Muscle inflammation is common and can happen due to several reasons, starting from overuse of the muscle to certain autoimmune diseases. Steer through this piece of writing to learn more.

Muscle Inflammation

Muscles play the most vital role in our movement. However, muscle inflammation, soreness, and pain can occur due to overstraining of the muscles and this in turn can impede our movements. Muscles work by contraction and relaxation. Overuse of these muscles can lead to muscle injury and swelling. Muscle irritation can also occur from certain infections and side-effects of certain drugs. It can also be due to unknown causes. It is believed that muscle inflammation can be caused due to some autoimmune diseases. Muscle tenderness is often very painful and restricts our activities. If left untreated, it can become serious and can lead to loss of the muscle. In its early stages, muscle inflammation hardly gets diagnosed.  Diagnosis and measuring the degree of inflammation takes time and is complicated. According to the “Myositis Association” muscle inflammation can be either short term or long term. While short term muscle inflammation can be resolved with little complication, chronic myositis can be serious and can lead to loss of muscles. For more information about muscle inflammation, causes, symptoms, and treatment, browse through the following lines.

Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of Inflammation Of The Muscle

Causes
The major cause for temporary muscle inflammation is overuse of the muscles or continuous muscle use without proper resting. Many sportspersons suffer muscle sores and muscle strains that can lead to muscle inflammation. However, there can be other causes as well for chronic muscle inflammation. These include Lupus, multiple sclerosis, or other autoimmune diseases. Arthritis can also lead to muscle inflammation in many patients.

Symptoms
  • Muscle weakness
  • Muscle pain
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Trouble climbing stairs
  • General tiredness and fatigue
  • Trouble standing from a seated position or reaching up 
Treatment
  • Consult your doctor before starting any medication.
  • Identifying the underlying cause is important for right therapeutic intervention.
  • For immediate relief, you may try warm compress over the inflamed muscle. Warm compress facilitates circulation which can help reduce the pain and inflammation. You can either use a heating pad, or use gel packs to give compression.
  • If your muscle is inflamed, try to take adequate rest. Sleep for 7-8 hours to relax your muscles properly.
  • Over-the-counter medications like ‘ibuprofen’ and ‘tylenol’ can provide temporary relief and alleviate the pain. However, these medications only provide momentary relief. Do not forget to consult a doctor, even if the pain subsides.
  • Anti-inflammatory food containing omega-3-fatty acids are known to reduce muscle inflammation. Try to introduce garlic and ginger in your diet which are rich in omega-3-fatty acids and will help to keep away muscle pain and inflammation.
  • Try to avoid red meat which can worsen your condition.
  • Certain essential oils, like clove oil, have anti-inflammatory properties. Massage the affected area with these essential oils in circular motion to get some relief.
  • Lavender oil massages help muscles to relax and give some relief.
  • Wintergreen oil and birch oil have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Massaging of the affected area with these oils can help reduce pain and inflammation.
  • Certain systematic enzymes help reduce inflammation. Ask your doctor for a recommendation.
  • Ultra sound treatment is also done by physicians to treat certain types of muscle soreness.
  • Physiotherapy and rehab help patients to manage their painful conditions.
  • To treat severe cases of muscle inflammation, doctors might recommend immobilizing of the affected area by a plaster.
  • Most doctors prescribe ‘NSAIDS’ drugs to reduce the pain and inflammation. If you are allergic to certain drugs, remember to mention that to your physician to avoid any harmful side-effects.

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