A burning sensation in your muscle can be the result of various factors, and it is important to diagnose the specific cause to properly treat the condition. In some instances, it is possible for one to alleviate the burning feeling, but that may be only curing a symptom, not the cause. On the other hand, some cases are simply a surface reaction, and treating the pain will be sufficient to address the problem.
Causes
A very common cause of a burning muscle is due to over-exertion of the muscle. This can happen while performing any physical activity that causes the muscle to be pushed beyond what it is normally used to. The muscles will get worn down, but through rest and recovery, they will rebuild themselves bigger and stronger than before.
For those individuals who are engaged in an intense muscle-building workout routine, a burning sensation is to be expected. Another thing individuals may discover is that soreness may tend to be greater approximately two days after a workout, and that is due to what is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Reduce Intensity of Workouts
If you are constantly suffering from muscle burning or soreness post-workout, it may be a sign that your workouts are too intense. One method of reducing the burn is by not allowing a muscle to be pushed to the point of total exhaustion during the workout, instead backing off only after a significant amount of effort has been exerted, but total muscle failure has not yet been reached. Sometimes even this may not be enough, and that may be a sign to take a short, temporary break from working out to allow your body to totally recover. Two days should be the minimum rest period, but for more severe cases, up to one week may be needed.
After recovering from the break, be sure to lower the intensity of the workouts so that another burnout will not occur. Pushing the muscles beyond their limits for extended periods of time is unsustainable for the average person, and can even be dangerous. This is especially true if the muscle is not adequately stretched and warmed-up before hand. Those who ignore the burning sensation in their muscles may eventually cause a muscle strain or tear to occur, which will be a significant setback and may even cause a permanent injury.
Drink Plenty of Water
It has been suggested that consuming a lot of water, as well as keeping the body cool, is just what is needed to remedy a burning muscle. This is speculated to clean out the lactic acid in one’s body, which will ultimately reduce the burning feeling one experiences in their muscles. Though the validity of these claims have not been confirmed by any testing, many individuals report that cooling the body appears to slightly reduce the discomfort of burning.
Medication
Another potential cause of burning muscle is fibromyalgia, as well as its symptoms of insomnia and fatigue. Typically, fibromyalgia causes muscles all over one’s body to feel aches, twitching, and a burning sensation. Various doctor prescribed medications can be used to alleviate the burning sensation that is caused by fibromyalgia, however nothing will completely alleviate the pain. Some anticonvulsants, such as Lyrica and Ativan, can treat the pain, as can certain antidepressants like norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or serotonin.
For more general treatment of burning muscles, and fibromyalgia, stronger pain relievers may be able to reduce the pain. Ultracet and Ultram can be used, and in rare cases, doctors may even locally inject a dose of cortisone directly to a muscle. Muscle relaxants can also be extremely beneficial. Almost all pain killers that are potent enough to alleviate intense muscle pain can only be acquired through a doctor’s prescription. With that said, over-the-counter pain killers may be able to somewhat reduce the pain, but will not be as effective as prescribed medication.
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