Dealing With Debilitating Muscle Pain
Muscle pain also called myalgia, can affect anywhere on the body and it can be mild to debilitating. Dealing with debilitating muscle pain can be stressful, so let’s look at some tips for relief of muscle joint pain.
Tips for Relief of Muscle Joint Pain
There are many cause of muscle pain but one of the main reasons is overuse. When a muscle is overused it develops tiny tears. When a muscle is seriously overworked they develop many tiny tears causing debilitating muscle pain. Muscle joint pain can also occur as a result of an accident or injury.However, overuse is not the only cause of debilitating muscle pain. Conditions like fibromyalgia where the pain develops in the fibrous muscle tissue can be so painful that even with a good night’s sleep you are more tired than when you woke up. There’s a tad bit of irony here since with fibromyalgia under use can create significant pain just as over use can.
No matter what the cause of your muscle pain getting relief is important.
RICE
The first thing to do when an injury occurs is to use the basic RICE formula. Rice stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.- Rest – Stop all activity responsible for the pain or aggravating the pain.
- Ice – Apply ice to the area many times a day for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Ice reduces the swelling, damage done by inflammation, and internal bleeding. Do not put the ice directly on your skin; instead place a thin cotton cloth between the skin and ice pack. After about 5 minutes you can remove the cloth.
- Compression – Wrap the sprained area to reduce the swelling. If you cannot wrap the area, cold water can also reduce swelling.
- Elevation – If possible elevate the injured area to the level of the heart. The really applies to foot, leg, and ankle injuries.
- Cold/Heat Therapy – After 48 hours switch to applying heat followed by 15 minutes of icing.
Exercise
Exercise is a tool that is overlooked far too often. The exercise does not have to be strenuous but what it does need to do is stretch the muscle and gets the blood flowing to reduce muscle twitching and cramping, which is very painful.Massage
A gentle massage in the area of the muscle joint pain combined with icing the area can reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling. A hot bath prior to the massage can help to loosen the muscles. You can have a friends or partner perform the massage, or you can book an appointment with a massage therapist.Over the Counter Medications
Over the counter medications such as Advil or Motrin have anti-inflammatory qualities that can reduce pain and swelling. Medications like Tylenol also have a muscle ache formula that can control pain in a different way. Over the Counter medications may not provide enough relief. Then you will need to see your physician for strong prescription medications.Prescription Medications
Chronic debilitating muscle pain can be prescribed. Each person is different so you will need drug therapy tailored to you. These drugs can include OxyContin, Neurontin, Naproxen, Celebrex, Percocet, and Robaxin to name just a few. Your doctor has many choices so don’t give up if the first prescribed medication doesn’t work.Dealing with debilitating muscle pain requires action. Don’t wait hoping it will go away. Instead begin to try different treatments to see which provides the greatest relief from muscle joint pain, and remember exercise can play a key role.
