How does muscle pain from stress manifest itself?

Our expert is a neurologist, head of the department for the treatment of patients with acute cerebrovascular accidents at the Moscow Research Institute of Emergency Medicine named after N.V. Sklifosovsky, candidate of medical sciences Ganipa Ramazanov.

Over the past 40 years, the number of chronic pain syndromes has been increasing in the world. According to various estimates, they make up from 15 to 70% of all diseases. Therefore, pain clinics are springing up like mushrooms after rain. There are about four thousand of them in the USA. We have less, of course, but also a lot.

Article on the topic Heavy background. What is chronic pain and how to deal with it?

Better than a thousand words

Pain actually plays a dual role: it can be both harmful and beneficial. After all, this is an effective defense mechanism that protects us from dangers. She is a strict teacher - her “education methods” are completely unpedagogical, but very effective. After all, once experienced pain teaches us caution. And often it saves people’s lives, forcing them to see a doctor. In addition, pain is also an important clue for the doctor, facilitating the diagnosis. “Useful” pain is caused by irritation of pain receptors located in the skin, muscles, ligaments, and internal organs.

Causes

How are stress and muscle pain related? People who are under stress have symptoms of a psychosomatic disorder (disruption of internal organs and systems), suffer from headaches and problems with the digestive tract.

When the body experiences stress, the hormone adrenaline is produced, resulting in anxiety. Sedative medications or herbal infusions will help relieve anxiety.

You can help your body at home. The first thing you need to do is calm down, lie down and drink a soothing herbal tea. The following folk remedies have a positive effect in the fight against stress:

1. Peppermint.
2. St. John's wort.
3. Hop.
4. Passionflower.
5. Melissa.
6. Nettle.
7. Thyme infusions.
8. Compresses from willow branches.
9. Honey compress.
10. Tincture of valerian and motherwort.

Among the complex drugs suitable:

1. Novopassit.
2. Nervoflux.
3. Persen.

B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12), which can be purchased in pharmacies, will also help cope with stress. These same vitamins are found in raw vegetables and grains. To restore vital energy expended during periods of emotional stress, it is necessary to take vitamins E and C.

But you need to remember that you should not use them for more than 2 months, otherwise hypervitaminosis may appear. This deviation is understood as oversaturation of the body with multivitamins.

Signs of neuropathic pain

1. Severe pain in response to a harmless stimulus (eg, light touch, slight increase in temperature).
2. Burning, squeezing pain. Sometimes there is a feeling of goosebumps or tingling, as if from a weak electric shock. Or a constant burning sensation (often in the fingers and toes).
3. The pain does not go away for a long time even after the irritation stops. May be combined with decreased sensitivity, numbness, and a feeling of frostbite. The sore spot may become red, pale, or very swollen.
4. Short-term severe pain. Appears in fingers, toes and arms. Migrates frequently.
5. Chills.
6. Insomnia, increased anxiety, depression.

A clear mind and an efficient body. Neurologist on extending active life Read more

Ways to fight

You can relieve muscle spasms by using magnesium, calcium and potassium. Homeopathic medicines are also suitable. When choosing any of the drugs, you must strictly follow the instructions.

If you experience frequent pain, you should consult a qualified doctor, who, after a full examination, will identify the real causes of health problems. Diclofenac, which is available in the form of tablets, injections or ointments, can help relieve pain.

Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is aimed at treating joints and muscles. The components included in its composition are aimed at relieving pain, inflammation and swelling. The peculiarity of this drug in the form of an ointment is its rapid absorption and effect on the affected area.

It is necessary to rub no more than 3 times a day for 2 weeks. Along with the positive result, the drug has side effects: skin rashes, itching, redness.

Stomach problems may also occur, which will result in nausea or vomiting, bloating, dizziness, sore throat, and sleep disturbances. For a faster effect, the doctor may prescribe tablets or injections. It is not recommended to prescribe treatment and dosage of medication on your own.

Myoton is considered another effective ointment; it is based on medicinal herbs. Has an analgesic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. Use no more than 10 days.

In addition to using ointments, you need to attend massage courses (classical, lymphatic drainage, acupressure) and therapeutic exercises.

Acupressure helps eliminate muscle tone and stiffness, increases blood circulation, nourishes muscle tissue with oxygen, and releases toxic substances (toxins). At least twice a week you need to unload from emotional outbursts with a psychologist.

For muscle pain, you need to warm up the sore spots with:

1. Non-hot bath.
2. Warm compress (hot water bottle or bottle).
3. A towel soaked in warm water.
4. Ointments with a warming effect.

When exposed to heat, blood supply and energy supply and muscle regeneration improve. Finalgon ointment has a warming effect. This medicine dilates blood vessels, has an anti-inflammatory and warming effect. Apply a thin layer to the affected areas 2 times a day and cover with a wool scarf. The course of treatment should not be more than 10 days. In the first days, you need to monitor the skin for side effects, which may manifest themselves in the form of rash, swelling, burning, itching.

Frequent muscle soreness leads to stress on the spine, which causes wear and tear on the intervertebral discs. And this, in turn, creates the appearance of such dangerous complications as protrusion, hernia, and osteochondrosis.

You can achieve success in curing muscle pain from stress by completely removing the causes of the condition by removing muscle tension. Today, there is a large selection of medical devices that specialize in relaxing muscles and reducing mental stress.

Pain, numbness and discomfort in the arm area can occur suddenly, for no apparent reason. Symptoms may disappear or reappear, spreading throughout the arm and to the fingertips. In other situations, the pain only intensifies over time, forcing you to abandon your usual lifestyle. By understanding the causes of the pathology, you can get rid of physical suffering.

It hurts and won't stop

But chronic pain that lasts more than three months teaches nothing and is not useful for anything.

It is caused not by external injuries or internal diseases, but by nerve damage. This kind of neuropathic pain, according to statistics, occurs in 6-7 people out of a hundred.

This “breakdown” causes the nerves to send excessive and incorrect signals to the brain, which reacts with severe pain. This happens with diabetes mellitus, herpes zoster, limb injuries, hernias in the spine and other diseases. Moreover, excruciating pain occurs for almost no reason - sometimes the friction of the body on clothes or bedding is enough. Patients experiencing debilitating neuropathic pain suffer from insomnia, depression, and often avoid communication even with family members. This pain is no longer a symptom, but an independent disease.

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Do you know that you have myofascial pain syndrome? (video) Let’s look at “The Thinker” as if we were looking at ourselves in a mirror.

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPPS) is chronic muscle pain, spasms, aches of varying intensity (from imperceptible to unbearable), occurring after stress and as a result of a long, immobile (sedentary) position in professional (domestic) positions, which have become a habitual motor stereotype, accompanied by irritation of pain, trigger points, muscle spasms, cramps and dysfunction of internal organs.

Self-control during physical activity.

Movement and physical activity cannot be beneficial or harmful. Motor activity is a necessary function that ensures human life both alone and in society. Even at night it is impossible to get up, go to the toilet, without physical activity, without movement.

All phenomena in the universe follow a distribution along the Gauss-Laplace curve. The most optimal elements of the sample under consideration are located in the middle zone of the bell.

On the left extreme are lazy people, on the right are crazy people.

A couch potato, a lazy person is covered in fat, the respiratory muscles weaken, the lungs cannot cope with supplying the blood with oxygen, the obese heart lazily pumps blood through the vessels. Without physical activity, life confidently flows towards pharmacy kiosks.

Reckless, reckless, not knowing the limits, for the sake of health or wanting to show themselves, they will grab a weight, run along the cinder path and tear their muscles and heart. I wanted cheerfulness, but became lethargic, I sought peace, but I became nervous, I wanted carefree sleep, but I got insomnia, obsessive thoughts, and headaches. I exercised for my health, but found pain and spasms in my muscles and got an address at a pharmacy kiosk.

Extremes in physical activity are harmful. The “golden mean” is useful. Let's think about how to find it.

Physical activity must correspond to:
• the body's capabilities,
• be constant
• regular,
• controlled and
• bring joy.

In everyday life, a person’s physical activity is unconsciously distributed along the Gauss-Laplace curve. We walk, sometimes we rush, we rest - we lead the usual pattern of life. It will soon become clear that we sit more than we walk, we hurried more than our body can bear. Instead of regularity, there are torn attempts to engage in physical exercise without pleasure or benefit.

– What physical activities should you do for benefit and pleasure? - Any! Everything related to muscle contraction: artificial (gym, exercise equipment under the supervision of a doctor), natural (digging a garden bed, clearing a path of snow under the watchful eye of a neighbor).

The main thing is not to overdose on volume, intensity, duration.

– How to dose and control physical activity? – In everyday life, by what is always with us;

• words,
• breath,
• heart rate - heart rate,
• well-being.

Words and breath.
A sensitive, reliable indicator that monitors the ongoing process of physical activity - words and breathing.

• If during physical activity you speak calmly, in long sentences, with even breathing, and breathe through your nose, then the load can be increased.
• If the sentences are spoken short, with pauses between words, with the need to take a deep breath through the mouth, the activity of physical activity should be reduced and the duration limited.
• As soon as you feel that the words come with difficulty, with stops to catch your breath, breathe through your mouth, it means that you have gone from the optimal Gauss-Laplace bell to a dangerous extreme.

Heart rate - heart rate.
By heart rate - heart rate - you can find out how the body tolerates the load and plan the intensity of the next effort. Heart rate should be measured three times:

• before starting exercises,
• immediately upon completion,
• 3 minutes after the end.

Immediately after physical activity, it is permissible to increase the heart rate by 10 to 15 heart beats.

An increase in heart rate after exercise by more than 15 - 20 beats from the value at rest indicates either an overdose or insufficiently good physical shape.

This! Very relative! Very individual! Consult your doctor!

But the heart rate after exercise is not the main indicator! The main thing is the dynamics of heart rate recovery.

Heart rate recovery:
• by the 3rd minute 1-2-3 heart beats less than the original - Excellent!
• by the 3rd minute to the initial level - Good!
• by the 4-5th minute - Satisfactory.
• to the 6th minute or more – Unsatisfactory!!!

In everyday life, we judge our condition mainly by how we feel. We must remember that this advice is not for professionals!

Sweat - good! But working until you sweat it out is for the prepared, for the professionals.

You need to monitor the effectiveness of physical exercise based on subjective signs:

• well-being,
• emotional mood,
• comfort,
• appetite.

If you experience shortness of breath, blue lips, redness of the body, loss of coordination, feeling tired, loss of appetite, nausea, dizziness - stop exercising! In this case, consult your doctor! Get tested!

What does this mean?

Neuropathic pain often accompanies many diseases:

• Herpes (shingles). As a rule, there is skin sensitivity and severe pain around the body.
• Diabetes. There is a burning sensation in the feet and toes. Often the symptom appears at night.
• Stroke. There may be tingling, burning, or a feeling of extreme cold on the affected side of the body.
• Spinal cord injuries. Shooting, squeezing or stabbing pains may develop in the torso and limbs.
• Trigeminal neuralgia. Severe pain in the face when chewing or speaking. Occurs more often in older people.
• Spinal diseases. There may be quite strong sensations in the arms and legs.

As well as multiple sclerosis, AIDS, chemical or radiation exposure and some other diseases.

Phantom pain that occurs after amputation is also a type of neuropathy.

Phantom effect. How does an amputated body part hurt? More details

Causes of pain after stress

Stress is formed on a nervous basis. Pain is just a reaction of the muscles and the body as a whole to previously suffered dangers and shocks. Each person feels it in his own way: a healthy person experiences slight discomfort in the body, a sick person may develop serious problems that can complicate his health. To prevent a stressful situation, and so that your back, legs, arms and other parts of the body do not hurt in the future, you need to:

• If it is possible to experience a stressful state and accompanying pain, you need to have sedatives with you. These drugs can quickly bring a person’s condition back to normal in conflict and extreme situations.
• Due attention must be paid to the inner mood. If there is a strong desire, everyone can teach themselves and their body to react with restraint to various situations that arise due to nervousness.
• Distract your mind as quickly as possible with other important life situations.

Not just for depression

A qualified neurologist can help you cope with neuropathic pain. First of all, he will find out the root cause of the pain - that is, the disease associated with it. This is what needs to be treated first.

Medicines (usually not one, but several) can help eliminate the pain itself. Analgesics usually don't work. Anticonvulsants are more effective, as are antidepressants, which require at least six months to take. For very severe pain, narcotic painkillers are used.

Some people find physical therapy and acupuncture helpful. There are also the latest methods of therapy, in which special devices are implanted under the skin and, using electrical impulses, control the functioning of nerve endings.

Treatment and prevention

If you have pain in the muscles of your back, chest, arms, legs, then you can soothe and warm them up with a heating pad, a warm bath, a heated grain pillow, a compress, or a warming ointment. It is necessary to carry out these measures, because The thermal effect is designed to improve blood circulation at the site of pain, increase the body's energy supply, and help to quickly restore the affected muscles.

Myalgia often forms in the thoracic region, occipital region, and shoulder girdle. To avoid pain in these areas due to stress, you should follow a number of preventive measures:

• keep your posture as straight as possible, align your neck muscles, walk as often as possible;
• perform light physical exercises to stretch and relax the muscles of these parts of the body.

You can relieve pain in the affected area that occurs due to stress by using magnesium, potassium and calcium. Homeopathic remedies are the best way to help. When choosing a drug, you must strictly follow the instructions.

Homeopathy is effective for myalgia

If you still cannot cope with constant pain on your own, you must seek the help of a qualified doctor. After a thorough examination, a professional will discover the sources and causes of the disease. In almost all cases of myalgia, experts advise using Diclofenac (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), which relieves pain. This drug is produced in the form of ointments, injections, and tablets. The course of treatment takes 10 days. During the first days, you need to carefully monitor your skin to avoid side effects.

You can get rid of the aching pain with the help of a course of massage and therapeutic exercises. Acupressure helps eliminate muscle tone and stiffness, helps blood circulation, and saturates muscle tissue with the necessary amount of oxygen. Despite the physical pain, to prevent the nervous system it is necessary to visit a psychologist several times a week. During the treatment process, you should adhere to proper sleep patterns, nutrition, drink plenty of water, and do hour-long walks.

Neglected, untreated muscle pain causes irreparable damage to the spine. In this case, the intervertebral discs wear out, which is fraught with the formation of the most dangerous complications: hernia, protrusion, osteochondrosis.

You can achieve the maximum result of fully relieving muscle pain from stress by identifying the cause in time and performing high-quality professional treatment aimed at removing tension in the muscles.

Stress is the body's negative reaction to negative emotions and overexertion. Sometimes a person experiences stress due to long hours of work. This condition may cause muscle pain (myalgia) that spreads throughout almost the entire body.

Stress and appearance

There is an opinion that a person’s posture may change due to exposure to strong stress, which manifests the work of the body’s defense mechanisms.

In the event of a nervous breakdown, muscle contraction occurs in the neck and lower back, and the musculoskeletal system may also be affected due to nervousness.

Due to back pain after stress, scoliosis forms. Scoliosis is the most famous form of curvature, in which the joints of the spine are deformed.

Eliminating hand pain

Diagnosis of pathologies associated with the appearance of pain along the radial nerve should be carried out by specialists from medical institutions. This will allow you to complete the necessary course of therapy in a short time, restoring the functions of the neuromuscular system of the hand. If necessary, additional medical studies are carried out.

Conditions associated with neurological arm pain can be treated with conservative and surgical methods. Surgery is used only for injuries. Conservative therapy includes the use of medications, physiotherapeutic procedures, gymnastics and special exercises. Elimination of hand pain must begin with the elimination of the provoking causes.

You should choose a comfortable body position while resting. It is unacceptable to sleep with pressure on your sore arm. If the cause of pain is excessive physical activity, it is necessary to eliminate or reduce it. Conditions associated with pinched nerve fibers, as well as complications caused by infectious diseases, require special attention.

If pain in the hand occurs in the morning, or the hand does not work well, you can perform exercises that will help improve blood circulation. For neuropathy, massage with the use of medications is useful. Recently, medicinal patches have become popular. Exercises and massage are successfully used during rehabilitation after removal of a plaster cast.

The main medications used for neurological pathologies are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in combination with B vitamins. In addition, muscle relaxants help relieve spasms and improve blood circulation. The same drugs are used when a nerve is pinched.

When diagnosed early, diseases can be quickly treated. In some cases, therapy may take a significant period of changing treatment methods.

The necessary medications for the treatment of neurological pain are selected by the doctor, taking into account the established diagnosis, age, chronic diseases and method of administration. Therapy is carried out under the supervision of a specialist. The doctor may recommend electrophoresis, compresses, heating, and acupuncture.

It is unacceptable to use medications on your own, as well as traditional medicine. In exceptional cases, over-the-counter medications may be used for no more than three days. It should be understood that self-medication in such situations can complicate diagnosis and aggravate the course of the disease.

Our expert is a neurologist, candidate of medical sciences Mikhail Borisov.

Doctors know that osteochondrosis, hernias and protrusions of intervertebral discs themselves, visible on MRI images, are not the cause of pain. Most often in this case there is also a certain psychological discomfort.

How the disease develops

Any pain primarily signals a problem in the body. A painful inflammatory process of the peripheral nervous system is called neuritis. Upper extremity lesions are often referred to as radial neuropathy. The disease occurs as a result of compression of nerve endings and is characterized by pain, loss of sensitivity, dysfunction, and sometimes paralysis of a limb.

The hand is connected to the central nervous system by bundles of the median, radial and ulnar nerves. An inflammatory process that spreads to several bundles of nerve endings at once is called polyneuritis.

The disease leads to dysfunction of the extensor muscles. Further inflammation is accompanied by extinction of tendon reflexes. Depending on which nerve is inflamed, the function of the corresponding part of the hand suffers. Compression of the roots of peripheral nerves can be observed both at the exit from the spinal column and throughout the upper limb.