Sore Muscles

The days after your initial workout schedule must have felt like hell, right? Thanks to the soreness in the muscles as a result of going that extra mile and stretching those muscles. Yes, many of us, I am certain, have gone through this - the great feeling after a workout and then the feeling of stiffness and soreness in those muscles. Basically, it is due to microscopic tears in the tissues of your muscles. But hey, the body rebuilds those damaged muscles. That is the case of sore muscles after workout. There is soreness on account of workout or just by lifting something too heavy or hitting the gymnasium for the first time. But then, what is the reason behind sore muscles and how do we deal with it?

What Causes Sore Muscles?
Muscle soreness is also referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness or even muscle fever sometime. The stretch and soreness is not felt during the exercise or while lifting a heavy thing exerting our muscles. It is always felt after a few hours of your indulging in that activity. It is usually felt after a minimum of 8 hours, though it can even take 24 hours to feel the soreness and stiffness. That is delayed onset muscle soreness. The cause, initially was thought as building up of lactic acid in the muscles while exercising. But this conclusion has come to a naught, as that is not the true reason behind our muscles being sore. It is not very clear as to why this happens. One theory is that it is a result of extremely slight tears in the muscle fibers. Yet another argument is that is it caused by the tears in the tissue connecting the muscles, than the muscle itself. Other reasons could be muscle spasms, inflammation, changes in osmotic pressure and perhaps the alteration in the manner in which the muscle cells regulate calcium.

How to Treat Sore Muscles?
Well, there are quite a few things you can do to relieve sore muscles. However, before we go onto that, let me tell you that the condition is not at all serious. Even if you do not do anything about it, the soreness and muscle pain will subside on its own. Nevertheless, here are the ways in which you can relax those frayed muscles.

Hot and Cold Compress: Apply an ice pack and keep it for around 20 minutes on the sore area. Then keep a hot water bag on the area for 20 mins. Until the pain subsides, repeat this. Similarly, a nice hot water bath can do wonders for your strained muscles. In addition to that, a heating pad is also effective in dealing with sore and stiff muscles.

Gentle Stretching: Gently and gradually stretch the sore muscles and joints. It will help in reducing the soreness. TWhen you stretch, the lactic acid built up in muscles decreases, reducing the pain.

Drinking Water: Hydrating your body is extremely essential for dealing with muscle soreness better. Hence, drink lots of water all through the day and keep your body hydrated.

Medicines: Well, personally speaking, there is hardly any need for medication to treat sore muscles. Still, if it is causing too much of a discomfort and not letting you move that particular muscle, pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs can be opted for. Drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen can help reduce the pain and soreness. Do check with a doctor though, before you pop the pill.

Massage: Massage is another remedy for sore muscles available. Massage relaxes the muscles, improves the blood circulation and assists in easing the pain and stiffness.

All said and done, it might be a daunting task to get up and get going for your workout when you feel your muscles weigh a ton or something. Still, do not give up, because the fact that your muscles are sore is an evidence to the fact that you have exerted them. In fact, once it becomes a routine, it would not even happen! Take Care!