aching

As aching is the colloquial term for the pain in the muscle that can generally occur especially after physical overload. Generally known are the Muscle pain after sport or unfamiliar strenuous work.

What is sore muscles?

Sore muscles are probably one of the most well-known symptoms. Almost everyone has experienced this type of muscle pain by now. Muscle soreness occurs particularly often after unusual physical exertion.

It often occurs after exercise when the body was previously untrained. The muscle groups that were particularly heavily challenged then hurt in particular.

However, the sore muscles themselves do not appear during exercise, but only a few hours after exercise.

The sore muscles are linked to the so-called supercompensation, which is responsible for increasing performance after a workout. The painful muscles are then very sensitive in their stretching and movement when the muscles are sore and can sometimes be so painful that moving these parts seems impossible. Furthermore, the performance of the affected muscles is then greatly reduced.

Sore muscles can last for hours to a week. The term sore muscles was probably derived from catarrh in the Middle Ages, which means inflammation of the muscles. The sore muscles themselves are absolutely harmless, even if the pain can be very severe. Sore muscles should not be confused with pulled muscles, bruises and tears, which in turn can be dangerous.

causes

The causes of sore muscles are almost always the same. If untrained or hardly stressed muscles are strongly challenged, small tears and micro-injuries in the muscle fibers occur. The acidification of the muscles through lactate production is correct, but has no influence on the development of sore muscles.

The pain in the muscles is then caused by small water retention in the muscle tears, as the water causes the muscle fibers to swell. In principle, sore muscles are nothing more than stretching pain.

Muscle soreness occurs particularly when the training is exaggerated, i.e. when your own strength is overstrained. Abrupt movement patterns also support sore muscles. Very rarely muscle soreness occurs even after cramps, which can also be unusually overworked here.

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Diseases with this symptom

• thrombosis
• epilepsy

Complications

Complications usually do not occur with sore muscles. The pain will subside by itself over the course of a few days, provided that the affected muscle groups are spared. However, if the weakened muscles continue to be overloaded, serious injuries such as a ruptured muscle can result.

In addition, the recovery of the muscles is delayed and the muscle soreness increases. If protein supplements are used during severe muscle soreness, there is also a low risk of kidney overload. Sore muscles that persist for a long time can lead to scarring of the muscle fibers and thereby to a long-term weakening of the muscle.

In the treatment of sore muscles, unsuitable treatment methods are at best a risk factor. Massages can quickly overload the already weakened muscle and lead to increased muscle soreness. Pain relieving medications can put stress on the cardiovascular system and, like dietary supplements, overload the kidneys.

Sudden sore muscles can indicate another underlying condition and needs to be clarified quickly. Possible complications, depending on the underlying disease, can be intense pain, restricted freedom of movement with the affected muscles or, in the case of severe muscle cramps, temporary muscle paralysis.

When should you go to the doctor?

In most cases, there is no need to see a doctor if you have sore muscles. In most people, the sore muscles go away on their own after just a few days and do not lead to any further symptoms. A doctor can then be seen if the sore muscles persist for a long time and the pain becomes very severe. If the pain is severe, there is a risk of serious injury sustained while doing a sport. Such an injury should be treated by a health professional. A doctor should also be asked for advice in the case of restricted mobility due to sore muscles.

If the person has epilepsy or thrombosis, sore muscles can be a symptom of these diseases. An examination by a doctor is also necessary here.

The doctor does not need to be consulted if the sore muscles occur after performing a certain sport for the first time or if the patient has not been physically active for a long time. In these cases, sore muscles are a common symptom and do not require treatment. Different muscle groups can often be affected by the sore muscles, which is also a common symptom.

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Treatment & Therapy

As harmless as sore muscles are, the more difficult it is to treat sore muscles. In principle, sore muscles cannot be cured or treated quickly because they will go away on their own after 1-7 days. In addition, a doctor should be consulted in the event of further pain in order to rule out possible muscle injuries.

The sore muscles can be treated with home remedies or on your own. Especially helpful are hot baths with rosemary or spruce needle, saunas, light and warm massages as well as rest and relaxation of the affected muscles.

Another theory is to "train away" the sore muscles with light exercise on the second day. However, this theory is controversial in medicine.

Painkillers should not be taken if possible.

Outlook & forecast

A sore muscles usually do not need to be treated by a doctor and in most cases will go away on their own. Since it is caused by an overload of the muscles, the muscles should rest when the sore muscles are present and are no longer strained. The treatment takes place in the form of rest and relaxation for the stressed muscles.

After a few days, the sore muscles should go away. However, if the pain persists and does not subside on its own, a doctor should be consulted. In this case, it is possible that the exercise has already resulted in an injury to the muscles that requires treatment.

Likewise, the muscles should not be strained after the sore muscles. Continued exertion can cause inflammation and other injuries to the muscles. In the event of greater pain, a doctor must be consulted in any case. As a rule, the pain with sore muscles is not so great that pain medication has to be taken.

In some cases, sore muscles also occur as a side effect of colds or flu. This symptom is common and will go away with infection.

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prevention

Home remedies ↵ for sore muscles You can prevent sore muscles well. You should warm up thoroughly before training or unusually heavy loads. This warming mainly includes the warming up of the muscles, ligaments and tendons. This can be done by lightly trotting or running.

Furthermore, the movements should be carried out with light weights, which are then trained later under higher stress. The ligaments and tendons should also be taken into account by this type of heating, because cold tendons and ligaments can possibly lead to strains or tears.

Furthermore, massages and saunas as well as a diet rich in minerals and vitamins are recommended.

You can do that yourself

There are various home remedies that can help relieve sore muscles. These include, for example, restraint, compresses, ointments and oils, warmth, medicinal herbal tea and Schüssler salts. Immediately after exercising, it is initially sufficient to gently massage the overexerted muscles and provide them with optimal electrolytes and fluids. Ointments and compresses with oils and herbs can be applied to the muscles after a few hours and contribute to the rapid healing of muscle injuries.

In addition, the muscles should be spared for a few days after exercise. Heat therapy includes hot compresses with mustard flour and a sauna session. Placing a cherry stone pillow or a hot water bottle also usually takes some of the pain away and loosens the affected muscle parts in a natural way. Rubbing the painful areas with ointments or oils is just as effective.

Preparations with cayenne pepper, arnica, comfrey or St. John's wort oil are effective for sore muscles. In addition, it is important to provide the body with sufficient fluids and vitamins. On the one hand, this stimulates the blood flow, which often reduces the symptoms immediately. On the other hand, the inflammation can heal faster if there is an adequate supply of the essential nutrients and minerals.