As you get older your muscles stiffen up, you have more aches and pains in muscles and joints. For many simple tasks such as pick up a newspaper from the floor or picking up the post we all have to pick things up.
Many people suffer so badly from back pain that they assume it comes from the bones deep in their bodies. This is not true, stiffness and soreness isn't part of the joints or bones but involves a connective tissue to keep the joints moving.
Even when joints have been damaged by arthritis, the frictional opposition created by the two surfaces rubbing each other is insignificant.
The medical term used to describe the scope of a joint from movement in one direction to the other is 'flexibility'. The joint is more flexible the greater the scope of movement.
The ability to bend from the hips and touch your toes with your fingertips shows good flexibility or at least the range of movement from the hip joints.
There are other elements which limit the flexibility and ease of movement in various joints and muscles. The bone structure of joints such as the elbow and knee set their own limits. Other joints such as the ankle, back, hip have soft tissue or connective tissue which limits the motion scope.
Sometimes when there is a problem with joints which are not flexible is that they may not be used as much and they become more stiff.
It is therefore, very important to move your muscles and joints regularly in normal movement otherwise stiffness is possible. When a muscle or joint hasn't been used for a while and it is then suddenly used, sometimes there is pain or aching and when this occurs people tend not to carry on.
The more the muscle isn't used it becomes shortened and produces spasms and cramps which can be annoying and very painful. The non movement of muscles, as studies have proven, can bring biochemical changes in the tissue.
However, there are other factors which can trigger sore muscles.
1. Too much exercise
There is an infamous saying which is used in exercising - where there's no pain, there's no gain - then you will undoubtedly have already had sore muscles.
The common mis-conception is that constant or too much exercise is the fastest way to lose weight. Working muscles until they ache damages the connective tissue which is an important part of the muscles and joints because they actually hold the body together.
2. Aging and inactivity
With age, tendons, ligaments and fasciae become less flexible. The tendons, because they have densely packed fibres are the most difficult to stretch - the easiest are the fasciae. Although they are the easiest, if they are not stretched, they shorten and add pressure to the nerve pathways in the muscle fasciae. Lots of aches and pains are the result of nerve impulses travelling along these nerve pathways.
3. Immobility
Sore muscles and muscle pain can be very painful, because of the body's reaction to a cramp or ache. This is called a splinting reflex, the body automatically stops a sore muscle by making it contract.
First, a muscle which isn't used much becomes sore from sudden exercise or being held in an unusual position. The splinting reflex then, shortens the connective tissue around the muscle. This causes more pain and eventually the whole area is aching. This type of pain is most common in the lower back area.
4. Spasm theory
An American study has been carried out to learn more about the spasm theory.
They measured electrical activity in the muscles. The researchers knew that normal, well-relaxed muscles produce no electrical activity, but, muscles which are not fully relaxed show considerable activity.
The researchers measured electrical signals in the muscles of people with athletic injuries, first with the muscle immobilized, and then, after the muscle had been stretched.
In almost every case, exercises that stretched or lengthened the muscle reduced electrical activity and relieved pain, either totally or to some extent.
The results of these experiments led to the 'spasm theory', an explanation of the development and persistence of muscle pain in the absence of any obvious cause, such as traumatic injury.
According to this theory, a muscle that is overworked or used in a strange position becomes tired and becomes sore.
Therefore it is essential to know the maximum capacity of the muscles so that you avoid sore muscles. This information proves that the saying -there's no pain, where there's no gain- is not true. Exercising regularly at a normal pace is more important than working hard on a routine occasionally.
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About The Author
Barry Sheppard writes, as a hobby, for http://www.traintraveller.com
an online site informing readers how to travel throughout the world by train.
He has written and had published 15 books, and 100's of articles on a wide range of
subjects.He runs a 121 writing course by phone and email . You can get the details of this
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Why Muscles Get Sore
