Overworked muscles? These are the causes, symptoms and treatment

Overworked muscles are a common complaint that affects people of all ages and lifestyles. Whether you're an active athlete, a busy professional, or just an everyday person, chances are you'll have to deal with overworked muscles at some point. In this article we will delve deeper into the causes, symptoms, treatments and prevention methods for overworked muscles.

What causes overworked muscles?

There are two ways in which overloaded muscles can develop. The first way is an acute overload. This is a situation in which you overload a muscle or group of muscles at the same time through a specific action. In this case you are asking too much of your muscles at once. An acute overload can also occur by making a wrong movement. The muscles then have to move in an unnatural way, causing you to strain them.

A second way of overloading your muscles is due to prolonged strain, which then turns into overload. Stressing your muscles to make them stronger over time, like in a gym, is not a bad thing. However, it is bad if you put too much strain on them too quickly, because this causes overload. For example, consider training too quickly with heavier weights. A lack of rest between training sessions also causes long-term overload.

This way you detect an overload of your muscles

What are the symptoms of muscle strain? How do you recognize it in time? The symptoms of overload vary in intensity. You may experience pain and stiffness in your muscles, but even cramps or painful, swollen muscles. The most common symptoms of overworked muscles are:

• Muscle pain that lasts longer than five days.
• Tightening and aching feeling in your muscles caused by a tense muscle.
• Head, neck and back pain. These complaints are mainly caused by stress and incorrect working posture.
• Damage to muscles due to unexpected movements, a fall or a blow.

What to do when your muscles are overloaded?

How can you counteract the overload of your muscles? Fortunately, there are several options to treat overworked muscles. The best thing you can do when you notice that your muscles are overloaded is to get enough rest . Rest gives you time to see which muscles are sore and what the damage is. Rest also ensures that you do not suffer permanent damage. Other things that help with overworked muscles are:

• A massage ensures an improved flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and the removal of waste products.
• Heat, because this provides pain relief and helps the muscles relax.
• If you suffer from a bruise or sprain, coolness is the remedy.

How long can a muscle be overloaded?

How long does it take to recover from the overload on your muscles? How long the complaints last partly depends on the severity of your complaints. If you catch it quickly and recognize the symptoms quickly, you can start recovery more quickly. On average, you could say that the duration of the symptoms is a few days to a few weeks. In the event of a serious overload, the recovery process can take months. Consider, for example, a tear in a tendon or muscle.

Can you prevent overloading your muscles?

You can prevent acute stress in particular by, for example, using both a warm-up and a cool-down before exercising. Stretching exercises can really help the muscles. Moreover, good guidance is also important, especially in the beginning. If you do not adopt a good posture or you learn the wrong technique, the risk of injury is enormous. Also use the right materials. For example, when you run, it is important that you wear the right shoes to prevent overload on your feet, knees and shins.