Muscle pain, also known as myalgia, is not a disease in itself. It is a symptom of many conditions and diseases. Muscle pain can be both chronic (long-term) as well as acute (short-term). If you or someone in your family has been experiencing muscle pain, it would be very useful to learn about its causes, symptoms, and possible treatments.
What are muscle pains?
Muscle pain is extremely common. Almost everyone experiences muscle aches at some point in their life. Since we have muscles all over our body, we can have sore muscles anywhere. However, there is no one cause of myalgia. Though injury and overuse are the most common causes, there can be various other explanations for the discomforts.
Symptoms of Muscle Pain
The pain associated with myalgia feels like a pulled muscle and can continue both while resting and moving. In some cases, the muscles may also get swollen and become tender. Other muscle pain symptoms include:
- Sharp or dull aches
- Deep muscle pain (widespread or confined to a local area)
- Severe or mild pain which may be constant or last just a few minutes
- Chills and Fever
- Fatigue interfering with day to day activities
- Joint pain due to muscle aches
- Depressed feeling due to constant pain
Common Causes of Muscle Pain
Anyone can suffer from muscle pain after exertion. This kind of muscle ache usually lasts for a short time and is easy to manage. However, people with chronic myalgia usually suffer from widespread and persistent muscle aches. Other possible causes of myalgia may include:
- The side effect of medications such as statins (medicine for cholesterol), immunologic drugs, Glucocorticoids, etc.
- Sudden stopping of certain medications can also lead to myalgia. These include opioids, caffeine, alcohol, benzodiazepines, etc.
- In response to triggers such as vaccinations or trauma.
- Influenza
- Mineral and Vitamin deficiencies
- Lyme Disease
Also Read: Pneumonia Fever – Symptoms, Stages, Causes, Treatment, Vaccine
Treatment of Muscle Pain
The most common treatment prescribed for chronic muscle pain is physical therapy. It helps increase flexibility and strengthens sore muscles and surrounding tissues. Your doctor may also help you find ways to focus on ergonomics in your environment and workspace.
Besides this, certain medications are also prescribed to help manage the pain associated with myalgia.
- Myalgia caused due to overuse of a particular muscle usually responds quite well to over-the-counter pain medications. Some of the most common medications that are useful for treating myalgia include ibuprofen, diclofenac, paracetamol, naproxen, carisoprodol, nabumetone, arnica and capsaicin cream.
- For fibromyalgia, various prescription medications have proved to be helpful. These include anti-depressants and anti-seizure drugs like Lyrica, which can modify the body’s chemical response to pain.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs and pain medicines can sometimes be injected directly into the affected muscle to alleviate pain.
- If the muscle pain is caused due to an underlying condition, such as an autoimmune disease, the pain can be reduced by treating the underlying problem.
However, before popping any pill, make sure to consult your doctor.
Ways to Ease Muscle Pain at Home
Muscle aches are often treated successfully with home treatments. Some simple measures that can be taken to get rid of muscle pain caused due to overuse and injuries include:
- Give rest to the affected area of the body.
- Apply ice to the affected region to reduce inflammation and get rid of the muscle ache.
- Stretch the muscles gently.
- Avoid any high-impact activity till the pain subsides completely.
- Avoid any weight-lifting sessions till the muscle ache is resolved.
- Indulge in stress-relieving activities like meditation and yoga to relieve tension.
Acute muscle pain usually subsides within a few days. However, in case of chronic pain that fails to go away with home treatment, consult your doctor for further treatment.
Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited
