Front-Shop Magazine

Muscle Pain & Stiffness

Frieda Kilian BA (Hons), Dip IMM.

It’s nearly Summer time, which means that a lot of people will be heading to the gym or considering some form of exercise in order get fit or lose weight. This could bring them into the pharmacy in order to get some pain relief for the initial muscle pain and stiffness that is likely to occur.

Prevalence
The stiffness resulting from any kind of exercise is not the only reason for muscle pain as there are many other reasons or causes for it. Bearing in mind that the body has 650 muscles, from the tiny facial muscles to the strong muscles in the thighs, and even bending wrong to pick up an object or a child can result in a muscle strain that will be painful for quite a few days.

Muscle aches and pains can involve more than one muscle. Muscle pain also can involve ligaments, tendons, and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones, and organs.

Some muscle pain is experienced by all humans at any point in time, some worse than others, and some that will leave a person in short term agony for a few days. Avoiding use of that particularly painful part of the anatomy becomes an art form as the brain does not want the body to experience pain if it can be avoided.

Signs and Symptoms
Pain is normally classified as either acute (of short duration) or chronic (lasts for more than 3 months).
A muscle strain is normally of short duration and the worst pain will improve by day three. Straining the same muscles or muscle group could eventually result in a chronically painful situation that will require some form of medical attention or corrective action.

Physical therapy may be helpful in both situations, once again depending on the severity of the injury.

Prevention
Aching muscles usually recover quite quickly, and below are a few ideas on what to do in event of a muscle injury.

Exercise:
When deciding to follow an exercise regimen, it is essential to warm up before exercising and cooling down afterwards and this includes stretching before and after as well. Take in enough water or fluid to remain well hydrated.

Computer work
When sitting in front of the computer, get up at least once an hour to stretch and relax muscles. Any other kind of office work or where the body remains in the same position should follow the same procedure; get up and stretch to give relief to the muscles that are being used over and over again.

Some cold comfort
The tried and trusted remedy for aching muscles would be to apply ice or a cold compress as it constricts blood vessels and slow the flow of blood which prevents swelling.

Elevating the painful muscle above the level of the heart would help prevent swelling and ease the pain.

Rubbing the muscle is an excellent way of easing the aches and pains. Massaging it personally or going for a massage will relieve the pain, improve the blood flow and help carry away muscle waste products that are causing the pain. In general it is safe to massage muscle injuries, unless it is too painful.

For quite severe pain, doctors recommend compressing the muscle by wrapping it with a bandage or a special compress bandage. This gentle pressure will help prevent swelling and inflammation. Take care not to wrap it too tightly as this can restrict blood flow and could cut off circulation.

Treatment option
There are several products and different treatment options available that will safely treat muscle strain. These can be used in conjunction with the therapies mentioned above if so desired.

Oral versus Topical
There are topical products that can be rubbed into the general area of the muscle pain, or there are oral products that will systemically take care of the pain.

For sore muscles that are the result of overexertion, a topical solution may be the most logical as only the affected area is then treated.

Topical treatments have traditionally been in the form of ointments and salves mixed with healing herbs. Today’s muscle rubs are the more modern form of those recipes and quite a few others have an anti-inflammatory active ingredient that can be absorbed transdermally.

Whereas some rubs have a very strong smell, others have a slight odor that disappears soon after it has been applied and absorption is rapid. The modern gels are absorbed within minutes and do not leave an oily residue on the skin either.

Menthol, clove oil and camphor are often used in topical gels and creams and can be best described as ‘irritating’ ingredients as they cause a mild stinging sensation that some people feel as heat and others as a chill. They work by distracting the nerves and sending a heat/chilling message to the brain, and the nerves can then not carry the sore muscle message at the same time.

Salicylate – this is the active ingredient of aspirin.
If you are avoiding aspirin for any reason, you should avoid topical preparations containing salicylate. Otherwise, it is very effective applied right to the source of the pain, and also serves to reduce inflammation that may be the cause of much of the pain.

There are gels or creams that contain indomethacin (Ado-Indogel or Elmetacin, ibuprofen (Nurofen Gel),  or diclofenac diethylammon (Voltaren Emulgel). In addition there is a patch that contains flurbiprofen (Transact) that can be applied to the skin and removed after 12 hours.

Oral treatment that can be considered could be an analgesic that will ease the pain (a paracetamol such as Panado); anti inflammatory drugs (such as Advil or Nurofen) that will ease the inflammation and have an analgesic and antipyretic effect as well. Aspirin (Disprin) is both analgesic and anti-inflammatory and falls in the same class. Various other combination painkillers are available as well.

If the muscle pain is the result of bruising rather than overexertion, herbal preparations that contain arnica or comfrey can be sondisdered. Arnica stimulates the circulation and speeds the re-absorption of the blood that makes up the bruise.

Referral
As with all health problems that appear small and can be treated at home, always bear in mind that the services of a healthcare practitioner should be considered when:

• A sprain, rather than a strain is suspected and there is immediate swelling and tenderness
• The muscle pain persists beyond 3 days
• There is severe, unexplained pain
• Any sign of infection like redness and swelling is visible around the tender muscle
• There is poor circulation in the area where the pain is
• The muscle pain was not caused by a sprain or strain and the origin is unknown and the pain quite severe.

Conclusion
Muscle sprains and strains are part of everyday life. Most strains are quite treatable and the pain and discomfort is short term. Bending should be done with the knees and not the back to avoid back strain and mild forms of regular exercise can help prevent sudden unexpected injuries caused by a burst of energy that is used indiscriminately at the gym or ‘hitting the road’ with a pair of poor running shoes.

Enjoy a fit and healthy summer!