Injuries or rigorous physical activities that put an excessive amount of tension on the muscles can produce soreness. Most patients who experience this pain might notice common symptoms like stiffness in the affected area, difficulty breathing, dizziness, or swelling from infection.
In severe cases, the patient may become ill and gain damage to their kidneys, which can affect their daily activities at school or work. Therefore, they must manage this condition as soon as possible to prevent further injuries.
This article provides you with five effective methods for managing muscle soreness.
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Go For A Massage
A massage is an activity that involves kneading and rubbing a targeted area of a body. In this process, massage oil products are useful for the masseur because they allow them to perform different strokes that can warm muscle tissues. As a result, it can reduce stress, relieve tension, and improve blood circulation.
Since massages help relieve tension, those who experience muscle soreness must definitely get a massage. Alternatively, you can use your hands to apply light pressure to the affected area or use designed self-massaging tools to target particular muscle parts. These devices may include advanced massage guns, heated and back massagers, and cold rollers to ease pain in the abdomen, head, neck, glutes, and hips.
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Call A Doctor
While self-massage is helpful if a patient has mild pain, this activity can be unsafe for most people. They may be experiencing unbearable muscle pain that causes a high fever, severe muscle weakness, trouble breathing, or stiff neck. In that case, they need to ask a family member to contact a local doctor that will examine their condition and recommend treatment.
The advantage of seeking medical assistance from an orthopedic doctor for muscle soreness is that the patient will undergo careful examination. After having a proper diagnosis, this professional will recommend effective over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers like ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen sodium to reduce muscle inflammation.
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Eat Protein And Antioxidants
Proteins are giant molecules that serve various crucial tasks in the body. Protein-rich food includes seeds, meat, dairy products, almonds, legumes, eggs, fish, and grains. When athletes consume enough protein daily before and after intensive training, they can strengthen their muscle fibers and reduce the effect of muscle soreness.
Similarly, an antioxidant is a substance that fights free radicals in the body that might cause severe damage to the cells. Some antioxidant-high foods include cabbage, avocados, lettuce, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and kale. When people experiencing muscle soreness add these healthy substances to their diet, they can lessen the impact of soreness and enhance their muscle recovery.
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Drink Water
Proper hydration is vital for patients who suffer from muscle soreness because it speeds up the effectiveness of physical therapy. Water flushes toxins from the body and carries nutrients into the cells, helping regulate body temperature. In turn, the regulated temperature can increase the blood circulation within the muscles, which reduces muscle soreness.
To know how much water an affected individual must drink to stay hydrated, they should check their body weight. After that, they must measure half of their weight and apply that number to the ounces of liquid they should take to assist in the healing of their sore muscles. To improve the taste of their drinks and motivate them to boost their intake, they should consider adding lemon, cucumber, herbal caffeine-free tea, or any frozen fruit.
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Take Plenty Of Rest
Sleep is a physically regenerative activity where the body can restore and recreate new molecules. When a patient experiences sore muscles but follows a good sleep routine, they will be able to generate new cells that will help them recover quickly. Since their bodies aren’t tense from intense activities, they also prevent their muscles from causing more pressure and adding more pain.
Since getting enough sleep helps manage muscle soreness, affected individuals must adopt healthy sleeping habits to fully recover from this condition. If possible, they must consider turning off any nearby device that might interrupt their sleep and should aim to have at least seven hours of rest. If they’re still finding it hard to achieve deep sleep, they may practice slow breathing and take a bath of salt before going to bed so they can have a better night’s sleep, allowing their muscles to be restored.
Key Takeaway
Developing sore muscles can be such a painful experience, especially for those who work out or regularly train for a major athletic competition. Therefore, they should learn to manage soreness by following these five methods. They can find out the leading cause of this condition by visiting a therapist. In addition, by eating plenty of nutritious foods, they can reduce the impact of their injuries.