Duration of muscle hardening | Muscle hardening – What you should consider

Duration of muscle hardening

How long a muscle hardening lasts is usually difficult to predict. The acute hardening can disappear after a few days. Nevertheless, you should only do sport again slowly afterwards, otherwise you may relapse quickly. Chronic muscle hardening can last for several years. Back pain in particular often causes very long-lasting problems that can recur even after years.

What is the best way to solve muscle hardening?

There are various therapeutic options for the treatment of muscle hardening. They usually consist of relaxation, stimulation of the blood circulation and pain relief, and in the case of chronic tension, especially movement therapy. At the very beginning of muscle hardening, cooling the affected muscle group can usually best reduce the pain.

In addition, careful stretching can be used to try to loosen the hardening quickly. If this is not sufficient, longer-term measures are necessary. Heat therapy is particularly suitable for improving blood circulation.

Also a massage or fascia therapy can improve the blood circulation, additionally the metabolic activity of the musculature is stimulated.Both in combination improve the body’s healing powers and thus help to loosen hardening. Various ointments such as Finalgon can also be used to warm up and stimulate the blood circulation. Invigorating exercises should only be performed again after a hardening of the muscles when the muscle is completely soft and able to relax.

In the case of chronic muscle hardening, a permanent movement and strengthening therapy of the affected muscle groups should be carried out. The therapy with ointments for hardened muscles consists of two components. On the one hand, pain-relieving ointments such as DocSalbe® and Voltaren® are used.

These can relieve acute pain and also have a cooling effect. Later, mainly blood circulation-promoting ointments and gels such as Finalgon® should be used. This is the best way to relax.

Some athletes also use Finalgon® and rubbing alcohol as a preventive measure, especially if they do sports in the cold. You do not know exactly which ointment to choose? To get a general overview of ointments and creams, please click on the following link This should be considered when choosing ointments and creamsSimple short muscle hardenings usually do not need to be treated with medication.

The administration of electrolytes such as magnesium is usually more helpful. If, however, persistent muscle hardening occurs, various drugs can be used. A typical example is the injection of local anesthetics under the skin during wheals.

Deeper infiltrations with local anesthetics can also be performed. In addition, it is sometimes useful to take pain medication locally (usually with an ointment) or systemically (as tablets). In the case of chronic muscle tension, drug therapy is often helpful in an acute pain phase, but the drugs should be discontinued early on, otherwise they cause a kind of dependency.

This process can, for example, additionally promote the chronification of back pain through muscle hardening. Drugs have a variety of effects. These include both positive and negative effects.

In order to avoid an undesirable side effect, it is important to deal with the inconvenience of the medication in detail: How high is the probability of a drug intolerance? home remedies for hardened muscles can be based on different mechanisms of action. First of all, the application of heat to hardened muscle areas helps most people.

A hot-water bottle or a cherry stone cushion can be used for this purpose. Sometimes, however, cold is also helpful. Suitable household remedies for this are, for example, cabbage or quark compresses.

Cold and hot baths of the affected body part can also be helpful, as can alternating baths. These particularly stimulate the blood circulation and thus help the body to release tension quickly. Other measures to stimulate the blood circulation include massage or warming creams.

The Fascial Roll or Blackroll can also be used to loosen muscle hardening. In addition to a strong massage of the muscles, the fasciae surrounding the muscles are stimulated. Possible adhesions loosen and the muscles can move more freely again in their sheath.

The following articles explain the importance of fascial rolls and blackroll in the context of a treatment or relaxation:

  • What is a fascia roll?
  • What is the task of a Blackroll?
  • What does fascial training look like?

For chronic muscle hardening, the best therapy is to insist on sufficient exercise. In acute pain phases, pain-relieving medication can be given. In this way, mobility should be restored as early as possible.

Overall, chronic muscle hardening can only disappear when the muscles are sufficiently trained again and do not have to tense up with every effort. Regular physiotherapy or sports therapy is therefore particularly indicated for chronic back pain. This can be prescribed for at least half a year up to 18 months and can be carried out in special sports studios.