Dr. Sunil Vyas

The musculoskeletal structure of your body is what enables you do any physical movement. The bones provide the solid structure while the muscles provide the strength and agility for all the necessary movements. However, muscles can be affected either due to internal problems within the body or due to wear and tear. Pain in the muscles can be quite debilitating and problematic.

Some of the more common methods to treat and deal with muscle pain are mentioned below.

1. Correct electrolyte imbalances in your daily food intake: Electrolytes are important minerals required in your body such as potassium or magnesium. A lack of these minerals within the body will cause muscle pain including cramps and spasms. These could be caused due to:
   • Strenuous exercising or physical activity such as playing sports
   • High blood pressure
   • The onset of the menstrual cycles
   • Dehydration
   • An imbalanced diet that doesn’t supply these minerals
2. Proper stretching and massaging your muscles: You should get into a habit of properly warming up and cooling down before and after exercising as this will allow the muscles to get into optimal physical condition. If you suddenly start exercising, it may damage them and cause immediate pain or may develop into chronic pain over time. The best way to correct this imbalance is to include foods in your diet which contain these minerals, such as bananas for potassium, organic meat for potassium and magnesium, organic eggs, and legumes.
3. Start exercising if you aren’t doing it regularly: Muscle pain may occur due to atrophy or weakening of the muscles. Bad habits and posture overtime will also result in muscle pain and the best way to strengthen them is to start exercising and stretching them slowly. Once they are strong enough, some of the muscle pain issues will go away on their own.
4. Correcting bad posture: Bad posture is another culprit for muscle pain. Especially common with sedentary jobs behind a desk postures tend to deteriorate overtime and cause, muscle pain. Thus along with exercising, try to change your posture and correct any bad habit that may have crept in.
5. Stay hydrated: Dehydration is another common cause for muscle pain especially from muscle spasms or cramps. Ensure that you are properly hydrated throughout the day to avoid pain from spasms.
6. Use either hot or cold therapy: You can use ice packs or hot water packs to soothe muscle pain depending on the type of causes. For example, throbbing muscle pain and spasms can be relaxed through warm compress while inflammations can be soothed by icepacks.
7. Medications: In certain disorders of the body such as fibromyalgia, you will need to take specialized medications in order to correct the problem. For excessive and chronic pain, you should visit your doctor as it may require more extensive treatment. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.