Alternative Name:Muscle pain; Myalgia; Pain – muscles
Definition:
Muscle aches and pains are common and can involve more than one muscle. Muscle pain also can involve ligaments, tendons, and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones, and organs.
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Muscle pain is a symptom of many diseases and disorders. The most common causes are overuse or over-stretching of a muscle or group of muscles. Myalgia without a traumatic history is often due to viral infections. Longer-term myalgias may be indicative of a metabolic myopathy, some nutritional deficiencies or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Muscle cramps
Joint pain
Considerations:
Muscle pain is most frequently related to tension, overuse, or muscle injury from exercise or physically-demanding work. In these situations, the pain tends to involve specific muscles and starts during or just after the activity. It is usually obvious which activity is causing the pain.
Muscle pain also can be a sign of conditions affecting your whole body, like some infections (including the flu) and disorders that affect connective tissues throughout the body (such as lupus).
One common cause of muscle aches and pain is fibromyalgia, a condition that includes tenderness in your muscles and surrounding soft tissue, sleep difficulties, fatigue, and headaches.
Causes:
The most common causes of myalgia are overuse, injury or stress. However, myalgia can also be caused by diseases, disorders, medications, as a response to vaccination and withdrawal syndromes. It is also a sign of acute rejection after heart transplant surgery.
The most common causes are:
*Injury or trauma including sprains and strains
*Overuse: using a muscle too much, too soon, too often
*Tension or stress
*Muscle pain may also be due to:
Certain drugs, including:
*ACE inhibitors for lowering blood pressure
*Cocaine
*Statins for lowering cholesterol
*Dermatomyositis
*Electrolyte imbalances like too little potassium or calcium
*Fibromyalgia
*Infections, including:
*Influenza (the flu)
*Lyme disease
*Malaria
*Muscle abscess
*Polio
*Rocky Mountain spotted fever
*Trichinosis (roundworm)
*Lupus
*Polymyalgia rheumatica
*Polymyositis
*Rhabdomyolysis
Overuse
Overuse of a muscle is using it too much, too soon and/or too often. Examples are:Repetitive strain injury.
Injury
The most common causes of myalgia by injury are: sprains and strain (injury).
Muscle pain due to Diseases/Disorders
Infectious
Acute Endocarditis, African Tick Bite Fever, Bronchitis, Chikungunya, Common cold, Community-acquired pneumonia, Coccidioidomycosis, Dengue fever, Endemic typhus, HIV, Infectious mononucleosis, Influenza, Legionellosis, Leptospirosis, Lyme disease, Malaria, Marburg virus, Meningitis, Monkeypox, Pharyngitis, Pneumonia, Prostatitis, Psittacosis, Q fever, Rabies, Rift Valley fever, Ross River Fever, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Toxic shock syndrome, Trichinosis, Typhoid fever, Upper respiratory tract infection, Viral pneumonia, West Nile virus.
Autoimmune
Multiple sclerosis, Myositis, Lupus erythematosus, Familial Mediterranean fever, Polyarteritis nodosa, Devic’s disease, Morphea
Metabolic defect
Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency, Conn’s syndrome, Adrenal insufficiency
Other
Chronic fatigue syndrome, Hypokalemia, Exercise intolerance, Mastocytosis, Peripheral neuropathy, Eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Barcoo Fever, Delayed onset muscle soreness
Medications
Aldara, Acrylamide, Darbepoetin, Isotretinoin, Gardasil, Procainamide, Quinupristin/dalfopristin, Spiriva, Sumatriptan, Vardenafil, Statins, Zetia, Zomig, Boniva, Pegetron, Welchol
Withdrawal Syndromes
Sudden cessation of opioids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, or alcohol can induce myalgia.
Treatment:
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Pain Management: Myofascial Pain Syndrome (Muscle Pain)
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Alternative treatment for muscle pain relief
Muscle Sprain Treatment through Acupunture
Use of sympathetic antagonists for treatment of chronic muscle pain
Home Care
For muscle pain from overuse or injury, rest that body part and take acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Apply ice for the first 24 – 72 hours of an injury to reduce pain and inflammation. After that, heat often feels more soothing.
Muscle aches from overuse and fibromyalgia often respond well to massage. Gentle stretching exercises after a long rest period are also helpful.
Regular exercise can help restore proper muscle tone. Walking, cycling, and swimming are good aerobic activities to try. A physical therapist can teach you stretching, toning, and aerobic exercises to feel better and stay pain-free. Begin slowly and increase workouts gradually. Avoid high-impact aerobic activities and weight lifting when injured or while in pain.
Be sure to get plenty of sleep and try to reduce stress. Yoga and meditation are excellent ways to help you sleep and relax.
If home measures aren’t working, call your doctor, who will consider prescription medication, physical therapy referral, or referral to a specialized pain clinic.
If your muscle aches are due to a specific disease, follow the instructions of your doctor to treat the primary illness.
Click to see:->Muscle Pain – Causes – Symptoms – Diagnosis – Treatment – Pain Relief
When to Contact a Medical Professional:-
Call your doctor if:
*Your muscle pain persists beyond 3 days
*You have severe, unexplained pain
*You have any sign of infection, like swelling or redness around the tender muscle
*You have poor circulation in the area where you have muscles aches (for example, in your legs)
*You have a tick bite or a rash
*Your muscle pain has been associated with starting or changing doses of a medicine, such as a statin
Your doctor will perform a physical examination and ask questions about your muscle pain, such as:
*When did it start? How long did it last?
*Where is it exactly? Is it all over or only in a specific area?
*Is it always in the same location?
*What makes it better or worse?
*Do other symptoms occur at the same time, like joint pain, fever, vomiting, weakness, malaise, or difficulty*
*using the affected muscle?
*Is there a pattern to the muscle aches?
*Have you taken any new medications lately?
*Tests that may be done include:
*Complete blood count (CBC)
*Other blood tests to look at muscle enzymes (creatine kinase) and possibly a test for Lyme disease or a *connective tissue disorder
*Physical therapy may be helpful.
Prevention
*Warm up before exercising and cool down afterward.
*Stretch before and after exercising.
*Drink lots of fluids before, during, and after exercise.
*If you work in the same position most of the day (like sitting at a computer), stretch at least every hour.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.
Resources:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003178.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myalgia