How to Find Relief from Muscle Pain

Common Causes of Muscle Pain

You don’t have to be a gym junkie to experience muscle pain. It can be caused by:

• overuse of a muscle
• any kind of physical activity you’re not used to
• an injury (muscle strains)
• muscle tension

Injuries such as strains may occur if you’ve been exercising or working beyond what your body isused to, or due to a sudden stretching or twisting of muscle, for example during a fall or a collision.

If you have muscle pain throughout your whole body and you can’t think of a reason why, or if youare concerned about your muscle pain for any reason, seek the advice of your doctor.

Recognising different types of muscle pain

Neck, Shoulder & Back Muscle Pain

The muscles of the back, shoulder, and neck support your upper body. These muscles can become strained through everyday activities such as lifting things and maintaining the same posture in the office.

Muscle pain in these areas can also lead to referred pain such as headaches or even pain in the legs.

The neck is very mobile and supports your head, so it's no surprise that neck muscle pain is so common.

Foot & Leg Muscle Pain

Muscle pain in the legs, knees and feet are typically the result of over-use or under-use. The legs and feet work together, so muscle pain in one area can affect other parts of the body. Overuse can lead to muscle strains, while under-use can lead to stiffness.

Groin Muscle Pain

Groin muscle pain is usually the result of a groin strain. This happens when the muscles of the inner thigh are overstretched.

Hip Muscle Pain

Hip muscle pain can be recognised by pain in the outer buttock or upper thigh. This can be the result of an injury or a fall. Hip pain might be worse when you walk up or down stairs, play sport or exercise and sit or stand for a long time.

Abdominal Muscle Pain

Your abdominal muscles are incredibly important. They support your trunk, allow movement, and hold your organs in place!

You can strain the muscles of your abdomen through overuse, overstretching or sudden movement of the trunk.

Finding Muscle Pain Relief

Different muscle pain treatment is recommended depending on your situation.

To help relieve muscle pain caused by injury

• RICE is a helpful acronym for remembering how to immediately treat sprains or strains:
• Rest – stop your activity and rest the injured area
• Ice – place icepacks on the area for 20 minutes every 2 hours^*
• Compression – bandage the injured site firmly, extending the wrapping from below to above
• Elevation – raise the injured area above your heart whenever practical
• You could try a muscle pain relief option such as Nurofen.
• The anti-inflammatory action of Nurofen can assist in relieving muscular pain

To help relieve muscle pain caused by overuse or tension

• Perform gentle massage to the affected area
• Extend flexibility and restore normal mobility with gentle stretching
• Avoid very strenuous or high-impact activities for a while
• Try a medicated gel for muscle pain relief such as Nurofen Gel.

Preventing Muscle Pain

There are some simple things you can do to help reduce the likelihood of muscle pain:

• Warm up with gentle stretching prior to physical activity
• Exercise regularly to keep your muscles in good condition
• Increase the intensity of exercise gradually to avoid pushing yourself too hard
• Practise safe lifting of heavy objects to avoid injury