Considered an overuse injury, shin splint pain is caused by microtears or inflammation of connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone. Medial tibial stress syndrome feels very similar to Achilles tendonitis.

Shin splints can hobble recreational or trained athletes alike. Yet, this shin pain most commonly causes some limping in beginning runners and aggressive walkers, largely because of their prior inactivity.

Various other fitness related circumstances can also be a cause for medial tibial stress syndrome, such as:

• flat arches
• improper shoes
• running downhill
• weak ankle muscles
• tight Achilles tendon
• running on a hard surface
• running on a slanted surface
• running in worn out athletic shoes
• over training ~ too hard, too fast, too long
• frequent starts & stops ~ basketball & tennis

Typically, medial tibial stress syndrome initially causes its pain at the start of your fitness routine and then will likely diminish, only to return well after you finish.

Shin splints are not the only cause of shin pain. Your shins can be painful due to:

• tendonitis
• stress fracture
• anterior compartment syndrome

Generally, having medial tibial stress syndrome is harmless. Still, the shin pain can be very excruciating.

Relief treatment starts by refraining from, or at least cut back on, the activity that caused your shin splints until they’re healed, which may take several months. Other measures that help relieve your shin pain are:

• wear arch supports to disperse shin stress
• ice your shins until they go numb several times a days
• take OTC pain relievers ~  ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, acetaminophen
• elevate & compress the area with a wide elastic bandage or compression sleeve

Once relief treatment has brought your shin pain to a halt, resume your previous activity gradually. And if your shin hasn’t mended, then returning too soon will likely cause the pain to resume.

One of the key elements to preventing medial tibial stress syndrome shin pain is fitness footwear. Your choice of shoes must be suited for your foot type, your stride and your particular fitness activity. And continuing to wear worn out shoes is especially egregious for your shin and other muscle attachment sites.

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A pinched nerve is also referred to as nerve compression, entrapment or impingement. And a prime example is when your foot “falls asleep.”

Very often, a pinched nerve is caused by excessive pressure on a nerve by surrounding bone, cartilage, muscle, tendon or inflammation. Whenever the pressure is enough to cause nerve signal disruption you’ll likely experience pain plus some of these symptoms:

• tingling
• stiffness
• twitching
• numbness
• paresthesia
• muscle atrophy
• muscle weakness
• sharp, shooting pain

Where you feel pain symptoms of a pinched nerve isn’t necessarily the location of interruption. And if your pinched nerve arises out of your spinal cord, then coughing or sneezing may aggravate its pain.

Pinched nerves are most common where a nerve travels through a small space, like with:

• carpal tunnel syndrome ~ wrist
• thoracic outlet syndrome ~ between neck base & armpit
• piriformis syndrome ~ sciatic nerve pinched by piriformis muscle, herniated disc

A number of conditions may cause a nerve or nerves to pinch, for instance:

• injury
• obesity
• bone spurs
• poor posture
• osteoarthritis
• herniated disc
• spinal stenosis
• repetitive stress
• inflammation around nerve caused by injury, bruise, etc.

Pinched nerves can sometimes lead to other conditions, i.e peripheral neuropathy and tennis elbow.

If the extent of your pinched nerve pain is short lived, then typically it’ll cause no permanent damage. However, if the pressure on your nerve is chronic, then permanent nerve damage may occur.

Initial treatment for a pinched nerve is rest, as in refrain from any activity that causes pain aggravation. Often, this is the only treatment necessary so long as you feel pinching relief within a few days.

Otherwise, another form of treatment may be required:

• surgery ~ last resort
• brace ~ for immobilization
• corticosteroids ~ helps alleviate pain
• NSAIDs ~ ibuprofen, naproxen for swelling
• cortisone injections ~ minimizes pain & inflammation

Frequently, a pinched nerve might be avoided if you:

• maintain good posture
• limit repetitive movement
• use proper body mechanics
• include strength & flexibility within fitness regime

And keeping your weight within a fit range is important as well.

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When your muscle is tight, its tone is abnormally rigid, which hampers fluid movement. So, due to excessive tonus, your muscles are in a continuous shortened state.

Tight hamstrings is one of the most common complaints involving muscle tightness. When your hamstrings are tight, then you’re more prone to hamstring muscle tears. And tight hamstrings can also cause lower back pain because their tightness pulls your pelvis out of its proper position.

Muscle tightness may be caused by:

• stress
• overuse
• scar tissue
• inflexibility
• repetitive motion
• muscle weakness
• muscle imbalance
• not enough stretching
• postural stress, bad posture
• inadequate neuromuscular efficiency

Other causes for your muscles to be tight may involve certain health related situations, such as:

• polymysitis
• fibromyalgia
• osteoarthritis
• hypothyroidism
• rheumatoid arthritis
• genetics ~ born with naturally shorter muscles
• puberty growth spurt ~ bones grow more rapidly than muscle
• lower back problems ~ puts pressure on sciatic nerve causing muscles to tighten
• spasticity ~ CNS disorder marked by a high degree of muscle tightness, or hypertonia

Some drug side effects can cause tight muscles, like:

• botox
• modafinil ~ for narcolepsy
• acitretin ~  severe psoriasis
• interferon beta-1a ~ multiple sclerosis
• estrogen ~ hormone replacement therapy

One of the best ways for loosening tight muscles is having a sports massage. Just be sure your chosen masseuse is familiar with hypertonocity because there are specific ways a tight muscle should be worked to loosen it up.

Couple other ways to loosen tight muscles is (no bounce) stretching, strengthening and heat. Heat is not only comforting, but it assists in pliability for a looser feeling muscle.

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Creatine monohydrate is also available in protein rich foods or via supplementation.  Studies have shown that the use of creatine supplements does offer muscle benefits by increasing lean body mass, strength and total work.

Some research indicates that creatine does have some antioxidant benefits.   And some conditions that might “in theory” benefit from creatine as well include:

• herpes
• diabetes
• antioxidant
• fibromyalgia
• colon cancer
• osteoarthritis
• breast cancer
• cervical cancer
• mood disorders
• anti-inflammatory
• sexual dysfunction
• rheumatoid arthritis
• brain region wasting
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• diabetic complications
• disuse muscle atrophy
• mitochondrial diseases
• lack of oxygen seizures
• circadian clock acceleration

Many of these conditions have potentially serious consequences if not treated appropriately.  Therefore, don’t run off and start on creatine without your doc’s blessing.

Possible side effects of supplementing creatine monhydrate that can have a negative impact on athletic performance are:

• diarrhea
• weight gain
• muscle cramps
• loss of appetite
• stomach cramps
• nausea & vomiting

Many men may view weight gain as a positive effect for increasing size. However, overtime the creatine gain is likely water retention rather than muscle tissue increase.

Some other side effects have been reported regarding general health issues from creatine supplement use, like:

• fever
• seizure
• anxiety
• irritability
• sleepiness
• depression
• aggression
• dehydration
• nervousness
• swollen limbs
• mild headache
• increased thirst
• heat intolerance
• fainting or dizziness
• deep vein thrombosis
• electrolyte imbalance
• reduced blood volume
• abnormal heart rhythm

Creatine’s possible cause of kidney damage is not much of a concern with proper dosing.  But if you suffer from kidney or liver disease, then supplementing creatine is strongly discouraged.

Creatine has been associated with asthmatic symptoms, such as:

• rash
• itching
• shortness of breath

Obviously, avoid taking creatine should you discover allergies to this supplement.

Research is ongoing as to safe dosage.  So as for now, the recommended daily dose of creatine supplement is in the 2-5 grams range.

In the absense of a doctor’s directive, stick with this dose to keep you kidney’s out of harms way.  More is not better in the long run.

Dehydration is a real issue whenever taking creatine, so keep gulping the water!

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However, in some cases these muscle problems are not caused by over nor under use.  Some other causes for muscle soreness and pain you may be familiar with:

• lupus
• fibromyalgia
• tension/stress
• electrolyte imbalance
• certain drugs ~ cocaine, statins, ACE inhibitors
• infections ~ influenza, Lyme disease, trichinosis

Causes for muscle cramps beyond overuse are:

• dehydration
• lack of dietary minerals
• body depletion of minerals
• not enough blood getting to your muscles

Some atrophy occurs normally with aging.  Other causes, besides aging and lack of use, involve:

• injury
• stroke
• osteoarthritis
• rheumatoid arthritis
• diabetic neuropathy
• peripheral neuropathy
• corticosteroid therapy
• long period of immobilization
• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease)

Generally, a daily routine involving some type of physical fitness and balanced nutrition minimizes your likelihood of experiencing soreness, pain, cramps and atrophy muscle tissue issues.

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Fasciculation is just a fancy name for a muscle twitch. And muscle twitches are minor fine motor movement contractions of a muscle.

Twitching muscles are caused by abnormal nerve activity, and fortunately a muscle twitch is usually painless.

Most muscle twitches are harmless and go away without any treatment. For some, muscle twitching may indicate a neurologic disorder is present.

Fasciculations are common if you are experiencing:

• myopathy
• muscular dystrophy
• spinal muscular atrophy
• ALS ~ Lou Gehrig’s disease
• chronic spinal cord nerve compression

Other non-neurological condition causes for nerve instigated twitching include:

• stress
• caffeine
• exercise
• lack of sleep
• drug overdose
• diet deficiency
• overactive thyroid
• drug side effect ~ diuretics, corticosteroids, estrogens

There is a syndrome of benign (harmless) muscle cramps and fasciculations. This type of muscle or eye twitch doesn’t have any affect on your level of fitness.

Living a lifestyle of healthy eating, exercise, plenty of rest and stress free is your minor twitch way to resolution.

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Your hamstring is the muscle located in the back of each thigh. Its two major tasks is to extend your leg at the hip and bend your lower leg at the knee.

In many straining instances, the root cause for this type of injury is the imbalance of strength between your hamstrings and the significantly more powerful antagonist (opposing) muscle group of your quadriceps. In a movement situation, your quadriceps may have life left in them, while your hamstrings have reached their limit.

So often in the fatigue of overuse or the absence of an adequate stretch, a hamstring tear or strain will notice you that you have taken it way to far. The power of your hamstrings is your limiting factor for propulsion. And that fact must always be heeded or suffer the consequence of an extremely painful pull.

Hamstring injuries are brought to you in degrees, by symptoms of:

• mild strains ~ simple tightening
• more severe ~ sharp pain in full stride
• rupture or tear ~ inability to stand or walk

In some extreme hamstring tears, bruising may appear in a couple of days. Obviously, if you have experienced an extreme tear, like the inability to stand, it is probably enough indication that you need to pay your doctor a visit. Some sewing up might be necessary.

As with most sports injuries, R.I.C.E is the initial treatment of choice. Followed by strength and stretch rehabilitation.

The surest way to prevent a hamstring injury is to stretch it before you use it. Or risk your fitness and lose it. At least reach down in an attempt to touch your toes before you hit the field, or wherever.

You may also find some relief to your persistent back pain once you loosen up your otherwise tight hamstring muscles!

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Common causes of muscle cramps are:

• dehydration
• lack of minerals
• strain/overuse of a muscle
• not enough blood getting to your muscles

Too little potassium, calcium or magnesium in your diet can cause depletion/lack of these minerals in your body. Also, some diuretics prescribed for high blood pressure can cause potassium loss resulting in muscle cramps.

Not enough blood getting to muscles can be caused by arteriosclerosis in your extremities. This reduction in blood flow can produce cramp-like pain in your legs, calves and feet during exercise, which typically diminishes a couple of minutes after you stop.

Muscle cramps can also be caused by nerves that malfunction, and this malfunction is sometimes due to health problems, like a pinched nerve in your back or neck.

For treatment to relieve the severe pain caused by cramps, try stretching or gently massaging the cramped muscle.

Prevention of muscles cramps starts with consuming a healthy diet, giving special attention to your potassium, calcium and magnesium intake.

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Your exercise or activity sweating depletes your body of salt and moisture. A low salt level in the muscles causes those “pull you right out of bed” painful cramps. When any of your muscles go into a heat cramp:

• Drink clear juice or a sports beverage
• Stop all activity and relax in a cool place
• Your cramps don’t subside within 1 hour, seek medical assistance
• Lay off your strenuous activity for a bit, continuing may lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke

If you have heart problems or on a low-sodium diet, discuss your heat muscle cramping with your doctor.

Heat rash is a skin irritation caused by your sweating during hot, humid weather. It appears as a red cluster of pimples or small blisters. Your neck, upper chest, groin, under the breasts and elbow creases are the areas these sweaty heat rashes most often appear.

The best treatment is by keeping your “rashy” area dry, powdered for comfort and take steps to provide the skin rash surface a cooler, less humid environment.

Heat rashes can occur at any age, but most common often seen in young children.

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