What is the best treatment for muscle inflammation?

In the world of fitness, one thing is certain- when it comes to exercise, there’s always a chance that you’ll have to deal with muscle inflammation. Regardless of whether you’re lifting heavy weights or running a marathon, swollen and sore muscles are an inevitable part of being fit.

Muscle inflammation can be caused by numerous factors such as overuse and injury. Additionally, several medications including cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins cause muscle pain (1). Irrespective of the cause, finding ways to treat muscle inflammation is crucial because without adequate treatment, it can lead to further complications like increased pain and/or decreased mobility.

As someone who cares about their health (or just wants to relieve some post-workout tenderness), knowing the best way to treat your inflamed muscles is essential. That’s why we’ve compiled this ultimate guide packed full of tips for treating your inflamed muscles in no time!

Rest: Take A Break

A significant reason for what causes muscle inflammation occurs due to micro-damage resulting from physical activity – this damage leads “naturally” to acute inflammatory responses that stimulate healing agent cells (2) but require rest so they may carry out their functions efficiently.

Therefore resting provides several benefits that enable speedy recovery:

  • Rest prevents further stress triggering continued inflammation.
  • It empowers medical treatments’ efficacy against pre-existing painful symptoms during regular activities execution.

But take note; while rest remains helpful in retreating initial onset symptoms — remember prolonged absence from exercising develops fewer beneficial adaptations(3).

Ice & Heat therapy: Remedying Flexibly

Are you feeling hot-headed? How ‘bout… ice-cold instead?
Both heat and cold therapies provide potent anti-inflammatory relievers across various pathologies extended beyond muscular lethargy alone. Generally providing different kinds topical agents makes both quite effective in treating inflammations;

  • Ice applicated to sore muscles upregulates the peripheral vascular constriction (4) while down-regulating Neutrophil activity from blood flux in localized tissue around injurious areas, reducing oxidative stress strains against such tissues.
  • Heat Therapy which usually is applied later on after one or two days of inflammation onset allows increasing blood circulation back to throbbing zones (caused either by stiff tendons/ lousy posture) infusing catalytic agents that expedite recovery with anti-inflammatory properties(5)

Stretch: Move it!

Flexibility is often undermined when having difficulties dealing with inflammations. Here are plausible reasons why stretching carries a significant importance:

  1. Appropriately practiced exercises regulate proper synovial fluid movements required for joint functional mobility(6)
  2. Improved muscular coordination and strengthened support linked through enhanced stability
  3. Individually adept at mitigating extensive muscle flutters.

So why not do your body a favor and stretch it out! A few minutes spent stretching every day can go a long way towards preventing future injuries.

Sleep Tight

Most restorative processes occur during quality slumber state where the cell repair mechanisms take center stage enabling re-building of lost tissue while disposing accumulated waste metabolites like dead cells necrosing in inflamed regions requiring hormonal signals lowering pain messaging response (7).

As difficult as it may be- aim for seven hours sleep per night – this will help you feel more refreshed, energized, and ready to tackle whatever life throws at you!

Foam Roll Inflammation Away

One key strategy that has gained popularity recently across several fitness lines involves using foam rollers wrapped around achy muscles applying self-massage techniques commonly emphasizing exposing deep-tissue layers manipulating soft-tissues (“fascia”) improving lymphatic flow assisting organs’ drainage mechanism promoting removal of toxic substances present therein contributing to chronic tissular injury(8).

Foam rolling counts as the topmost non-invasive therapy yielding benefits including:

  • It boosts proprioception, enabling more profound body awareness which contributes overall to better balance and coordination(9).
  • Reducing fascial adhesions – a crucial part of healthy musculoskeletal tissue structure preventing discomfort.

So next time you experience inflammation- give foam rolling a chance!

Nutritional Tactics: You are What You Eat

Some foods tend to accord remarkable pain-reducing properties boosting muscle-cell growth while others delay future onset inflamed periods. Here are essential food recommendations regarding nutritional approaches tackling recalcitrant muscular inflammations:

  1. Considering taking carotenoids(lutein, zeaxanthin) present in vegetables like carrots, papaya or tomatoes – Accord capillary-dilating characters curbing vascular permeability effects resulting from trauma inflicted by physical exercises puncturing vein lining (10).
  2. Including antioxidant-rich foods is also necessary (e.g., dark choco), diminishing manifestations initiating progress towards oxidative degradation(Oxidative Stress) induced upon provoked inflammatory occurrences(11)
    3 Seeking actively Omega 6 fatty acids rich meals helps bolster your immune system retaining hydration within working muscles fighting against caloric deposition through one’s lifestyle habits.

Don’t let inflammation slow you down – focus on getting enough of these nutrients so that your body can fight back better against it!

Remedial Techniques That Aid Inflammation Recovery:

When inflamed occurs sustaining a small healthy routine impedes intensification or recurrence symptoms reducing complications arising out thereof

Below are other strategies ensured to tonify daily wellness paradigms benefiting long-term recovery program issuance.

Posture Improvements:

Physical Therapy modalities provide an effective way of addressing underlying maladjunction attributable to awkward seated/standing postures potentially materializing cervical and thoracic kyphosis evident signs along with rounded shoulder characteristics consequent backbone torques — Causing stress overpressure possibly affecting lymphatic flow and muscular flexibility, breeding inflammation events.

Correcting posture not only eliminates present symptoms but also ensures prevention of future vulnerability linked with chronic musculature inflammations; Improving lifestyle.

Utilizing NSAIDs – Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammation Drugs:

NSAIDs provide potent anti-inflammatory relievers that impede the production of inflammatory compounds keeping tissue injury at bay symptomatically (12).

However, one mustn’t use these medications without a prescription because their long-term safety profile remains unresolved levying conditions such as gut ulcers or kidney function impairment in case of unsupervised medication intake necessary for good health to be taken into cognizance.

Massage Therapy:

Massage therapies remain efficient technique applicable across different levels crucial for muscular-skeletal downtime recovery commonly relevant during maximal exertion campaigns noticed after major competitive sports activities(13).

Massage therapy benefits include:

  • Increased circulation which delivers nutrients while removing metabolic wastes.
  • Provides pain/swelling relief—if executed appropriately adequate
  • Reduced anxiety & depression risks via regulated Oxitocin secretion(14)

With Stressful daily routines continuously inducing physiological reactions burdened by muscle inflammations massages work wonders towards depletion significantly pained scenarios presenting vigorous wellness activities needed continually.