Muscle Pain!!!

Muscle pain is also known as myofascial pain syndrome which is just another fancy way of naming it.

It is referred as pain and inflammation in body's soft tissues.

Muscle pain is a chronic condition that affects the connective tissue that covers the muscle tissue.

Muscle pain or as it is called myofascial pain syndrome may involve either a single muscle or a muscle group.

The area where the muscle pain is generated may not be where a person experiences a pain.

The main site of the injury influences the development of a trigger point that causes pain in other areas.

This situation is called as referred pain.

The symptoms of muscle pain usually involve muscle pain with specific "trigger" or "tender" points.

The pain can grow from bad to worse with activity or stress.

Also along with the local or regional pain which is associated with myofascial pain syndrome, the people with this disorder also may suffer from depression, fatigue and behavioural disturbances.

Muscle pain is generally developed from a muscle injury or from excessive strain in a particular muscle(muscle group), ligament or tendon.

The other causes generally include injury to intervertebral disc, general fatigue, and repetitive motions, medical conditions which includes heart attack, stomach irritation, and lack of activity such as a broken arm in a sling.

The tender points can be identified by pain that results when pressure is applied to an area of a person's body.

Four types of tender points can be distinguished in the diagnosis of myofascial pain syndrome.

An active tender point is an area of extreme tenderness that usually lies within the skeletal muscle and which is associated with a local or regional pain.

A latent trigger point is a dormant (inactive) area that has the potential to act as a tender point.

The secondary trigger point is the highly irritable patch in a muscle which can become active due to a trigger point and muscular overload in another muscle.

A satellite myofascial point is a highly irritable spot in a muscle that becomes inactive as the muscle is in the region of another tender pain.

Muscle pain usually involves ligaments, tendons, and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones, and organs.

Muscle pains are common and can involve more than one muscle.

It is most frequently related to tension, overuse, or muscle injury from exercise or physically-demanding work.

The pain tends to involve specific muscles and starts during or just after the activity.

It is generally obvious which activity is causing the pain.

It can be a sign of conditions affecting your whole body, like some infections (including the flu) and disorders that affect connective tissues throughout the body (such as lupus).

Rest is required for the muscle pain that occurs that occurs from overuse and injury.

Pain killers can also be taken for some immediate relief.

An example of such pain relief tablets is ibrufen tablets.

Sometimes if the pain is very serious immediately doctor should consulted.

However excessive usage of pain killers should not be done as it has harmful side-effects.

Regular exercise can help restore proper muscle tone.

Walking, cycling, and swimming are good aerobic activities should be done on a regular basis.

A physical therapist can be consulted for teaching stretching, toning, and aerobic exercises to feel better and stay pain-free.

Workouts should begin slowly and increase gradually.

High-impact aerobic activities and weight lifting when injured or while in pain should be avoided as it can worsen the condition.

Plenty of sleep and reduction of stress should be assured.

Yoga and meditation are excellent ways to help someone sleep and relax.

Muscle pains should not be avoided.

It should be taken care from the very beginning.

Muscle pain is actually very delicate and should be treated delicately.

If ignored it gradually goes on increasing and may make the person almost restricted to bed.

Ointments which relief pain can be used but with a doctor's advice only.

However pain due to clotting of blood is not muscle pain.

There is a lot of difference between these two though the pains in both these cases are almost similar.

Muscle pain is also different from pain due fracture of bone or ligaments.

An x-ray report can actually clear the doubt whether the pain is due to muscle injury or bone injury.

There are many ways in which muscle pain can be prevented.

Warming up before exercising and cool down afterward, stretching before and after exercising, drinking lots of fluids before, during, and after exercise, if work is in the same position most of the day (like sitting at a computer), stretching should be done at least every hour.

Though muscle pain is not very serious but it takes time to get healed.

Proper treatment can lead to quick recovery from the muscle pain.