Here are the perfect ways to forestall excruciating pain — and keep them from coming back.
Photo: © ChesiireCat/Getty Images
What is the reason for the pain?
Exercising without properly warming up the muscles can result in soreness. Pain also occurs when a muscle is unable to loosen up properly (corresponding to from a scarcity of magnesium or potassium in your food regimen) or when it becomes irritated by a build-up of lactic acid (which might occur when you 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, and so they turn into dehydrated, says Kale.
Reduced blood flow to muscles can even cause pain. This might be attributable to atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries to your legs. It can even occur as a consequence of strange reasons. “Some people say they get pain at night if their feet stick out under the blanket,” says Kale.
Damaged nerves that turn into tangled as a consequence of neurological conditions (corresponding 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 attributable to certain medications, corresponding to diuretics, which might 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 (at the back of the thigh), sit on the ground together with your legs prolonged in front of you. Slide your hands down your legs until you are feeling a tingling sensation within the tight muscles. Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly return to a sitting position.
After you've got stretched your muscles, Kiel recommends applying a heating pad to the realm 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 a couple of 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 will have leg pain, and regular exercise to maintain your muscles strong and versatile.
Quinine tablets was prescribed, but aren't 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.”