Muscular pain is typically described as a dull, achy pain along the musculature of the body. Muscular pain can linger for weeks if untreated. Neck, shoulder and back pain are common problematic areas for most people. Whereas pain in the muscles of the lower limb is most commonly seen in people involved in sport and exercise.
Neck and shoulder pain builds up overtime, especially for those working in offices or sitting down for longer periods of time throughout the day.
Shoulder pain is most commonly as a result of repetitive overuse. This means that repetitive movements overtime often results in wear and tear of a joint, and the surrounding musculature.
This often presents in people working overhead for long periods, such as painters or electricians. Overuse can also occur from sports involving repetitive shoulder use such as tennis, hurling, camogie etc. where there is excessive demand on shoulder movements, or a high risk of repetitive trauma.
General muscle pain occurs in the leg muscles when there is an overload placed on the muscles over a period of time. This often occurs when there is an increase in training load or in the volume of training. The increase in demand of the muscle causes lactic acid to build up within the muscle tissue. This build up causes fatigue and soreness in the muscle which prevents the muscle from performing correctly.
Hamstring injuries are predominantly seen as a result of the repetitive strain on the muscle when running and sprinting, or a weakness present within the muscle tissue. Calf pain can commonly appear in athletes who are involved in running or athletics, as this is one of the main muscles used in the jumping movement.
Massage therapy is one of the main treatments for muscular pain as it breaks down the tightness of the given muscle and helps flush out any lactic acid or toxins present in the muscle. This will improve the muscle capabilities. Dry needling is also used to reduce muscle tension and improve function.