Can You Take Painkillers for Muscle Soreness after Workout
Painkillers Are Not Recommended to Use for Relieve Muscle Soreness
The answer is NO. It is normal to experience muscle soreness after a workout, which means that your body is not accustomed to the appropriate intensity of the workout. This pain usually goes away naturally after a few days and is also known as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).
In a fact, pain is a natural signal from the body. If you take painkillers to relieve it immediately as soon as you feel pain, you may misjudge the need for rest and treatment. So for pain that is short-term and will disappear later, there is no need to take painkillers. This action also will not speed up the dissipation of the pain.
In addition to soreness, there may be the other symptoms of DOMS:
- Stiffness.
- Cramping.
- Inflammation.
- Limited range of body motion and so on.
The Risks of Taking Painkillers
Organ damage: Long-term use of painkillers can lead to serious health problems such as liver damage, kidney problems and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Tolerance: With prolonged use, tolerance to painkillers may develop. This can lead to the need for higher doses to achieve the same level of pain relief. There is also a significant risk of overdose.
Becoming sensitized: Keep taking medication for pain relief may make you become less accepting of pain. When the medication is reduced or stopped, you will be more sensitive.
Psychological dependence: Taking painkillers for a long time multiply can lead to dependence. You may also prioritize the thought of using the medication when there is no need for pain management, which is dangerous behavior.
Correct Ways to Relieve Muscle Soreness
Rest
Give your body a break by stopping your workouts and activities for a while. You need to give enough time for your body to recover, a good night's sleep and a good meal can help.
Heat and Cold Therapy
Temperature can accelerate muscles recovery. Heating are well when your muscles are sore; an ice pack or a hot bath are good choices. For further relaxation, give your body a massage after a hot compress will make your body better.
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Gentle Stretching
Limiting motions doesn’t mean you need to cancel all your physical activities. You can stretch the pain area gently which can relive the muscle pain faster. Following are some posture suggestions for advice. Additionally, you can try assisted stretching with the help of someone else.
Hydration
Hydration can keep muscles energized and flexible, which plays an important role in body repair.
For health reasons, you should choose other ways such as those recommended in our article to relieve pain instead of opting for painkillers. Hopefully, this article will help you with your post-workout muscle soreness dilemma.