Muscle Pain natural remedies

Well, weekend jock, you've overdone it, and your body is letting you know. Over working muscles causes the muscle fibers to actually break down, says sports medicine expert and world class runner Joan Ullyot, M.D., author of women's running and running free. "Ideally, you should be able to get in to shape without getting stiff and sore," she says. "But most of us believe we have to overdo it so we feel like we've done something." In addition to the tiny tears that occur in muscle fibers, the muscles swell slightly, and the accumulation of muscle break down products like enzymes contribute to the feeling of stiffness and soreness.

Another common source of muscle pain is a cramp, an acute spasm of the muscle that can send you to the ground clutching the offending muscle and howling in pain. Muscle cramps can be caused by anything that interferes with the mechanisms that cause muscles to contract and relax. "Muscle cramping means not enough blood is getting to the area," explains Ellen Nona Hoyven, PT., physical therapist and owner and director of Ortho Sport Physical Therapy Pc. in Clackamas, Oregon. "The muscle objects with pain."

Knowing how muscles contract and relax can help you understand why muscle cramps occur and how to prevent them. To cause muscles to contract, the brain sends an electric "contract" message via nerves to muscles. When this signal reaches the muscle, the minerals sodium and calcium inside the muscle and potassium outside the muscle move and cause the signal to flow along the muscle, making it contract. For muscles to contract and relax properly, they need the right concentrations of minerals as well as adequate supplies of fat, sugar, and oxygen.

Michael Martindale, L.PT., a physical therapist at the Sports Medicine Center of Portland Adventist Medical Center in Oregon, says, "A muscle goes into spasm because you've traumatized it some how. Often, it's a sign the muscle has depleted its glycogen, its energy supply, and that there are too many waste products in the area. In response, the muscle goes into spasm. The spasms, in turn, decrease the blood flow, which causes pain. The pain then causes more spasm, which causes even more pain." While muscle soreness and cramps aren't life threatening, they can be very bothersome. Here are some tips to ease the pain and prevent the problem from recurring.

Stop the Activity Pronto : If your muscle cramps up while you're exercising, stop the activity. Don't try to "run through" a muscle cramp. "If you try to keep going while you have a cramp," says Ullyot, "you're likely to really injure the muscle by pulling or tearing it."

Give it a Stretch and Squeeze : When you get a cramp, stretch the cramped muscle with one hand while you gently knead and squeeze the center of the muscle (you can feel a knot) with the fingers of the other hand. "You want to stretch the cramped muscle in the opposite direction from the way it's contracted," explains Hoyven. "For example, if you have a cramp in the calf muscle, put your foot flat on the ground and lean forward. If you can't stand on your leg, sit on the ground and stretch the toes up toward the knee."
Walk it Out : Once an acute cramp passes, don't start exercising heavily right away. Instead, walk for a few minutes to get the blood flowing back into the muscles.
Sip Quinine Tonic : Ullyot says many competitive swimmers drink quinine tonic water to prevent cramps. Quinine was once used to treat malarial cramping. While there may not be scientific studies to support drinking quinine tonic for muscle cramps, Ullyot says, "If it's a placebo, it's one that really seems to work." You might want to give it a try and see if it works for you.

Go Bananas : Chrissy Kane, L.P.T., a physical therapist in the Outpatient Physical Therapy Department at Providence Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, says, "Sometimes a lack of potassium in the muscles can cause muscle cramps." If you're plagued by frequent cramping, Kane recommends that you eat a banana a day to increase your potassium intake and keep the cramps at bay.

Chill Out : If you know you've over exercised, immediately take a cold shower or a cold bath to reduce the trauma to muscles, says Martindale. World class Australian runner Jack Foster used to hose off his legs with cold water after a hard run. He told skeptics if it was good enough for race horses, it was good enough for him. Several Olympic runners are known for taking icy plunges after a tough workout, insisting that it prevents muscle soreness and stiffness. If an icy dip seems too much for you, Hoyven says ice packs work well, too. She recommends applying cold packs for 20 to 30 minutes at a time every hour. "Cold constricts the blood vessels and shunts blood away from the injured muscles, which reduces inflammation," she explains. "The cold numbs the surface skin and superficial structures in the area, which reduces pain. It also causes what we call a 'reflex inhibition' of the muscles, causing them to relax."

Avoid Heat : Cold can reduce muscle trauma, but heat can increase muscle soreness and stiffness, says Hoyven, especially during the first 24 hours after overdoing it. "Heat may feel good," she says, "but it increases circulation to the area, causing blood vessels to dilate and fluid to accumulate. If you use it too long, it causes congestion in the area and more soreness and stiffness." If you absolutely can't resist using heat on those sore muscles, Hoyven suggests that you don't use it for more than 20 minutes every hour. Or, better yet, try contrast therapy-apply a hot pad for four minutes and an ice pack for one minute. After three or four days, when the swelling and soreness have subsided, Martindale says you can resume hot baths.

Take an Anti-Inflammatory : Aspirin and ibuprofen are great for reducing muscle inflammation, says Ullyot. Follow the directions on the label. If aspirin upsets your stomach, try the coated variety. Over the counter aspirin creams can also reduce pain and inflammation. They're greaseless and usually won't irritate the skin.

Do Easy Stretches : When you're feeling sore and stiff, the last thing you want to do is move, but it's the first thing you should do, says Martindale. "Studies have shown that light exercise the day after over exercising really helps," he says. "But take it really easy. Stretch gently and do only 20 minutes or so of easy walking."

Take a Swim : Ullyot says one of the best remedies for sore muscles is swimming. "The cold water helps the muscle inflammation, and the stretching helps take out the kinks," she says.
Anticipate Second Day Soreness : You may feel a little stiff or sore a few hours after over exercising, but you'll probably feel even worse two days afterward. Don't panic. It's perfectly normal. "We call it delayed-onset muscle soreness," explains Martindale.90 Seconds to Muscle Pain Relief: The Fold and Hold Method

Drink plenty of Fluids : One cause of acute cramps, especially when you're exercising during hot weather for an hour or longer, is dehydration. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after exercising. Ullyot recommends drinking at least half a cup of water every couple of miles.
Think Twice About Sports Drinks : Ullyot says you really don't need them unless you're exercising for longer than an hour at a time. "Water is best absorbed by the body," she says. "For most people, drinking water is better than drinking sports drinks." Martindale also says it's important to replace lost fluids if you've over exercised. So turn on the tap and drink up.

Pass The Bouillon : If you know you're going to be exercising for longer than an hour in hot weather, Ullyot says you can prevent muscle cramps by drinking a cup of beef or chicken bouillon before exercising. "You can drink bouillon instead of sports drinks to replace the sodium you'll lose through sweating," she says.
Massage It : Gentle massage, done a day or two after a hard workout, can help ease sore, stiff muscles, says Ullyot. "Massage is wonderful for bringing circulation to the area," she says. However, if it is done too forcefully or too soon after the workout, massage can actually increase soreness and may even cause injury.

Avoid "Hot" And "Cold" Creams : The pharmacy and supermarket shelves are loaded with topical "sports" creams designed to ease sore, stiff muscles. Unfortunately, they don't do much, according to Martindale. "Although those topical creams may feel good, physiologically they don't do anything," he explains. "They just cause a chemical reaction on the skin that gives the feeling of warm or cold, but they don't actually heat or cool the tissues." If you do use the topical sports creams, test a small patch of skin first to make sure you're not allergic, and never use these topicals with hot pads, because they can cause serious burns.
Wrap up : In cold weather, you can often prevent muscle cramping by keeping the muscles warm with adequate clothing. Layered clothing offers the best insulating value by trapping air between the layers. Some people like the compression and warmth offered by running tights.

Warm up Your Muscles : One way to prevent muscle cramping and injuries is to warm up muscles before exercise. Instead of stretching first, walk a little or bike slowly to "prewarm" the muscles. Then do a series of stretches appropriate for the exercise you're going to be doing. Even if you're only chopping wood or working in the garden, stretching before the activity will get your muscles ready for work and help prevent muscle cramping.

Learn Your Limits : The key to preventing muscle pain, soreness, and stiffness, says Martindale, is to learn your limits. "You don't have to overdo it to exercise," he says. "If you're feeling sore and stiff afterwards, you know you're doing too much. Take your time. Build up over several weeks. Learn what your body can and can't do, and pay attention to those limits."

Michael Russell writes for Diseases-treatment.com which can be found at http://www.diseases-treatment.com.. On this site you will find information on diseases and tips for curing them with remedies available.