Tag Archives: pain

General Safety Issues

Dealing with Post-Exercise Pain (GUEST POST)

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I’m sure you’ve heard of the saying “no pain, no gain.” Well, one way or the other, you will always experience pain however, it doesn’t mean that you have to endure a great deal of it in order to progress much faster towards your goal. If you don’t know why you feel this pain within 24 hours of exercising, it’s due to a sensation called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Your muscle fibers get injured as a result of excessive exercising.

“Good pain” is still pain and can interfere with our everyday activities. Often times, we forget the simplest of methods in alleviating body pain before, during, and after our workout. I am no exception to this as well. Let’s remind ourselves of some of these methods shall we? 

Proper Hydration

Drinking water should come naturally for us. What most people don’t realize, however, is that you need to drink more than the usual daily recommended amount. Dehydration is a definite no-no. Personally, I drink around 500-700ml. of water for every hour of exercise / workout that I do daily. A simple indication that you are well-hydrated after you exercise is if your urine, within a few hours after your workout, is light yellow or clear. What about drinking sports drinks you ask? Well, at times, I drink both actually but if you ask me which is better, that’s another topic for another time. 

“Refuel” with Nutrients

Yet another commonly ignored method in reducing muscle pain and soreness. After your workout, it is important to replenish your energy with enough carbohydrate energy in preparation for your next workout. You need to ingest enough protein in order to repair your muscles. Try a protein shake or smoothie and/or chicken with brown rice then top it off with a piece of fruit. 

“Cool Down” after your workout

 Just as it is important to warm-up your body before subjecting it to an extreme workout, it is equally important to cool it down. You’ll want to remove inflammatory fluids in your muscles as well as sore or tight spots from the muscles you worked out. Just do some light exercises before wrapping up and then get a massage every now and then. Who doesn’t want to have a massage, right?

Apply Topical Ointments

These are just what the doctor ordered. These ointments are developed to create a cooling, pain-relieving sensation and also increase blood flow. Tiger balm and Ben-Gay are a couple of the ointments that I’ve used and would recommend. 

As mentioned earlier, if you feel pain after your workout, that’s normal. It’s the excessive pain which is troublesome. This can happen if you increased the intensity of your exercise too quickly or if your body didn’t recover properly. Just recall these simple methods that I mentioned (feel free to follow whatever else you’ve found out to be effective) and I’m sure your body will adjust to the pain in due time. 

Author Bio:

Dr. Todd Luther works at Align Integrative Health in Washington. He comes from a family of health care practitioners including a medical doctor, OB Nurse and Nurse Midwife. Practicing since 2005, Dr. Luther is confident in providing the correct diagnosis, treating your problem or referring to the correct specialist.

 

 

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE “GETTING A GRIP” ON THINGS?

Lately, I have noticed pain in my right thumb and wrist.  Because I use a computer so often,  I am concerned that it could be carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).  Osteoarthritis could be another cause, but thankfully, there is relief for both.  The median nerve provides feeling and movement to the “thumb side” of the hand (the palm, thumb, index finger, middle finger, and thumb side of the ring finger).The area in your wrist where the nerve enters the hand is called the carpal tunnel. This tunnel is normally narrow,  so any swelling can pinch the nerve and cause pain, numbness, tingling or weakness. This is called carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is common in people who perform repetitive motions of the hand and wrist. Typing on a computer keyboard is probably the most common cause of carpal tunnel. The condition occurs most often in people 30 to 60 years old, and is more common in women than men.

Other causes include:

  • Sewing
  • Driving
  • Assembly line work
  • Painting
  • Writing
  • Use of tools (especially hand tools or tools that vibrate)
  • Sports such as racquetball or handball
  • Playing some musical instruments

Symptoms:

  • Numbness or tingling in the thumb and next two or three fingers of one or both hands
  • Numbness or tingling of the palm of the hand
  • Pain extending to the elbow
  • Pain in wrist or hand in one or both hands
  • Problems with fine finger movements (coordination) in one or both hands
  • Wasting away of the muscle under the thumb (in advanced or long-term cases)
  • Weak grip or difficulty carrying bags (a common complaint)
  • Weakness in one or both hands
  • Pain in thumb when trying to open a jar or door.

Don’t hesitate to consult with your doctor, if you have any of the above symptoms.  The doctor may find:

  • Numbness in the palm, thumb, index finger, middle finger, and thumb side of the ring finger
  • Weak hand grip
  • Tapping over the median nerve at the wrist may cause pain to shoot from the wrist to the hand (this is called Tinel’s sign)
  • Bending the wrist forward all the way for 60 seconds will usually result in numbness, tingling, or weakness (this is called Phalen’s test)

CTS symptoms may last beyond six months, but can be surgically relieved.  This procedure will release the pressure on the median nerve.  With older adults (me), osteoarthritis happens when the cartilage padding your finger and hand joints begin to wear away.  There are many home treatments.  Your physician may give you certain exercises that will help to lessen your hand pain.  Try hot or cold applications to ease pain, or splinting your thumb or wrist to give it a rest.  Ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin can all help to reduce the swelling of arthritis.  A cortisone shot will give longer-term relief.   Try to keep your joints active, before CTS or osteoarthritis “get a grip” on you!

Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians, American Society for Surgery of the Hand; National Institute on Aging; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases,  AARP/Strive.