Understanding Muscle Pain Related to Injury

Muscle pain can be caused by many different factors, including the flu, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, overuse, and injury. While most muscle pain goes away on its own, some pain can linger for months at a time. Depending on the cause, common muscle pain regions are the back, neck, legs, and hands. Here we discuss the types of muscle pain related to overuse and minor injuries and what happens to muscles when they are in this condition.

Muscle Pain from Overuse

Muscle overuse is a common cause among athletes and people who are training for competition. It is also common among individuals who push themselves too hard doing yardwork, housework, and at construction jobsites. Common causes of these injuries are training and technique errors. Recovering from an overused muscle can be a slow process, and it can take more than a month to recover to full strength again.

Muscle Pain from Injuries

It’s important to distinguish between muscle soreness and muscle pain to treat the symptoms effectively. Soreness is marked by tenderness and a minimal dull ache, while muscle pain is a sharp pain that is felt while at rest and during exercise. Muscle strains from minor injuries involve damage to muscles and often involve tearing of the fibers and tendons attached to a muscle. Symptoms of muscle strain include swelling, bruising, pain during use and at rest, weakness, and an inability to use the muscle.

Why Muscles in This Condition Cause Pain

Both of these conditions occur when the muscles are subjected to extreme or prolonged stress. Some experts believe that strength loss is caused by force-bearing structures of muscle cells, combined with inflammation that breaks down muscle tissue. Other studies suggest that there is a net loss of protein from overused muscles that slows healing and causes pain. Injured muscles heal quite differently from bones, in that they heal with collagen and create scar tissue that is not as strong as the original muscle. Scar tissue tends to be less elastic and more prone to future injury as well. All of these factors can make muscle damage very painful.

Muscle Pain Relief Strategies

There are many different approaches to treating muscle pain, such as prescription and non-prescription medication, topical gels, Epsom salt baths, massage, acupuncture, and diets rich in magnesium to support muscle health. Resting overworked or injured muscles, applying ice packs, and eating a diet rich in lean proteins are recommended strategies as well. An effective source of muscle pain relief is acetaminophen, which inhibits the synthesis of chemical messengers that transmit pain signals within the body. Aspirin is another pain reliever that is commonly recommended for aches and pains because it travels through the body to the pain site to inhibit the enzyme that produces pain sensations and blocks nerve signaling to the brain. And studies show that a small amount of caffeine can fight pain more effectively than just a painkiller alone. Vanquish combines all three of these pain strategies to deliver fast relief without a prescription. Discuss these options with a doctor to determine the right type of treatment for symptoms of muscle pain.