During muscle recovery, your body normalizes heart rate and blood pressure, replenishes energy in the form of glucose in the blood and glycogen in the muscles, and builds and repairs muscle cells. According to Jonathan N. Mike, M.S. and Len...
Cycling may compress and irritate the sciatic nerve where it passes below or through the piriformis muscle. When compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve occurs around the piriformis muscle it is called piriformis syndrome. Conservative...
A person experiencing cramps in the hamstrings and pain in the lower back may be suffering from sciatica, a condition in which the sciatic nerve is irritated or injured. Symptoms of sciatica include tingling, pain, numbness or weakness from the...
When starting exercise after a long break, exercising at an intensity level your not used to, or introducing any new physical recreational activity into your life, sore muscles are a common occurrence. Muscle soreness develops due to injury to the...
Softball uniforms provide very little protection from the elements or from the game. It's important for you to prepare for the weather and protect yourself from injury while playing. You can wear a variety of items under your softball uniform to...
Calf muscle pulls can occur during slips and falls, daily overuse or strenuous sports activity. Walking or running without warming up, for instance, can leave the leg muscles too stiff to flex and extend properly, causing undue strain. Patients...
A black and blue bruise, or contusion, is a break in the blood vessels that run through the skin or underlying muscle. The broken blood vessels bleed into surrounding tissue and leave the classic black and blue bruise. The American Academy of...
A pulled muscle, also called a strain, occurs when the fibrous tissues that make up a muscle are stretched or torn. The Mayo Clinic explains that strains often occur in the lower back and the back of the thigh (hamstring). Muscle strains, which...
Leg nerve damage, or lower limb peripheral neuropathy, can occur from trauma, muscle compression or systemic disease, such as diabetes. This can cause a patient to experience pain, numbness or weakness, states MedlinePlus from the National...
While walking is a proven aerobic exercise to improve your fitness, increasing the challenge of your foot workout by climbing up stairs --- either real or on a machine at the gym --- burns more calories and strengthens your lower body. Muscle...
A pulled muscle, also known as a muscle strain, occurs when you stretch a muscle to the point of tearing. Torn muscle fibers can cause pain, swelling and bruising. If the tear is sudden and severe, you may feel the sensation of snapping or popping...
If you like the relaxing benefits of yoga but can't pay attention long enough to stay awake, Thai yoga massage could be the therapy for you. Like yoga and traditional massage, Thai massage has been around for thousands of years. They all share a...
A pinched nerve in the spine occurs when one of the delicate spinal nerves is compressed by nearby structures, such as a herniated disc, a bone spur, muscles or other soft tissues. The spinal cord travels through the bony structure of the spine,...
Sore muscles are a common complaint after workouts and weight-lifting sessions. This soreness does not necessarily mean that you're out of shape. Even seasoned fitness enthusiasts suffer muscle soreness and injury after workouts. It is important...
With swimming records consistently being broken the past several years, FINA, the international swimming federation, has changed its rules regarding bodysuits. Bodysuits have been scrutinized and found to help swimmers to swim faster. As of...
Compression shorts support the major muscles in your leg with bands of sturdy fabric, according to the Medicine Online website. This support limits extra muscle motion, or "oscillation," during running strides to make your movements more...
Injuries to your median nerve in your forearm or wrist, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, cause numbness in your index and middle fingers along with other symptoms. Tight forearm muscles or hitting the ground with your golf club can lead to...
Aside from making you look like a slouch, poor posture can have a variety of negative health effects, such as muscle imbalance, nerve compression and even high blood pressure. Thankfully, there are various exercises that can help you prevent such...
The pectorals are made up of the pectoralis major muscle, which assists in shoulder and arm movement, and the pectoralis minor muscle, which helps the rib cage rise. Tightness of the pectoral muscles can result in back, neck and shoulder pain, and...
If you are recovering from a hamstring injury but wish to remain active in your sport, a hamstring compression wrap may be just what you are looking for. A hamstring compression wrap is a short, adjustable band that fits snugly around the mid...
Sciatica is pain that radiates from your sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in your body. Symptoms include pain in your low back, buttock, back of your calf and thigh. You may also feel numbness and tingling or experience a loss of bladder control....
Injuries to the quadriceps muscles are common because the quad muscles cross both the knee and hip joints. The quad muscles are also used in many high-speed, high-risk physical activities, such as football, soccer and running, which puts them at...
Leg cramps are sudden, painful spasms of the muscles in the leg. Causes of leg cramps include dehydration, muscle strain, nerve compression or simple overuse of leg muscles. Although generally harmless, leg cramps may cause excruciating pain....
Well-intentioned medical advice is about as common as having a belly-button -- especially when it comes to the use of heat vs. ice for sore muscles. Learning how to alternate ice and heat to relieve your sore muscles may take experimentation, as...
Your calf muscles consist of the gastrocnemius, a large muscle in the back of your lower leg, and the soleus, a smaller muscle found under your gastrocnemius and lower in your calf. These muscles can become strained or torn from overuse or a...
The National Institutes of Health explains that muscle pain is often a result of tension, overuse and injury. It's typically isolated to a specific muscle or muscle group, felt either during or directly after an activity. Joint pain is usually a...
The subscapularis muscle belongs to a group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder area called the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff muscles help to lift and rotate the arm and stabilize the shoulder socket joint. All four muscles attach to the...
Tight muscles are often the result of overwork, an injury or a sedentary lifestyle. Regardless of origin, tight muscles can cause pain and limit your mobility and range-of-motion. A tight muscle is more vulnerable to injury; performing regular...
Thigh braces or sleeves compress the upper leg to relieve muscle pain during activity without restricting motion. Learn how to use thigh braces and stay fit in this sports medicine video.
Learn how to stretch your obliques in the water in this free exercise video on swimming pool workouts and aqua fitness.
When massaging the legs, place two stones over the hamstrings on each thigh and one on each calf. Practice hot stone massage therapy with this free massage video.
Pinched nerves usually occur in the neck, but can lead to pain and muscle spasms throughout the upper back and arm. Learn how to treat a pinched nerve in the neck and stay fit in this sports medicine video.
