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MUSCLE PAIN

Men's Health, Women's Health / By

MUSCLE PAIN

Muscle pain is pain or aches in the muscle which typically results from injury, inflammation, over-stretching or over-use of a muscle or a group of muscles.

  • Muscle pain can originate in any part of the body because there is muscle tissue in nearly all parts of the body.
  • The medical term for muscle pain is myalgia.
  • Muscle pains are common and almost everyone has experienced discomfort in their muscle at some point in their life.
  • Muscle pain can be mild or severe depending on the cause.
  • Muscle pain can be localized- affecting just a few muscles or a small part of your body, or systemic- affecting the whole body.

CAUSES

The most common causes of muscle pain are:

  • Injury or trauma such as sprains and strains
  • Too much stress, tension or physical activity
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Infections such as flu, polio, malaria, dengue fever, hemorrhagic fever, Ebola, Lyme disease, muscular abscess, roundworm,
  • Diabetes
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Muscle crampAn aAutoimmune disorder such as mixed connective tissue disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, Devic’s disease
  • Adrenal insufficiency
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Herpes
  • HIV
  • Hypokalemia
  • Use of certain medications or drugs such as statins, ACE inhibitors, or cocaine.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Withdrawal syndrome from certain drugs such as high-dose corticosteroids, opioids, caffeine, or alcohol
  • AIDS
  • Hypovitaminosis
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Hemochromatosis

SYMPTOMS

The symptom associated with this condition is ache or pain in the muscle.

You should seek immediate medical attention if:

  • Pain does not go away after a few days of self-care
  • It is accompanied by a rash
  • The pain occurs after a tick bite
  • It is accompanied by redness or swelling
  • There is an elevated temperature with the pain
  • It starts after a change in medications that you take
  • It is severe and appears with no clear cause
  • You are unable to move the affected area

TREATMENT

Treatment option depends on the underlying cause.

If your condition is due to some medical issue, treating such condition is the first call of action.

Measures to relieve muscle ache from injuries and overuse include:

  • Resting the area of the body where the ache and pain is present
  • Taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen
  • Applying ice to the affected area to relieve pain and reduce inflammation
  • Gently stretching the muscles
  • Avoiding high-impact activities such as weight lifting sessions until the muscle pain goes away
  • Engaging in stress-relieving activities such as yoga and meditation to relieve tension.

To prevent muscle pain,

  • Before engaging in any exercise, it is important for you to take your time to stretch your muscles and warm up. This should also be done after your workout. Warming up and stretching can loosen your muscles and protect them from injury
  • Stay hydrated regularly
  • Engage in regular exercise
  • Get up and stretch at least every hour if you work at a desk