Muscle Pain: Causes, Symptoms & Pain Relief
Muscle pain can affect your day-to-day activities. Keep reading to learn what causes muscle pain, its symptoms and the muscle pain relief options that are available, including Naprosyn® Pain Relief.
What causes muscle pain?
The most common muscle pain causes are:
Sprains and strains
Sprains and strains affect the muscles and ligaments. This happens when the muscles are overstretched or twisted. Pain, weakness or tenderness in areas like the ankle, foot, wrist, thumb, back, leg or knee may be a sign of a sprain or strain.
If you have a sprain or strain, you may also notice the area is swollen or bruised, and you may not be able to put weight on the injury or use it like you would normally. You may also experience muscle cramping or spasms.
Exercise
Having sore or stiff muscles after exercising is normal, and you can usually expect this to subside within two to five days. However, if your muscles continue to be painful, you may have an injury.
If you have suffered an injury while exercising, you may notice pain, tenderness, swelling, stiffness or bruising in the affected area. You might recognise the pain straight away, or it could take several hours after you’ve exercised for it to become apparent.
Stress
While stress can affect you mentally, such as making you feel overwhelmed and worried, it can impact you physically too. Muscle tension and pain are both common symptoms of stress.
What are the symptoms of muscle pain?
Common symptoms of muscle pain can include:
- Muscle soreness or weakness
- Aches and pains throughout your body
- Stiffness
- Tenderness
- Swelling
Types of muscle pain
Muscle pain can be felt in any part of the body where there are muscles. Some of the most common types of muscle pain are:
The content provided below is for informational purposes only; Naprosyn® Pain Relief can provide relief from short-term muscle and joint pain, such as sprains and strains, inflammation caused by sporting injuries, lower back pain, neck pain, or pain in the wrists or feet. It is not suitable for long-term pain.
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Acute back pain is very common, and it usually improves in a few weeks. It can be caused by an injury, such as a pulled muscle.
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Neck pain is usually caused by poor posture, a pinched nerve or an injury. It can also occur if the neck becomes locked in an awkward position while sleeping, leading to muscular pain.
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The symptoms of acute shoulder pain can include stiffness and a tingling sensation. It can be caused by injury to the muscles in the shoulder, such as the rotator cuff or tendons in the shoulder, as well as conditions like arthritis.
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Pain in your leg can affect the muscles in your thigh and calf. It can be caused by injury or a condition such as arthritis.
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Pain in the wrist is usually caused by bruising or injuring your wrist. You may experience swelling, stiffness or an aching feeling throughout your hand.
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Hip pain is usually caused by injury or normal age-related changes. You may feel pain, stiffness or weakness across your hip, and the discomfort may also spread to the muscles in your back, thigh or buttock.
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Ankle pain is often caused by exercising too much. It can cause swelling, bruising and a dull aching pain in the ankle and heel.
How to relieve muscle pain
Short term muscle pain will usually improve with rest, but if you’re in discomfort, there are a few ways that could help alleviate your pain at home, from muscle pain tablets to breathing techniques.
Over-the-counter treatments
As well as your typical medicine cabinet pain relief products such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, there are other options available from the pharmacy counter. Naprosyn Pain Relief contains naproxen, an anti-inflammatory that offers long-lasting relief for back, muscle and joint pain. Available at your local pharmacy without a prescription, this muscle pain medication provides up to 12 hours of uninterrupted pain relief.
Gentle exercise
Simple, gentle movement can help ease the soreness and discomfort of muscle pain by blocking pain signals travelling to the brain. Activities such as walking, swimming and even gardening can help lessen the pain by stretching stiff, tense muscles.
It’s normal to feel unsure if exercise might make your symptoms worse. However, if you gradually become more active, it’s unlikely to cause any harm.
Breathing techniques
Practicing breathing exercises and fine-tuning your technique can help lessen your muscle pain. When you’re in discomfort, it’s easy to start taking short, shallow breaths in quick succession. However, this can make you feel dizzy and anxious. Instead, take slow, deep breaths. This can help you feel in control and more relaxed, preventing any muscle tension or anxiety that could make your pain worse.
How to prevent muscle pain
To prevent muscle pain, it’s important to:
- Warm up before exercising, and cool down afterwards
- Avoid overexercising
- Stay hydrated
- Maintain good posture
- Get enough sleep
Find out more about Naprosyn® Pain Relief
Providing effective pain relief for muscle pain, Naprosyn® Pain Relief is available to buy at the pharmacy counter in leading pharmacy stores. Visit our about Naprosyn® Pain Relief page, to learn more.
