If you have pain from an injury or post surgery or you suffer chronic pain of any sort. magnesium could be of benefit. From reducing muscle spasms and relaxing excess tension. To increasing circulation essential for healing. To relaxing the nervous system and ensuring that pain signals are dampened. All reducing pain and pain perceiption, reducing the likelihood of chronic and sensitised pain conditions and aiding healing. Magnesium truly is magnificent.
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Have you ever heard that Magnesium is important for health? You may be aware that if you don’t have enough magnesium it can cause muscle cramps, and it is often recommended after intense exercise. But did you know that magnesium is essential in a multitude of body processes and that not quite having enough can increase your pain levels and slow healing. This is important especially if you have an injury and want to get better fast, or if you have chronic pain conditions. Anything you can do to help reduce pain and inflammation and support circulation, tissue healing and general cell functioning helps you to cope better, right? So today I thought it might be useful to explore Magnesium and how taking it, could assist in reducing your pain and speeding healing, recovery and functioning.
First, magnesium is vital for proper muscle function. When you’re deficient in magnesium, your muscles are prone to cramping and spasms. This not only causes pain but restricts circulation and comprises nerves. Increasing pain and hindering the healing process. Muscle function isn’t just about movement; it plays a pivotal role in wound closure, joint stability, and overall mobility during tissue healing. Muscles without enough magnesium cannot relax properly, but if they cannot let go, they also cannot perform a complete contraction. That means that your muscles are less able to maintain the correct tone to support joints, or lift as well as move… you definitely won’t be your strongest. Plus… the heart is a muscle and if it cannot relax completely, there is a smaller space for the blood to fill, meaning not only is less blood pumping around with each heartbeat, but the heart cannot contract completely either, reducing the blood circulating even further. If you have a muscle cramp… could your heart also be affected?
Magnesium not only allows our muscles to relax, it support nervous system function. It regulates nerve function, and a deficiency can heighten nerve sensitivity, amplifying pain signals. This heightened sensitivity might manifest as hyperalgesia, where you become more susceptible to painful stimuli.
Further, it’s role in the central nervous system regulation can’t be overlooked. It affects the transmission of pain signals within the brain and spinal cord. Reduced magnesium decreases the threshold required for neuron firing, causing increased excitability and essentially over firing which leads to increased communication of pain signals and thus increase perception of pain
Not only that, but increased stress and anxiety, also increases our perception of pain. And low magnesium, due to its effects on stress hormones and nervous system irritability increases our stress and anxiety levels. Making magnesium and management of stress and anxiety crucial in dealing with chronic pain conditions.
Neuropathic Pain: Magnesium is involved in nerve function, and a deficiency may contribute to neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain often results from nerve damage or dysfunction and can be more severe in individuals with low magnesium levels.
Inflammation, a natural part of the healing process, is also influenced by magnesium levels. Low magnesium hinders the resolution of the inflammatory phase not only increasing pain but slowing healing, especially in conditions like arthritis.
Moreover, magnesium is crucial for proper blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues. Inadequate magnesium levels can lead to vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow to injured areas, causing: ischemic pain, particularly in muscles and joints; reduced the nutrients and building blocks for tissues to heal; reduced immune cells present at injury site to remove infection… Leading to prolonged pain, slowed tissue healing and increased risk of infection.
Tissue healing requires a large amount of energy, so if the ATP production inside your cells is suboptimal, your ability to heal is reduced. Energy production inside a cell. Magnesium is a cofactor required in ATP production, so if insufficient magnesium is present, wound and tissue healing is slowed. So even just in a situation where you have exercised hard, your tissues require repair, but if you have used up your magnesium stores, you will be deficient in magnesium,even if temporarily, slowing your recovery.
Collagen synthesis is a essential part of tissue and wound healing. Collagen provides the structural integrity of tissues and its production requires adequate amounts of both vitamin C and magnesium. A deficiency can compromise the production of this critical protein, weakening newly formed tissues and delaying the healing process.
Lastly, magnesium is an essential nutrient for multiple functions within the immune system and a deficiency results in immune dysregulation. Reduced immune cell function weakens the body’s defence against infections. This plus the reduced circulation and slowed healing effects of low magnesium which can increase risk of infection… create a potential double whammy for infection, delayed tissue healing and prolonged pain.
To ensure optimal tissue healing and manage pain effectively, maintaining adequate magnesium levels is key. Including magnesium-rich foods like leafy greens, nuts and seeds, in your diet is an excellent start. Magnesium deficiency (generally mild) is more common than one would expect, and things like high stress levels and substantial caffeine intake reduce magnesium stores. So especially after exercise, when sick or have an infection, or when you have an injury increasing your magnesium intake with a quality supplement can be highly beneficial. Plus, if you are wanting optimal health and ENERGY levels, ensuring you have adequate magnesium intake or regularly taking a supplement is paramount.
There are many magnesium supplements and some are better for clearing the bowels, not so much actually boosting your magnesium levels and others may cause digestive discomfort… so you need to find what works for you. Magnesium citrate and glycinate are generally well tolerated.
Remember, low magnesium might contribute to pain, but it is not the sole cause. Chronic pain can stem from various factors, including underlying medical conditions, injuries, or other nutritional deficiencies.
If you’d like my Quick Guide to Supplements: Reduce Pain and Speed Healing. Reply PAIN/comment PAIN/ click the link… and I’ll send it to you
Until next time, in health, bye for now.
When I think of all of the incredible things our cells do all day, every day… I don’t know about you, but I constantly marvel at it. The rolls that Magnesium plays within this intricate system are truly many, varied, essential for HEALTH. It may seem a simple, unimportant mineral. But Magnesium absolutely is a wonder mineral, and one of the many essential factors involved in your health. Don’t underestimate its value!
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About Blossoming Me
BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage.
Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.
ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.