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REFERRED PAIN
Athletes less commonly experience another type of pain pattern, neurologically different from, say, knee or foot discomfort, and this is known as referred pain. Referred pain is experienced in one location on the body while the cause is located elsewhere. One of the most common referred-pain patterns is in the case of a heart attack, where pain is felt in the lower neck, shoulder, and arm usually on the left side, while the problem is in the heart. Or, pain in the middle of the spine may come from an irritation in the stomach. Referred pain occurs because signals from the heart, for example, and those from the skin in the arm (the referred-pain area) “cross” in the spinal cord, and when the message gets to the brain it’s impossible to differentiate between the signals’ origins. That’s why it’s critically important to differentiate between arm pain that’s due to a skeletal muscle problem and that from a heart attack.
- Pain experienced during or immediately after physical activity may have a chemical origin. Lactic acid does not cause pain directly, but may be responsible for pH changes in the blood, associated with pain. Reduced blood flow may also be linked to this type of muscle pain, which will subside quickly once activity is stopped.
- Delayed-onset muscle soreness usually develops within twenty-four to forty-eight hours after activity, with a peak in discomfort between forty-eight and seventy-two hours. This pain is usually associated with muscle damage. Diminished ranges of motion accompany this pain pattern, and muscle dysfunction often continues long after pain has resolved.
- Muscle cramps may be due to some type of imbalance. Proper hydration and the use of sodium or magnesium may be helpful in correcting and preventing muscle cramps; rarely is potassium or calcium needed. Proper breathing can help prevent and treat diaphragm problems associated with the common “sidestitch”-type spasms.
