How to Avoid Muscle Pain

Muscle pain doesn't have to be sharp to deserve attention. The dull pain of sore, aching muscles from a game of golf or a day spent raking leaves can be debilitating, too. You can rely on Minard's Liniment to ease away the aches, but here are some recommendations for minimizing the occurrence of pain:

Exercise regularly. It's the best way to prevent pain. Strong arms, legs and abdominal muscles guard against back strain. Spend 15 minutes a day stretching and strengthening your back and supporting muscles.
Prevent sprains and pulls before they occur. Always warm up cold muscles with gentle exercise before stretching, exercising or doing yard work or shovelling snow. If you're already experiencing some minor muscle pain, take a hot shower instead. Cool down afterwards to return the body gradually to its normal resting state.
Avoid the bending and twisting that stresses back muscles. When lifting heavy objects, keep the object as close to the body as possible. Bend your knees and use the thigh muscles to bear as much of the weight as possible. Lean forward slightly for balance. When shovelling snow, let your legs do the work. Keep your back straight and use your legs to bend and lift instead of your arms. This lets your stronger leg muscles take some of the strain off your back and arms. Also, avoid twisting from the waist when lifting. Instead, turn the entire body.
When resting from a sore back, lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Resist lying on your side, as this increases spinal disc pressure to almost the level caused by standing. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid can reduce pain and inflammation. But avoid over-use. There's some evidence NSAIDS can slow healing by suppressing the body's prostaglandins, compounds that help it heal naturally. Check with your doctor or other health professional. Remember too that muscle soreness is for your own protection. Your body uses pain and stiffness to restrict movement of the spine and prevent further injury. Always pay attention to this "red flag" to avoid more serious problems. Pain relievers mask your body's natural safeguards, helping you stay active when you should be taking it easy.