdown is disturbed. Initially, the disease goes quite unnoticed. Later, backache, muscle aches and increased fracture tendency are added.
menopause
The well-known menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, sleep disturbances, depressive moods, digestive problems, and body weight issues. However, many women also suffer from joint pain and muscle pain during this time. First, the progesterone in the woman's body becomes less and then the estrogen. These hormone changes are "to blame" on the complaints.
Naturopathy has many plants ready to help the woman. Agnus castus (Chasteberry), Cimicifuga (black cohosh), lavender, lemon balm, sage, Siberian rhubarb root, Apis mellifica (honeybee) and flaxseed are just a few examples. Furthermore, acupuncture, foot reflexology and the Schuessler salts can serve well.
Medicines as causes of muscle pain
The drugs that can cause muscle pain include beta-blockers, statins (drugs that lower blood lipids), diuretics, neuroleptics and muscle relaxants that are used to induce inhalation anesthesia.
Various medications can lead to muscle aches. (Image: BillionPhotos.com/fotolia.com) Summary
In summary, it can be said that many muscle causes, as you could read, come into question. Not always is there something bad behind it. For mild muscle pain, the mentioned Schüßler salts no. 7 and no. 19 are definitely worth a try. Applied externally, a high-quality magnesium oil or a magnesium gel are a good choice. However, if the muscle aches regularly and / or are very violent, then the cause should definitely be clarified by a doctor. (Sw)