How to recover overloaded legs

Symptoms of leg muscle overload

Muscular overload is expressed by a sensation of not intense pain, but which is maintained over time in the area where the effort was made. This sensation may be accompanied by fatigue, cramps, muscle tenderness, stiffness and a tingling sensation in the affected area. However, there are also other symptoms such as increased temperature in that part of the leg, redness of the skin, loss of strength, decreased flexibility and even dizziness.

What to do if your legs are overloaded

We should not accept muscle overloads with stoicism, since there are different options to alleviate its symptoms and recover the correct functionality of the leg muscles. The most obvious step is rest, but it is also useful to perform a gentle activity to promote circulation and eliminate toxins caused by muscle wear. Massages and stretching are also helpful. And if you want to go a little further, a highly recommended option is the ice bath, which also promotes circulation, although a contrast bath is even better, in in which the ice is combined, at intervals, a cold bath and a hot bath for one minute each.

Treatments to relieve leg overload

All of the options already mentioned are usually sufficient to relieve leg overload. Although, there are treatments that require the intervention of a physiotherapist for the most serious cases, such as those in that the injury results in tendonitis. In cases like this, a unloading massage can carry out a lymphatic drainage to prevent fluid accumulation in the area. In addition, there are anti-inflammatory and analgesic creams to help muscles that suffer from overload.

Benefits of pressotherapy to treat muscle overload

If the muscle pain in the legs does not improve or persists to a large extent after the application of the different options proposed, for example, due to the continued exercise of runners and cyclists, there is still another cutting-edge treatment: body pressotherapy. As in the case of discharge massage, it is a therapeutic technique that consists of the application of controlled air pressure to reactivate both the lymphatic and circulatory systems, helping acceleration of muscle recovery. It is a very effective solution for cases in which a prolonged rest is not possible, especially for athletes, and there is the possibility of carrying out the treatment in a specialized center or with the use of the pressotherapy machine at home.