Woodstock Chiropractor Shares Tips on What To Do for Muscle Aches
Sore muscles can make everyday activities like walking up stairs and bending over incredibly difficult. They also cause significant pain and discomfort that hinders your daily life. Fortunately, Ribley Family Chiropractic aims to explain what to do for muscle aches and how to overcome them swiftly and efficiently.
Ribley Family Chiropractic is Woodstock’s professional chiropractic care center. Ribley has helped Woodstock residents relieve their pain for nearly 25 years, giving its staff the experience to handle all your chiropractic needs. If you want to overcome muscle pain and improve your quality of life, contact Ribley Family Chiropractic.
What Causes Muscle Aches?
Muscle aches occur for various reasons. They can stem from injuries or strenuous physical activities like working out or playing sports. Other causes include the following:
- Infections
- Health conditions
- Muscle tension
- Fibromyalgia
- Autoimmune disorders
- And more
Exercise represents one of the most common causes of muscle soreness. Most people experience muscle aches six to 12 hours after working out, which can last up to 48 hours. Muscle pain typically indicates a sign of the muscle tissues healing, but it can also signify a potential injury.
Almost everyone will experience muscle pain at least once in their lives. It’s exceedingly common and can significantly inconvenience your life. Fortunately, you can curb muscle soreness with a few household remedies and professional recovery services.
How To Alleviate Muscle Aches in Woodstock, GA
Figuring out what to do for muscle aches can seem a daunting task. Many Woodstock residents believe in false remedies that don’t relieve muscle soreness or worsen the issue. Continue reading to learn a few efficient ways to curb muscle aches and improve recovery.
Rest
Many people don’t give themselves enough time to rest after a workout or completing strenuous activities, worsening muscle aches while elongating recovery times. Allowing your muscle fibers to heal after exercising will reduce discomfort and allow you to heal more efficiently.
If you experience moderate to severe muscle soreness, avoid physically demanding tasks and allow yourself to rest. Resting remains one of the best ways to diminish muscle aches without medications or physical therapy.
Ice and Heat the Area
Icing sore muscles can relieve discomfort and reduce inflammation, allowing you to recover faster and more efficiently. However, alternating between cold and heat can further enhance muscle recovery by improving blood flow. Warmth opens blood vessels and reduces stiffness, supplying sore muscles with oxygen and blood that diminishes pain.
When experiencing muscle soreness, ice the area for one to three days. If the discomfort continues after three days, warm the muscles with a heating pad or hot towel for an additional three days.
Physical Therapy
Muscle injuries and excessive soreness often require physical therapy. Physical therapy consists of various exercises, stretches, and motions that improve muscle recovery and functionality. Healthcare professionals assign patients several physical tasks and help them complete them to reduce soreness and enhance healing.
If muscle soreness persists after four days, contact your doctor to schedule an appointment. They will evaluate the injury and determine if it demands physical therapy.
Take Pain Relievers
Some over-the-counter medications can relieve muscle pain and reduce inflammation. Severely sore muscles can limit your mobility and cause excessive pain that prevents you from performing everyday tasks. Pain relievers will reduce muscle discomfort and enable you to complete your daily routine without significant soreness.
It’s important to note that some pain-relieving medications are incredibly addictive. Always talk to your doctor before taking pain relievers, and never take more than the recommended dosage. Exceeding the recommended dosage can cause numerous health problems and even death in severe cases.
Does Stretching Relieve Muscle Soreness?
Although stretching before and after working out can prevent injuries, it doesn’t relieve muscle soreness. Studies show that stretching can enlarge tears within the muscle fibers, extending recovery times while worsening discomfort. If you experience severe muscle aches, don’t overstretch to avoid intensifying the injury.
While slight stretching won’t adversely affect muscle aches, overstretching can negatively impact the injury and cause other health issues.
Contact Ribley Family Chiropractic for Professional Chiropractic Care in Woodstock, GA
If you experience muscle pain and need professional treatment, contact Ribley Family Chiropractic. Its team will tell you what to do for muscle aches while providing high-quality chiropractic services to improve recovery. Ribley Family Chiropractic has helped hundreds of Woodstock residents recover from muscle aches and sports injuries, and it can do the same for you.
Give Ribley Family Chiropractic a call and schedule your appointment today!