Stiff Muscles

So, what causes stiff muscles? They can occur due to various reasons. No matter what is the reason behind this condition, one experiences some discomfort due to this condition. As one experiences fatigue, doing normal chores like lifting objects, or climbing stairs feel like you are doing a strenuous exercise. If you have experienced stiffness in muscles, and along with it you have had muscle soreness and muscle pain, then the most common reason behind this condition is DORM. Let us discuss what is DORM and other are the causes behind it.

Stiffness from a Workout
There are many causes associated with this disorder. If you are experiencing stiffness in muscles after a workout, then this is actually good news. Because, it means that the muscles you haven't used for so long, were used during the workout, which means the workout went well. However, the bad news is that you are experiencing muscles stiffness and pain especially, stiffness in legs after a running or leg strength training workout.

Also, many people after a session of dancing or any other activity suffer from stiff neck. Stiff neck can also be experienced from other similar workouts. Experiencing stiff or sore muscles after a workout is very normal. A person might experience stiffness of muscles during the workout, which is a sign of fatigue. This happens due to lactic acid, and is a sign pointing to a good workout, so nothing much to worry about. Such stiffness goes away after you stop your workout.

DORM
However, if you are experiencing stiff and sore muscles after the workout, then it is due to Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DORM), which occurs when you do weightlifting or strength training and use muscles which you haven't used for a long time. People who are new to exercising, or haven't been exercising experience this a lot. Also, when you add a new exercise or add more intensity to your workout, this condition is experienced. For example, if you add more weight to the arm weightlifting exercises, you might have stiff hand muscles. DORM is mostly considered to occur when micro-tears in the muscle fiber happen, contrary to the popular belief of build-up of lactic acid.

DORM goes away after 2 days, sometimes it even lasts till 4 days. Stopping exercising, because you had stiff muscles, is not a good idea, as this decreases your threshold to sustain injury. Hence, even if you have some stiffness in muscles, it is recommended that you continue performing workout without straining yourself.

Posture Problems
Another reason for this condition is when you are in the same posture for long. For example, you might experience muscles stiffness after sitting when you have sat in front of your desk for hours without taking a break, or sitting long for a seminar without taking a break. Experiencing muscle soreness in the morning is also pretty common, as we tend to sleep in one posture for many hours. So, following a proper posture while sleeping is advisable. This kind of muscle soreness or stiffness can be gotten rid of. To get rid of stiff muscles and joints, you can follow some stiff joints and muscles stretching exercises for 10-15 minutes and concentrate on relaxed breathing while stretching.

Electrolyte Deficiency
A person might also be experiencing muscle cramps, due to not enough electrolytes. If you don't have enough electrolytes in your body, then the possibility of getting muscle cramps is more. So, load yourself on electrolytes and drink adequate amount of water to prevent muscle cramps.

Home Treatment
There are many ways to get relief from sore muscles. To get rid of sore muscles, keep drinking adequate amount of water, around 2-3 liters a day, take enough rest, and get 8 hours of sleep. Using a hot compress can also help, taking steam can also help, and getting a light massage will greatly help relieve the stiffness. If the pain is too much then take an OTC painkiller like ibuprofen. You can also follow-up some stretching exercises and aerobic exercises, without straining too much to get rid of the stiff and sore muscles.

If you are suffering from stiff muscles, which lasts for a week's period or have signs of infection like redness and swelling around a muscle, severe muscle strain or rupture, rash, or muscle pain after taking a medication, or high fever and muscle weakness, then it is important you see the doctor right away. As, these symptoms could be a condition pointing to a condition, which is more severe than normal muscle stiffness.