Localized Muscle Pain
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29/9/2019
Written By: Ryan Chan |
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In the previous article, we talked about the self-care strategies on managing localized pain. Just a short recap on the two kinds of general muscle pain.
So what are localized muscle pain?
The most common causes for localized pain are over usage, tension, stress, adaptation and minor injuries. Here are some of the common examples:
Overuse – Results from frequent strenuous exercises without giving the body and muscles sufficient rest time to recover. This thus causes tension and stress to build up and overtime results in soreness and pain.
Cramp/Spasm – A sudden involuntary muscle contraction or tightening. This is usually accompanied by intense pain lasting for the duration of the cramp/spasm. It is however unclear as to what exactly causes this but some of the possible triggers are:
- Improper stretching
- Sudden activation of muscle
- Muscle fatigue
- Dehydration
- Insufficient salt and electrolytes within muscles
Strain/Sprain – This can be due to a sudden movement or sudden increase of force output in which the body wasn’t prepared to handle. It can also be a result of the muscle being overused. This is usually accompanied by the feeling of sharp or tearing sensation. Swelling or bruising may occur as well.
Bruise – An impact deal against the muscle resulting in blood vessels bursting, trapping blood below the skin’s surface and may become swollen and discolored. In some cases, a hematoma (collection of blood) can form around the injured muscle.
Stress – Stress results in a decrease in the body's immune system and hinders the recovery process. This results in your body being less efficient to fight off diseases as well as to recover from the damages done to your body in your activities of daily living. Muscle ache may result as your body is unable to recover well.
Some symptoms of stress include:
- Heart palpitation or increased heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Headaches
- Feeling breathless or hyperventilating
It is also worth noting that during times of stress, we tend to tense up our muscles resulting in tightness and soreness. Thus it is important to take note of our stress level and body posture during this time to minimize the negative effect it has on our body. If you wish to know more about how desk-bounded work can cause muscle tension, check out this article!
Post Exercise Muscle Soreness / Delay Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) – It is the distinctive muscle pain you feel the day after a workout session. The pain is often located at the muscle group you were working on during your training. It is absolutely normal as it is a result of micro-tears in your muscle fibres, as well as the accumulation of waste products, resulted from your workout. The pain can usually be felt 24 to 72 hours after your training and typically peaks around 48 hours’ post-workout. DOMS can also be accompanied by muscle tenderness, stiffness, and loss of strength.
It is very common for one to have DOMS if you are just starting to work out or have not been working out for a long time. This is because your body is still adjusting to the new training intensity and have not yet been the condition to the new stimulant. When your muscles are damaged, amino acids (building blocks of protein) are recruited to repair them. Your body recognizes that the muscle will be subjected to a similar stimulus again thus will rebuild it to be bigger and stronger to adapt to the new stimulus. However, your body gets used to the increased activity intensity quickly as well as the pain threshold. Thus DOMS should lessen over time as you exercise more regularly.
One is more susceptible to DOMS you are:
- Unused to exercising
- Trying a new exercise
- Exercising more intensely
- Failing to warm up or cool down properly
If you wish to know more about how to reduce this soreness, check out this article!
- Localized – Affecting just a few muscles or a small part of the body.
- Systemic – Pain is felt throughout the body and is often the result of an infection, illness or medication.
So what are localized muscle pain?
The most common causes for localized pain are over usage, tension, stress, adaptation and minor injuries. Here are some of the common examples:
Overuse – Results from frequent strenuous exercises without giving the body and muscles sufficient rest time to recover. This thus causes tension and stress to build up and overtime results in soreness and pain.
Cramp/Spasm – A sudden involuntary muscle contraction or tightening. This is usually accompanied by intense pain lasting for the duration of the cramp/spasm. It is however unclear as to what exactly causes this but some of the possible triggers are:
- Improper stretching
- Sudden activation of muscle
- Muscle fatigue
- Dehydration
- Insufficient salt and electrolytes within muscles
Strain/Sprain – This can be due to a sudden movement or sudden increase of force output in which the body wasn’t prepared to handle. It can also be a result of the muscle being overused. This is usually accompanied by the feeling of sharp or tearing sensation. Swelling or bruising may occur as well.
Bruise – An impact deal against the muscle resulting in blood vessels bursting, trapping blood below the skin’s surface and may become swollen and discolored. In some cases, a hematoma (collection of blood) can form around the injured muscle.
Stress – Stress results in a decrease in the body's immune system and hinders the recovery process. This results in your body being less efficient to fight off diseases as well as to recover from the damages done to your body in your activities of daily living. Muscle ache may result as your body is unable to recover well.
Some symptoms of stress include:
- Heart palpitation or increased heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Headaches
- Feeling breathless or hyperventilating
It is also worth noting that during times of stress, we tend to tense up our muscles resulting in tightness and soreness. Thus it is important to take note of our stress level and body posture during this time to minimize the negative effect it has on our body. If you wish to know more about how desk-bounded work can cause muscle tension, check out this article!
Post Exercise Muscle Soreness / Delay Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) – It is the distinctive muscle pain you feel the day after a workout session. The pain is often located at the muscle group you were working on during your training. It is absolutely normal as it is a result of micro-tears in your muscle fibres, as well as the accumulation of waste products, resulted from your workout. The pain can usually be felt 24 to 72 hours after your training and typically peaks around 48 hours’ post-workout. DOMS can also be accompanied by muscle tenderness, stiffness, and loss of strength.
It is very common for one to have DOMS if you are just starting to work out or have not been working out for a long time. This is because your body is still adjusting to the new training intensity and have not yet been the condition to the new stimulant. When your muscles are damaged, amino acids (building blocks of protein) are recruited to repair them. Your body recognizes that the muscle will be subjected to a similar stimulus again thus will rebuild it to be bigger and stronger to adapt to the new stimulus. However, your body gets used to the increased activity intensity quickly as well as the pain threshold. Thus DOMS should lessen over time as you exercise more regularly.
One is more susceptible to DOMS you are:
- Unused to exercising
- Trying a new exercise
- Exercising more intensely
- Failing to warm up or cool down properly
If you wish to know more about how to reduce this soreness, check out this article!
How can you manage the pain?
1. R.I.C.E Protocol
Useful For: Muscle overuse and injuries such as strain, sprain, bruise
The R.I.C.E method, acronym for rest, ice, compression, and elevation, is a simple self-care method that helps to reduce swelling, relieve pain and speed up recovery.
2. Massage
Useful For: Muscle overuse, Tension, Stress, DOMS
Massaging helps to regenerate and release the fascia, muscles, and tendons that are tight. It also helps to promote greater blood flow, allowing more nutrients to be fed to the muscle for recovery and washing off by-products that are produced due to the constant muscle contraction which results in soreness.
3. Stretching
Useful For: Tension, Stress
Stress especially causes tightening of the muscle and restricts blood flow. Through stretching, a muscle can return to their healthy length, improving mobility and elasticity which allows for more relaxed movement and less tension throughout the body. Stretching also stimulates receptors in the nervous system to decrease the production of stress hormones. For more information on how stretching can help prevent injury, check out this article!
More detailed explanation for self-care strategies to manage pain can be found here.
Useful For: Muscle overuse and injuries such as strain, sprain, bruise
The R.I.C.E method, acronym for rest, ice, compression, and elevation, is a simple self-care method that helps to reduce swelling, relieve pain and speed up recovery.
2. Massage
Useful For: Muscle overuse, Tension, Stress, DOMS
Massaging helps to regenerate and release the fascia, muscles, and tendons that are tight. It also helps to promote greater blood flow, allowing more nutrients to be fed to the muscle for recovery and washing off by-products that are produced due to the constant muscle contraction which results in soreness.
3. Stretching
Useful For: Tension, Stress
Stress especially causes tightening of the muscle and restricts blood flow. Through stretching, a muscle can return to their healthy length, improving mobility and elasticity which allows for more relaxed movement and less tension throughout the body. Stretching also stimulates receptors in the nervous system to decrease the production of stress hormones. For more information on how stretching can help prevent injury, check out this article!
More detailed explanation for self-care strategies to manage pain can be found here.
When to see a doctor
With all the self-care strategies mentioned above, it is important to note that under certain conditions, you should have a doctor assess the severity of ongoing muscle aches. Muscle aches and pains that are severe or do not resolve may be a symptom of an underlying condition that requires medical assessment and treatment. This includes:
It is also crucial to seek immediate medical assistance if muscle pain is accompanied by:
- Signs of infection, such as redness and swelling
- Tick bite
- Develop a rash
- Muscle pain resulted from medication
It is also crucial to seek immediate medical assistance if muscle pain is accompanied by:
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty swallowing
- Feeling dizzy or nausea
- Stiff neck and high fever
- Inability to move the affected area
- Reduction in urine volume or sudden water retention
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