5 bad habits that can lead to muscle discomfort

According to human anatomical studies, our body is composed of, at least, 650 muscles that are responsible for all our movements, whether voluntary or involuntary (visceral).

From pumping blood to the heart, taking in air and adopting postures in a space three-dimensional, it is clear that the musculature plays an essential role in our lives, both at the level of species and individuals.

Unfortunately, in an increasingly busy and sedentary society, many of us have a lifestyle and routine that does not exactly promote muscle development and well-being. Keep reading, because today we present you 5 bad habits that can lead to muscle discomfort.

• We recommend you read: "Diet to gain muscle mass: step-by-step food and recipes"

Muscle pain: more common than you think

To contextualize the importance of the advice that we are going to show you in the following lines, it is necessary that we first review the situation of musculoskeletal disorders in society. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other sources help us with the following data:

• Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common occupational conditions across Europe. 22.8% of European workers complain of muscle pain.
• Musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide.
• They occur in up to half of the cases of multimorbidity, that is, patients who present more than one chronic disease at the same time.
• They represent the highest proportion of persistent painful conditions other than cancer.

As we can see, pain in the skeletal and muscular system goes far beyond a small discomfort when changing posture: many people are disabled by this type of disorder, which in addition to limiting the patient's mobility, promote altered emotional states like depression. Of course, with more than 150 possible diagnoses for the locomotor system, it is clear that muscle diseases are the order of the day.

Habits to avoid to preserve muscle health

Once we have contextualized all this terminological conglomerate, it is time that we address without further ado the 5 bad habits that can lead to muscle discomfort.

5. A poor diet

Electrolytes are minerals that have an electrical charge. Among them we find sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, magnesium and many others. These substances, in addition to many other functions, help regulate the balance of nerve and muscle tissues.

Eating abnormally low calcium or potassium it can generate an imbalance, which translates into muscular discomfort. In addition to this, a lack of body water due to processes such as diarrhea, vomiting and other signs of an infectious nature, can cause homeostatic imbalances in the individual resulting in fatigue, muscle spasms, numbness, and changes in pressure arterial.

The key lies in consuming a balanced and balanced diet, and above all, in eating much water when we have a gastrointestinal infection or that involves a constant loss of fluids. Although it is difficult to reach an electrolyte imbalance that results in muscle discomfort (usually occur in people with an underlying disease), it never hurts to watch what we eat and how we make.

4. Muscle overload

Muscle overloads are contractions that occur involuntarily and continuously on the muscle fibers. Its symptoms include heaviness and lack of speed when performing certain movements, intense pain in the affected muscle and an increase in tone in the contracted muscle area.

Of course, as positive as exercising autonomously is, a bad habit that can lead to this condition is doing intense activities without warming up or prior training. Sometimes we want to push our body beyond its physiological limits in pursuit of an aesthetic ideal, and this can pay dearly in the long run. When immersing yourself in the world of intense exercise, a professional who accompanies the athlete is always recommended to avoid this type of event.

• We recommend you read: "6 exercises to get in shape at home easily"

3. Bad postures

The back pain that most of us are familiar with also has a muscular component, as more Beyond disc problems or bony ligaments, associated contracted muscles are a direct cause of pain.

For example, patients with contracted hamstrings (located on the back of the thighs) often develop low back pain. Of course, back pain is an extremely common problem, with 70% to 80% of adults around the world claim to have suffered at some point.

In addition to other factors not so directly related to postural balance such as sedentary lifestyle, obesity or smoking, it is clear that not positioning ourselves correctly in three-dimensional space generates unnecessary muscle overloads, which can translate into pain lumbar.

To tackle this problem, it is best to get information from a professional about postural changes and exercises. relevant to each patient, since it is not the same to work on a work as to sit in front of a computer eight hours a day. In general, it is usually a good idea to change postures every few periods (stretch every hour) and always maintain your back as straight as possible, but as we say, each exercise must be linked to the specific case of the patient.

• We recommend you read: "The 7 most common yoga postures and what they are for"

2. Consumption of alcohol and other drugs

The hangover is a concept that most of us are familiar with, but muscle aches experienced during this process are not solely due to unbridled movements during a night of party.

The residual substances that are generated by the process of obtaining alcohol, such as methanol, histamine, acetaldehyde, various polyphenols and other poisonous substances cause the symptoms of a hangover typical, and among its signs are cramps and muscle aches. In addition, the breakdown of alcohol in our body causes dehydration, which also promotes discomfort in the muscles.

Not to mention the consumption of other drugs such as cocaine, which can cause rhabdomyolysis, a disease characterized by muscle necrosis. In addition to spasms, vertigo and dizziness, 24% of cocaine addicts end up developing this condition characterized by severe muscle damage.

1. Stress and poor emotional management

Muscle tension is completely related to stress events, since it is a primary physiological defense mechanism in our species. The release of cortisol and adrenaline (hormones) promotes the hyperactivation of certain brain areas, which translates into greater attention, alertness, increased pulse and muscle tension.

This is not inherently bad in an acute episode, as being prepared for the worst prevents many threats. The problem comes when this becomes chronic, and the jaw, neck and back muscles remain tense for long periods without a clear physiological reason.

Beyond what we may believe, stress not only causes muscle pain, but can also affect the areas that are subjected to its forces. For example, tension headaches (a type of headache) occur when the muscles of the neck and scalp are contracted. Naturally, this results in intense headaches. On the other hand, disorders of the muscles and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ disorders) can cause earache, headache or dental pain.

In short, it is clear that stress causes muscle discomfort, but beyond that, it also produces pain and clear signs in the structures that are associated with these continuously contracted muscles. Stress management is not always a simple matter, so limiting the advice to "take a deep breath" or "relax" is more meaningless than anything else. For the management of chronic stress, the help of a specialist is required, who will promote a specific therapy in each case, which may be complemented (or not) with specific drugs.

• We recommend you read: "8 infallible techniques to avoid stress"

Resume

As we have seen, some of the bad habits that can lead to muscle discomfort find their reasons in a poor diet or alcohol intake, others in bad postures and overloads, and others simply because of the hectic pace of life that characterizes society current.

However, one thing is clear to us: normalizing muscle aches is never a good idea. There are people who get used to this discomfort until it becomes unbearable, and therefore, the best option is always to stop this type of pain when they are in early stages, either with physiotherapeutic or psychological help or both.

Bibliographic references

• Álvarez-Cordovés, M. M., Mirpuri-Mirpuri, P. G., & Pérez-Monje, A. J. (2012). Rhabdomyolysis associated with cocaine use. SEMERGEN-Family Medicine, 38 (2), 102-106.
• Water and Electrolyte Imbalance, breastcancer.org. Picked up on October 20 in https://www.breastcancer.org/es/tratamiento/efectos_secundarios/hidroelectrolitico
• Stress and Your Health, medlineplus.gov. Picked up on October 20 in https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/003211.htm#:~:text=Su%20cuerpo%20reacciona%20ante%20el, situation% C3% B3n% 20que% 20cause% 20el% 20estr% C3% A9s.
• Management of tension headaches at home. Medlineplus.gov. Picked up on October 20 in https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/patientinstructions/000421.htm#:~:text=Una%20cefalea%20tensional%20se%20produce, trauma% 20cranial% 20o% 20la% 20anxiety.
• Reguera Rodríguez, R., Socorro Santana, M. D. L. C., Jordán Padrón, M., García Peñate, G., & Saavedra Jordán, L. M. (2018). Back pain and bad posture, a health problem?. Electronic Medical Journal, 40 (3), 833-838.
• Temporomandibular Joint Disorders, Medlineplus.gov. Picked up on October 20 in https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/001227.htm
• Musculoskeletal Disorders, WHO. Picked up on October 20 in https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/musculoskeletal-conditions