Everyday Sore Spots



Ever had a sore spot? At some point in time, all of us will, whether that be in our muscles, tendons, fascia or ligaments. Our natural tendency is to assume that the sore spot will just go away. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Untreated issues can begin to cause pain in other areas of our bodies, and can build up increasing loads that cause us to change our natural body positions to positions we were not naturally designed to be in. Our muscle tissues become compromised and lead to biomechanical pain that will eventually result in injuries and at times chronic pain that will have an effect on our quality of life.

 

Muscle tightness & contracture

Ordinary muscle tightness can cause a surprising amount of pain - cramp is a common example. Usually a cramp bites you hard for a short period, but with a bit of a stretch and awkward repositioning, you find a way to settle it down. Imagine that cramp, albeit less intense, lasting for days, months, or even or years! Over time that constant muscle tightness can create trigger point issues, fascia adhesions, changes in posture and joint position, and gaps that will cause pain and faster degradation.

What should I do?

  • Stretch: Make sure you get the right ones to return your muscle back to its natural resting position. If you repetitively use a joint on one plane of movement, then the stretch needs to reverse that plane so it can return to its natural balance.

 

Trigger Points

Trigger points are often referred to as tender areas in the muscle, but there’s a little more to it than that. A muscle that is sore to touch may simply be what is known as a “tender point”, without having the other characteristics of trigger points. Tissue can become congested and ischemic (basically lacking blood flow), or there may be other causes such as excess connective tissue or the presence of scar tissue matted down in the particular area that is feeling tender.

A trigger point can be identified when the area is taught and you can feel hyper-contacted bands/nodules within the muscle (these often feel like small peas or stringy semi cooked pasta). They will be tender to touch and have a predicted pain referral pattern.

What should I do?

For most people treatment generally falls into one of 2 categories:

  • Self applied treatment: Ultrasound, massage/compression, myofascial releasing - either using hands, or something like a myofascial roll or tennis ball, and hot/cold therapy.
  • Professional treatment: Myotherapy, massage, ultrasound, electro stimulation trigger-point-injection, dry needling or “spray-and-stretch” using a cooling spray.

All successful treatments relies on identifying trigger points, resolving them and, when all points have been deactivated, stretching and sometimes strengthening the structures affected.

 

Sprains & Strains

Sprains and strains are the most common source of injuries and sore spots. A sprain or strain share similar signs and symptoms, but involve different parts of your body.

A sprain is damaging or tearing of ligaments – the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones together in your joints, much like a really strong fishing line. The most commonly sprained area is the ankle.

A strain is damaging or tearing of muscle or tendon. A tendon is a sinewy cord of tissue that connects muscles to bones. Strains commonly occur to the lower back, along with muscles such as the hamstrings and calves, particularly as we get older.

What should I do?

Initial treatment for both sprains and strains includes:

  • Rest
  • Ice
  • Compression
  • Elevation

Mild strains and strains can often be successfully treated at home. Severe sprains and strains may require specialist attention and rehabilitation so it’s worth making sure you get properly assessed. If your injury is not managed well, it may continue to reinjure or cause chronic pain and discomfort.

Treatment for sprains and strains generally take a few weeks to heal, depending on the severity of the injury and the overall health of the person.

It’s important to get the right treatment as soon after the injury as possible to help rapid recovery, and to apply the right treatment at the right time as well. Often people use therapies or treatments at the wrong time and this creates more issues than it resolves.

Additional treatment may include:

  • Exercise: Under the guidance of a professional, to promote healing, strength and flexibility.
  • Manual techniques: such as foam rolling, stretching and massage.
  • Medication: (talk to your health professional before taking any medications.

 

Overuse Injuries

Some sprains are part of what we call overuse injuries. There are several contributing factors that cause an overuse injury, most of which will become increasingly worse over time unless managed and treated well. Poor technique, poor posture or muscle conditioning, exercising too often without sufficient time for recovery, can all begin a progression toward an overuse injury. Identifying the process and making the necessary adjustments is key to any treatment plan.

Overuse injuries can affect anyone. A rehabilitation program that addresses progressive ‘reloading’ of the injured area is essential. Overuse injuries can take time to fix, and require patience and commitment to see improvement.

 

Arthritis & Degregation

Arthritis and degradation is an issue that we will all face, including the pain and discomfort associated with it. It’s an inevitable change for all of us, however for those that have been injured, work in certain types of roles, or are just very tight (musculoskeletally) the degeneration of your joints may be sped up unless appropriate steps are taken to mitigate the cause issues.

Whilst many people believe they need hip, knee, or shoulder replacements, the reality is that most of us can do a lot to not only rid ourselves of the pain, but to improve the underlying problem.

What should I do?

There are many things you can do to manage your arthritis, however you need to get some good advice first to decide what course of action is best for you, your joints, and your lifestyle

Some proven simple management techniques include:

  • Physical activity: This is the key to maintaining muscle strength, joint flexibility and managing your pain. A HBP Group team member can design an individual program for you. Exercise can reduce pain, improve flexibility, strengthen the muscles that support the joints, and help you lose excess weight that strains your joints.   It’s pretty clear that exercise is important for maintaining joint health and decreasing pain in patients who have Osteoarthritis (OA). Swimming and riding a stationary bicycle are good exercises for people with OA, because they don’t put undue stress on already painful joints.
  • Maintain a health weight: Any extra weight puts added strain on your joints. In particular load-bearing joints such as your hips, knee and ankles will feel the extra kg’s.
  • Supplements: Omega-3 works like an anti-inflammatory in a very general way, which seems to be good for most people in preventing a variety of diseases.
  • Glucosamine & Chondroitin: These have been fairly debunked as a potential disease-modifying therapy, but they may improve arthritic pain in some people. However, if these supplements are not helping your pain, you should not continue to spend money on them.

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