Many people have a love hate relationship with their muscles.
The body is filled with over six hundred muscles and they each have an important job. Muscles can be in the legs, back, jaw, and even something as small as the eyes! They allow us to communicate with others and be present in the moment.
Often times people may say they "Have a knot in their back" or that they tore a muscle. Muscles are very sensitive and can be very fragile. Activities such as working out, can help to strengthen those muscles and build up what is called muscle mass. After a muscular related incident, some people may attend physical therapy to help strengthen depleted muscles.
My grandmother had told me she often injured her ankles at a young age herself. I also watched my mother struggle with back pain for my entire life. My father obtained sport injuries as a teenager which caused him occasional discomfort. Muscular issues were no stranger to my family.
When I was a child, I had reoccurring ankle pain in my right ankle. After some doctors visits to my pediatrician, it was determined I was having a physical reaction to stress and staying in the same spot for long periods of time. When my stress levels were elevated, I was prone to muscular pain due to having a naturally weaker ankle. Due to the cause of the pain, physical therapy was never really needed as it was an occasional issue. I used to dread school assembly's because my upper back would be sore from sitting on the floor.
As I got older, around middle school (6th- 8th grade) I developed pain in my lower back. I can recall a time where I was using the bathroom and realized that I could not stand up as the pain was unbearable. I somehow managed to get to the floor and scream for help. I was utterly terrified. I had, at the point, never had anything so painful in my life and had no clue what to do. My mother moved me to my bed and I lied there with a hot compress. It took what felt like forever, but eventually, I could move around as the pain had become manageable.
In highschool, I became a more avid dancer and the pain became worse. I often times had ankle pain and back pain simultaneously. My dance teacher was a wonderful women and understood what my limits were when it came to my rougher days. One December, I decided I was done feeling the ankle pain and took a trip to Walmart to buy a compression brace for my right ankle. It was the best brace I could get without a doctor but it only helped some. To this day I still wear that brace when the pain starts to creep up on me. During my senior year, I had thrown out my back the week of my very last dance recital. I was devastated and in such severe pain I did not go one day without tears. I danced through the pain, not very well, but I was proud of what I could do. It made the dance less technically sound and you could see the pain in my face on stage.
In college, the pain only got worse. My mother had often taken Bayer Back and Body to help with her occasional discomfort. This is an over the counter medication similar to Advil that specifically targets muscle pain. It helps, but still not a cure all. My aunt had recommended Icy Hot which is an over the counter balm to rub on sore muscles. It provides sensations of hot and cold to help release muscle tension. This for me was actually very successful but still does not relieve the pain entirely.
I spend days to weeks at a time being mad at my body wondering why the pain will not stop. My next step, is to be re-evaluated by my PCP and see what other suggestions she may have.
*Note: My trials are not medical advice. Please consult a doctor before trying any medications and/or remedies.
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