We all secretly love sore muscles. It’s proof you put in serious work at the gym, and your body is feeling it. But some muscle soreness isn’t simply due to lactic acid buildup – it’s a sign you straight-up sent your muscles into shock.

“The significant muscle soreness that typically occurs hours after activity, usually 24 to 48 hours after activity, is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS,” Christopher Hogrefe, orthopaedic surgeon at Northwestern Medicine, told MensHealth.com. 

“This condition has little, if anything, to do with lactic acidosis. Instead, it appears to be the result of small tears in muscle fibre that combine with an inflammatory process to result in pain.”

Ouch.

Read more: This 25-minute workout will build your mental and muscle strength

You’ll notice this type of soreness after more challenging or unfamiliar exercise. “Activities that involve muscle and tendon lengthening while a person simultaneously tries to contract the muscle, squats and running downhill, are examples of such exercises,” says Dr Hogrefe.

So what are the symptoms of DOMS? “Muscle soreness, lack of strength, decrease in the speed of muscle contractibility, and muscle stiffness are all symptoms of DOMS,” says Katie Lawton, an exercise physiologist in Rehabilitation and Sports Therapy at the Cleveland Clinic. “DOMS can decrease the speed of muscle contractibility by 5-8% and change joint mobility.”

If your body needs a little more help with recovery, try one of these tips to get rid of sore muscles

1. Eat more mushrooms

“Numerous sources have identified mushrooms as possessing anti-inflammatory properties that may be effective in reducing some muscle soreness,” says Dr Hogrefe. Mushrooms’ anti-inflammatory compounds called polysaccharides work to reduce the inflammation-causing cytokine compounds.

Read more: How fast should i do my push ups for maximum upper body strength?

2. Do an active cooldown

Spending some time cooling down makes your muscles recovery-ready. A 2018 study on active recovery found that runners who spent time at a 50% decrease in activity at the end of their workout (instead of resting completely) were able to go three times longer the second time they ran. The researchers believe it had to do with better blood flow, which reduced blood lactate (the metabolic byproduct that makes your muscles sore).

Plus, a 2012 study found that those who did 20 minutes of low- or moderate-intensity cycling immediately following their strength workout reported reduced muscle pain.

3. Drink some tart cherry juice

Tart cherry juice is loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. A 2010 study found that long distance runners who drank tart cherry juice for eight days reported decreased muscle pain.

“Much like mushrooms, the anti-inflammatory properties in cherries may be beneficial in decreasing muscle soreness. However, particularly in the case of tart cherry extract, one should be aware of the significant sugar content that could be present,” says Dr Hogrefe.

Read more: 6 muscle meals you can make in the microwave

4. Get a massage

It may seem obvious, but massages really do help get rid of sore muscles. A 2012 study found that a post-exercise massage significantly reduces pain by reducing the release of cytokines, compounds that cause inflammation in the body. At the same time, massage stimulated mitochondria in cells, promoting cell function and repair.

5. Use a heating pad and an ice pack

“The idea behind heating pads is that they increase blood flow because it is a vasodilator (opens up your blood vessels), and is thought that it could help flush some of the byproducts or inflammation related to muscle soreness, out of the muscles,” says Lawton.

Adding an ice pack to the mix may be the perfect combination.

“Alternating cold and heat may be most beneficial following exercise-induced muscle soreness,” says Dr Hogrefe.

A 2015 study found that using both heat and ice prevented elastic tissue damage. “Going from icing to heating reduces muscle pain after exercising. Applying ice for 20 minutes followed by heat for 20 minutes may be an effective regimen to help address muscle soreness following activity,” says Dr Hogrefe.

Read more: Jaime Lannister shows you how to get his game of thrones muscles in just one month

6. Use a foam roller

Foam rolling on sore muscles can make grown men cry, but it seriously helps repair your muscles. “It has been suggested that foam rolling may decrease oedema (or swelling in the muscles) and enhance tissue healing,” says Dr Hogrefe.

A 2015 study found that 20 minutes of foam rolling on a high-density foam roller immediately following exercise and 24 hours after may reduce muscle tenderness and decrease the impact on one’s dynamic movements.

7. Take an ice bath

A 2010 study found that ice baths reduce swelling and tissue breakdown that causes DOMS by constricting blood vessels. Participants sat in the ice bath for five to 10 minutes. And in another study from 2014, participants who took ice baths for 10 minutes after exercise reported the lowest levels of pain and muscle soreness when asked to stretch.

“Overall, some have suggested that ice baths can reduce muscle soreness by 20%,” says Dr Hogrefe.

Read more: Shave seconds off your sprint with advice from these world-class coaches

8. Wear compression gear

It’s not just to show off all the work you’ve put in. A 2014 study found that compression gear reduced muscle soreness and made muscle recovery faster due to constricting your muscles and preventing fluid buildup post-workout while increasing blood flow. This helped remove an enzyme in your muscles called creatine kinas, which can cause ache.

^{This article was originally published onwww.mh.co.za}

^{Image credit: iStock} 

Emily Shiffer

Itching, blisters, sores and inflammation are a continuous and debilitating source of pain, shame and misery for many people who struggle with the allergic skin disease known as eczema, researchers say.

And a new study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, suggests that many of those battling moderate-to-severe eczema suffer from an inability or reluctance to engage in activities and socialising, which leads to a considerably diminished quality of life.

Life dissatisfaction

For some eczema patients, their quality of life is poorer than those who have a wide range of other chronic health issues, including heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, the researchers added.

“The more severe the atopic dermatitis [eczema], the worse the overall health, quality of life and life dissatisfaction,” said study author Dr Jonathan Silverberg.

“I see some of the toughest cases of atopic dermatitis around, so I can’t say I was terribly surprised by this,” Dr Silverberg explained. “But I think most people who don’t live with atopic dermatitis are surprised to hear just how debilitating it can be.”

Dr Silverberg serves as director of the Northwestern Medicine Multidisciplinary Eczema Center and the Contact Dermatitis Clinic at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, in Chicago.

Cause remains elusive

According to the National Eczema Association, roughly 30 million Americans, ranging from infants to seniors, suffer from one of several different forms of the skin disease.

The exact cause remains elusive, and there is no known cure. And though topical drugs and immunotherapy can help manage the condition, treatment is complicated by the fact that “no two eczema patients are exactly alike,” Dr Silverberg said.

“For most patients, flares can come for no apparent reason at all,” he noted. “Many patients are looking for that one (environmental) trigger they can avoid to cure their atopic dermatitis. For most, it doesn’t exist.”

And that means that patients with different triggers and different degrees of severity and symptoms will require a different “tailored treatment approach” for what will likely end up being a long-term chronic disorder, said Silverberg.

Dissatisfied with life

The survey of just over 600 eczema patients (with mild, moderate, or severe disease) revealed one all-too-common thread: a broad dissatisfaction with one’s life.

Nearly three-quarters of those polled were white. Just over half had mild eczema, nearly four in 10 had a moderate condition, and just over 8% described their condition as severe.

Pooled together, about one-quarter said they were in fair health, while nearly 16% described their overall health as poor, the findings showed.

Among those with severe disease, about 35% said they were either in fair or poor health, while almost one-third said they were somewhat or very dissatisfied with life.

But even among those with mild eczema, nearly 18% said they avoided socialising because of their appearance, while 23% limited their daily activities. Those figures shot up to 40% and 43%, respectively, when moderate and severe patients were included.

The most effective way patients can limit eczema’s impact on quality of life is to “seek care earlier and aim for tighter control of their symptoms,” Dr Silverberg advised.

Good news for eczema patients

“Some patients may say to themselves ‘it’s not so bad’, and not seek care,” he said. “Then they end up suffering in silence as things worsen and they eventually get to a point of desperation, and at that point have a much harder time treating their disease.”

The impact that eczema can have on life satisfaction is not lost on Dr Richard Gallo, chairman of dermatology at the University of California, San Diego.

“We have long known that eczema has an enormous impact on the quality of life, not only for the patient but also on parents of children with eczema,” he said.

Still, “there is good news for eczema patients because of new scientific understanding of the cause and treatment,” Dr Gallo added. On that front, he highlighted work currently underway exploring the potential benefits of using probiotics applied to the skin.

But, Dr Gallo said, “eczema is complex and patients really need to talk carefully to their doctor to understand the type and causes of their eczema.”

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When a 14-year-old Scottish girl was hit in the face by a shuttlecock while playing badminton, she thought the contact lens in her left eye had simply fallen out during the impact. 

The doctors who examined her came to the same conclusion. 

But almost 30 years later, medical personnel were shocked to discover the lens had actually lodged itself in her eye, and had been stuck there for the past 28 years. 

The case of the woman, who is now 42 years old and prefers to remain anonymous, was recently reported in BMJ Case Reports.

                                                        ^{The retrieved rigid gas permeable lens within the cyst}

According to the Daily Mail, the lens came to light after the patient complained to her GP of swelling in her left upper eyelid.

“The MRI reported a cyst with proteinaceous content,” the researchers said. “Proteinaceous” refers to the presence of a protein substance. 

“On surgical excision of the cyst, a rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens was found. The RGP lens was encapsulated within the upper eyelid soft tissue.”

                 ^{MRI of the head: Red arrow: high-intensity signal nodular lesion in the left upper eyelid}

The surgeons noted that there have been four other reported cases of contact lens migration because of trauma to the eye.

“This case report exhibits the longest time between traumatic RGP lens migration into the eyelid and presentation of eyelid swelling,” they wrote. 

Doctors speculate that this must be the lens that was the residue of the childhood accident. “It can be inferred that the lens migrated into the eyelid and resided there asymptomatically for 28 years.”

The patient has since then been released from hospital and has made a full recovery.

^{Images credit: BMJ Case Studies}

Joshua Carstens

Pleasuring yourself is the safest, simplest, most easily satisfying kind of “sex”. But it has a complicated stigma attached to it; everybody is doing it, but not everybody talks about it.

As children, some of us were told that masturbation causes blindness, and we still have a way to go before masturbation is seen as a healthy, normal part of women’s sexuality.

Don’t forget to take our sex survey – you could stand the chance of winning R5 000 in cash!  

Read more: 10 women share their favourite masturbation techniques

For every proud proclaimer of solitary sex there’s another who offers a disclaimer like, “I was desperate, bored or too tired for intercourse.” We need to stop thinking of masturbation as an excuse and see it for what it is. Here, the facts, excerpted from Getting Off by Jamye Waxman.

1. It’s more acceptable for men

Our vulvas are not perceived as the veritable joystick his penis is, and so we look down at our genitals as if they were second-class citizens. We’re taught that our vaginas are for making babies and not for sexual pleasure, and nobody teaches us about our clitoris, therefore we believe we’re designed to be less sexual than men are.

Read more: “My wife asked to watch me masturbate so she could learn what I like”

But the truth is, we’re not. Yes, we’re different – we have monthly cycles and our bodies can more easily align with the moon – but that only goes to prove our bodies are sacred temples and we need to worship them as such.

2. It’s a poor substitute for being coupled-up

Society perpetuates the idea that we aren’t complete unless one plus one equals two; that we are supposed to sacrifice our individuality when we enter into a relationship. But as we grow up, we come to understand that happiness does not come from somebody else; we are responsible for meeting our needs and fulfilling our desires.

Read more: 6 mind-blowing ways to stimulate your clit

At the same time, more and more women have abandoned antiquated gender stereotypes. We’re finding ways to support ourselves financially, emotionally and sexually. We’re searching for orgasms with and without partners, and we don’t expect our partners to teach us everything we need to know about our sexuality.

3. It’s not cool to masturbate if you’re in a relationship

Yes, masturbation is solo sex, but that doesn’t mean you have to be alone to do it. Single people masturbate, obviously, but statistics show that women in relationships masturbate more often than their single counterparts, especially women with healthy sex lives.

Read more: “I tried the Hot Octopuss Queen Bee clitoral stimulator – and now it’s my new favourite toy”

The time you spend alone with yourself is very different from the time you spend focusing on both of you. And it’s time well spent – learning things about your body that your partner may not be able to discover without your help.

Read more: Butt plugs: A beginner’s guide

A 2007 Australian study showed that 55% of single women orgasm every time they masturbate, while only 25% of women orgasm with a partner. So why deny yourself more orgasms? Besides, women who masturbate are aroused more often than women who don’t. Unless you’re using masturbation as a crutch and a way to avoid sex with your partner, it’s totally cool to get it on alone.

^{This article was originally published onwww.womenshealthsa.co.za}

^{Image credit: iStock} 

Jamye Waxman

We’ve put together a list of must-read articles in celebration of South African Women’s Day – so go on, take the plunge and empower yourself:

1. SEE: 14 facts about menstruation you might not know

Did you know that you will have about 400 periods during your lifetime? Don’t shy away from your cycle – own it! Our bodies are fascinating, and menstruation is not something ever to be embarrassed about.

2. Your severe symptoms might not be PMS

Always blaming your bad mood and cramps on PMS? Too scared to discuss the problem with your doctor in case it’s not “serious” enough? Know that there is help (and probably a cause) when your symptoms are severe.

A condition called PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) affects between 2% and 5% of women. Extreme mood swings and depression can affect the quality of your life – get to grips with your symptoms and get diagnosed.

3. 3 ways to feel better about yourself in 2018

Although we are already more than halfway through the year, it’s never too late to develop a healthy body image. Stop beating yourself up! Have you ever considered being kind to yourself instead? It could have a profound effect on your health.

4. Breaking the stigma: Mental health in the workplace – 5 articles you must read

Mental health is a topic of great importance. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. It is often frowned upon for women to “show emotions” in the workplace, but we need to be more in touch with mental health all around us. This article contains valuable information.

5. 7 sexual health myths

Let’s openly talk about sex – because there are many untrue rumours about sexual health and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Take responsibility for your sexual freedom and health by separating the facts from the fallacies.

6. 6 things you want to know about eating disorders by a psychologist

Are you a mother raising a teenager? Have you suffered or are you suffering from an eating disorder? Do you feel pressure from society, telling you that your body is not “healthy” enough?

Empower yourself and know the signs. Read what a clinical psychologist can tell you about eating disorders.

7. Limpopo shelter gives hope to abused women

Abuse towards women, whether in the form of domestic violence or sexual misconduct, remains a problem in South Africa. Fortunately there are those who aim to make a difference. This empowering story is about how the Ekuphumleni Restoration Home offers hope and second chances to women who are victims of sexual abuse, domestic abuse, rape, human trafficking and incest.

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