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Muscle Pain and Your Lifestyle

This article was written by Jeff Lutz, CMTPT of The Pain Treatment and Wellness Center, 245 Humphrey Rd., Suite 2, Greensburg, PA 15601, 724-853-2353, Visit http://musclepainhelp.com/index.html to learn more about Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy and to make an appointment for treatment.

When looking at muscle pain, it is important to look at individual lifestyles to determine what aspects need more attention.

Generally, the activities which are done frequently are the most suspect for repetitive work injuries and therefore need the most attention and care. The following categories of people have lifestyles which are more susceptible to the development of muscle pain.

In every one of these cases it is important to properly address a workstation or physical task. Just as a construction worker wears steel toe boots and a chemist wears eye protection, a person should be aware of the dangers involved in their jobs and take adequate measures against them.

Athletes

Athletes are among those who are the most physically fit. They train rigorously to improve performance whether for competition or personal satisfaction. When a physical ailment strikes the life of an athlete, it can be especially devastating as the ailment can leave the person unable to perform workout routines and/or enjoy activities which fulfill their lives.

Remember to keep your body as loose as it can be by properly warming up before exercise, and cooling down after. Learn how Myofascial Therapy and Massage can help improve the lives of injured athletes.

Computer Users

The majority of people today use a computer for work, school, fun, or a combination of all these. The issue today is the amount of computer driven activities available to consumers. This in turn raises the average computer usage for the average person. As the average usage time grows, the risk for injury increases due to several factors -- poor posture at the workstation, poor ergonomic environments, lack of physical activity, etc...

Many keyboards even warn about serious disorders which may occur as a result of improper use. Take almost any keyboard and look on the back for the manufacturer's warning/disclaimer about musculoskeletal disorders (MSD's). They usually begin with, "Some experts believe that use of any keyboard may cause serious injury..." The interesting thing is this quote was pulled from an ergonomic keyboard! So even items considered to be ergonomic can cause problems if not used properly.

Many professionals in the design and programming fields tend develop the most problems. This is because of constant and consistent use of a mouse. When using a mouse a person must keep the muscle on top of the shoulder, the upper trapezius, contracted. Prolonged contraction of any muscle increases the risk for these musculoskeletal disorders. Pay attention to how you are using your mouse and notice how the muscles of your shoulder are contracted to allow movement of the device. It is prolonged long-term use of a mouse (or keyboard) which may cause muscle pain.

Musicians

Musicians tend to develop pain conditions due to the way in which they use their instruments. The two biggest problems are repetitive motion and sustained contraction injuries, very similar to that of prolonged computer usage. Guitar, woodwind, and most stringed instruments lend to neck, headache, and arm pain conditions while pianists seem to get that along with some low back issues as well. Some conditions that may develop from improper technique and lack of stretching are Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS), Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), and Tenosynovitis.

If any symptoms of pain, restriction, and/or numbing occur please consult a health care professional who can address your case. Also, please consider myofascial and massage therapies for the condition as they have proven to be quite helpful in reducing these symptoms.