Here are the most effective ways to forestall excruciating pain — and keep them from coming back.
Photo: © ChesiireCat/Getty Images
What is the explanation for the pain?
Exercising without properly warming up the muscles can result in soreness. Pain also occurs when a muscle is unable to chill out properly (equivalent to from a scarcity of magnesium or potassium in your weight-reduction plan) or when it becomes irritated by a build-up of lactic acid (which may occur if you happen to don’t rest your muscles after exercising an excessive amount of). Dehydration can worsen each of those problems. Older adults often don’t drink enough water at night because they wish to avoid going to the lavatory, they usually turn out to be dehydrated, says Kale.
Reduced blood flow to muscles can even cause pain. This will be brought on by atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries to your legs. It can even occur resulting from strange reasons. “Some people say they get pain at night if their feet stick out under the blanket,” says Kale.
Damaged nerves that turn out to be tangled resulting from neurological conditions (equivalent to Parkinson’s disease, neuropathy, or spinal problems that compress nerves within the lower back) can even cause pain. Even common foot problems (like flat arches) can do that.
Finally, says Kale, pain can sometimes be brought on by certain medications, equivalent to diuretics, which may cause each dehydration and mineral imbalances. On the opposite hand, statin drugs may cause persistent muscle pain, but they rarely cause pain.
Relief from pain
Learn some stretches that provide fast pain relief.
Kale’s shortcut for nighttime leg cramps within the calf: “Sit on the bed, loop a blanket around your foot, and gently pull your toes toward you while keeping the knee straight,” she suggests.
Alternatively, for pain within the front of the lower leg, simply stand on the sting of the bed, put your weight in your feet, and lift your heels; It gently stretches tight muscles.
For back pain, Kale recommends the “child’s pose” yoga posture (see “Move of the Month”).
For hamstring pain (behind the thigh), sit on the ground along with your legs prolonged in front of you. Slide your hands down your legs until you’re feeling a tingling sensation within the tight muscles. Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly return to a sitting position.
After you have stretched your muscles, Kiel recommends applying a heating pad to the world to advertise blood flow. Then gently massage the muscles.
Move of the Month: Backward: Child’s Pose
Motion: Get in your hands and knees, then exhale. With your hands on the ground in front of you, lower your hips back until your hips rest on the backs of your heels and feet. Then, without moving your hips, lower your brow to the ground and extend your arms out in front of you, hands still flat on the ground. Pause for just a few moments, after which inhale as you come back up. |
Tips to stop the pain
Kale recommends staying hydrated throughout the day, eating foods wealthy in magnesium (especially leafy greens) and potassium (bananas, black beans), wearing warm socks at night if you could have leg pain, and regular exercise to maintain your muscles strong and versatile.
Quinine tablets was prescribed, but are not any longer unless the pain is incapacitating. “They can have some nasty side effects and interact with other medications,” says Kale.
And yet one more point: “The pain is very painful, but it’s not a sign of serious illness,” says Kale. “Stretch the muscles and resume your activity after the pain is gone.”