The term "dead muscle" has a few meanings, including contusions, a muscle that's too painful to engage comfortably or dead muscle tissue known as necrosis. Contusions and sore muscles are often related to sports injuries or working out beyond your body's limitations, but necrosis is irreversible and can lead to gangrene if allowed to spread.
Dead Leg
Athletes commonly refer to contusions as "dead leg" or "dead muscles." Also known as a charley horse, contusions result when muscles are crushed against bone, often during contact sports. Improper treatment can lead to myositis ossificans, or muscle calcification at the site of the injury, according to PhysioAdvisor.com. Symptoms for myositis ossificans include a lump in the injured area, increased pain in the mornings, and pain experienced during activity, even several weeks after the injury occurred.
Muscle Soreness
Fitness buffs sometimes refer to day-after-workout-soreness as "dead muscles." Exercising beyond your physical abilities can cause muscle damage that releases free radicals and toxins into your bloodstream, resulting in delayed onset muscle soreness. Two to three days after a workout, your muscles reach their pain peak, and muscle repair is complete after eight to 10 days. Once muscles have fully repaired, you can exercise at this exertion level without pain, according to Gale Group's book, "World of Anatomy and Physiology."
Necrosis
When body tissues, such as muscles, die, it is called necrosis. Occurring when blood flow is restricted in a certain area, necrosis is irreversible, resulting in gangrene when large areas are affected. Symptoms of gangrene include skin discoloration, foul-smelling discharge, numbness of the affected area, confusion, a general ill-feeling, fever and low blood pressure. In order for surrounding tissues to survive and heal, dead tissues must be removed. Any suspected dead body tissue warrants immediate medical attention.
Prevention and Healing
Myositis ossificans can be prevented by treating a charley horse with immediate ice application, rest, elevation and compression. Seek medical attention if swelling persists, bleeding spreads or you feel a gap or deformation of the affected muscle. Muscle soreness can be avoided by gradually increasing your physical exertion during exercise. Once muscles are sore, treat with the same procedure as you would a charley horse. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines might also help with pain, in addition to gentle stretching. Necrosis and gangrene cannot be treated at home and require urgent medical evaluation.
Posted in: Diseases and Conditions