Muscle Contracture Remedies

Muscle contracture refers to the involuntary and continuous shortening of one or more skeletal muscles, associated with pain, stiffness and local hypertonia.
Contracture is caused by excessive muscle stress and / or applied in inadvisable circumstances (cold muscle, poor training level, uncontrolled or abrupt movement, postural or muscle imbalances, coordination deficit, etc.).
The shortening (contraction) and the resulting pain must be interpreted as a defensive mechanism; the body wants to warn us not to overload that district again and in the same way. However, the reaction is often intense enough to negatively affect daily activities.
It is a fairly common injury and is the least serious one compared to other muscle injuries (stretching or elongation and distraction or tearing).
The cure is simple, but can be complicated by the location of the muscle, its function, and the level of activation in routine activities.

The published material is intended to allow quick access to general advice, suggestions and remedies that doctors and textbooks usually dispense for the treatment of a Muscle Contracture; such indications must in no way substitute the opinion of the attending physician or other health specialists in the sector who are treating the patient. .

Previous training.

Intensity and type of athletic gesture relevant to the level of preparation.

Absence of pathologies or imbalances of the motor chain.

Recognizing the symptoms:

• Medium, tolerable and widespread pain in the specific area.
• Muscle hypertonia and lack of elasticity.

Suspend sporting activity.

After a possible contracture, if the pain is very intense, it is necessary to make a diagnosis to exclude the most serious damage. You can contact the general practitioner or the emergency room. The elite analyzes to verify the extent of the damage are:

• Palpation: to identify hypertonia and active "tigger points" (painful points).
• Ultrasound medical imaging: useful in visualizing the affected area and to rule out more serious complications.

Rest from motor activity and specific muscular efforts in general. The duration of the "stop" is at least 3-7 days.

Especially in milder cases, especially if they affect the large external muscles, accelerate recovery with activities that allow you to:

• Stretch the muscles: light stretching.
• Promote blood flow: light aerobic activity, preferably unspecified.
• Loosen the contracted bundles with massages.

In case of more intense pain, take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and muscle relaxants.

Adopt specific medical therapies (see below Medical Therapies).

Practicing "cold" stretching before activity and too intensely in the recovery phase from contracture.

Not having an athletic base.

Practicing sports other than usual and above all with excessive intensity.

Presence of pathologies or imbalances of the motor chain.

Ignoring or not recognizing the symptoms.

In case of muscle contracture, continue sporting activity.

Do not consult your doctor for a certain diagnosis.

Prompt the affected area early and do not give the right rest.

In the event that recovery times are lengthened excessively, avoid those activities that can improve remission from contracture (see above What to do).

Not to respect any drug therapy prescribed by the doctor.

Do not respect any other specific medical therapies (see below Medical Therapies).

. However, it may be helpful to increase the intake of anti-inflammatory nutrients:

• Omega 3: they are the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha linolenic acid (ALA). The first two are biologically very active and are mainly contained in: sardine, mackerel, bonito, alaccia, herring, alletterate, ventresca di tuna, garfish, seaweed, krill etc. The third, on the other hand, is less active but constitutes a precursor of EPA; it is mainly contained in the fat fraction of certain foods of plant origin or in the oils of: soy, linseed, kiwi seeds , grape seeds etc.
• Antioxidants:
• Vitamins: the antioxidant vitamins are carotenoids (provitamin A), vitamin C and vitamin E. Carotenoids are contained in vegetables and red or orange fruits (apricots, peppers, melons, peaches, carrots, squash, tomatoes, etc.); they are also present in crustaceans and milk. Vitamin C is typical of sour fruit and some vegetables (lemons, oranges, mandarins, grapefruits, kiwis, peppers, parsley, chicory, lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, etc.). Vitamin E can be found in the lipid portion of many seeds and related oils (wheat germ, corn germ, sesame, etc.).
• Minerals: zinc and selenium. The first is mainly contained in: liver, meat, milk and derivatives, some bivalve molluscs (especially oysters). The second is mainly contained in: meat, fish products, egg yolk, milk and derivatives, enriched foods (potatoes, etc.).
• Polyphenols: simple phenols, flavonoids, tannins. They are very rich: vegetables (onion, garlic, citrus fruits, cherries, etc.), fruit and relative seeds (pomegranate, grapes, berries, etc.), wine, oil seeds, coffee, tea, cocoa, legumes and whole grains, etc.

: ethyl alcohol exerts a diuretic action and interferes with the pharmacological metabolism by altering the effect of the active ingredients.

Excess of omega 6 fatty acids or wrong omega 3 / omega 6 ratio (to the advantage of the latter). They could have a pro-inflammatory effect. It is good practice to limit the introduction of foods rich in linoleic, gamma-linolenic, diomo-gamma-linolenic and arachidonic acids, such as: seed oil (especially peanuts), most dried fruit, certain legumes, etc. At the same time it is necessary to increase the intake of omega 3 (see above What to Eat).

: increase blood flow and can speed up recovery. They should not be used in the presence of vascular lesions.

Massages: non-physiotherapeutic and aimed at muscle relaxation. They can be performed by anyone, but you need to be very careful NOT to make the contracture worse.

(NSAID): for systemic or topical use (ointment, gel or cream):

• For systemic use:
• Ibuprofen (e.g. Arfen®, Moment®, Brufen®, Nurofen® etc.)
• Only for contractures (completely contraindicated in case of rupture of the vessels), salicylic acid (for example Aspirina®).
• For topical use:
• Ibuprofen 10% lysine salt (e.g. Dolorfast®).
• Ketoprofen 2.5% (for example Fastum gel®).

Muscle relaxants: they relax the skeletal and smooth muscles. They can be for oral (systemic), parenteral (injection) and topical (ointment, gel or cream) use. The most used in contractures are those that act on the central nervous system. For contractures the most used is:

• Thiocolchicoside (for example Muscoril®, Miotens®): it exerts its activity through a mechanism of action that involves the antagonization of the GABA-A receptor.

and / or muscle exhaustion and without straining or bouncing.

• Maintain a sufficiently high body temperature, especially of the affected muscles; for this purpose, it may be useful:
• Dress in technical material, especially in the winter months.
• If necessary, use specific ointments.
• Practice warm-up and activation (also called "approach"). This phase has two functions:
• Increase the temperature of all the structures recruited in the athletic gesture.
• "Stretching" the fibers of the structures recruited in the athletic gesture.
• Undergo efforts suited to your physical condition or reach a level of training useful to support that kind of performance.
• Respect recovery and compensation times. A muscle undergoing reconstruction / regeneration is a weak, unresponsive and easily damaged tissue.
• If present, correct or cure joint and muscle imbalances.

decontracting physiotherapy: performed by a professional. In the most hostile and localized contractures in deep bundles or internal muscles, they can be extremely useful in speeding up the course.

Tecar therapy: it is a healing system that uses the principle of the electric condenser to treat joint muscle injuries. The mechanism of tecar therapy is based on the restoration of the electrical charge in the injured cells, to make them regenerate more quickly.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (Tens): antalgic electrotherapy that acts mainly against pain. It sends electrical impulses to the skin through electroconductive plates. These block nerve pain signals and trigger the production of endorphins.

Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (Pemf): is based on the use of pulsed electromagnetic fields that stimulate vasodilation in the contracted muscle, facilitating blood flow and with it tissue repair.

Magnetotherapy: takes advantage of the effects of the magnetic field on the body. It is applied by means of two solenoids directly on the affected area. It exerts a force on magnetic, paramagnetic iron materials and on diamagnetic molecules. That at high and low frequency produces benefits if the treatment is prolonged enough; the effectiveness of the static one is not scientifically proven. Its effects on cells, inflammation, inflammation, etc. they are very numerous. It can reduce healing times by up to 50%, but the effectiveness varies with the damage.

Ultrasound: uses high frequency acoustic waves. It is very useful as an anti-inflammatory, stimulant of edematous reabsorption and to dissolve the adhesions that form during healing. It produces heat and increases the permeability of cell membranes.

Laser therapy: it is a treatment that uses the rays directly on the affected area. The electron beam from the laser acts on the cell membrane and mitochondria, increasing metabolic activity, reducing pain and inflammation, creating vasodilation and increasing lymphatic drainage.

Kinesio taping: this system uses the traction of adhesive and elastic bandages. sometimes containing small drug concentrations. They should have a draining, slightly pain-relieving-anti-inflammatory and bracing function.

Iontophoresis: It is a form of needle-free injection. It allows a drug (in this case anti-inflammatory) to cross the epidermis thanks to the application of a direct current.

Stretch and spray: it is an osteopathic system that allows the reduction of muscle pain and facilitates relaxation with the application of a cold skin stimulus and the passive stretching of the muscles involved.