Muscle pain

Contents

Causes of muscle pain
Treatment of muscle pain
How long can the pain last
- Can I take medication on my own?
- What folk remedies are effective
Prevention of muscle pain
- Exercises to keep muscles in good shape
- How to relieve muscle pain
Popular questions and answers

Muscle pain is a frequent companion of those involved in sports and physical labor. But there are other muscle pains that provoked diseases of the joints, blood vessels and spine, viral infections, autoimmune pathologies. Together with an expert, we find out why muscle pain occurs and how dangerous they can be

– Muscle pain, or myalgia, often occurs after excessive physical exertion, training – says PhD, traumatologist-orthopedist Konstantin Sredin. – Often, acute pain in the muscles of the limbs and torso can be the result of both direct injuries (impact, collision, etc.) and their sharp overstrain (starting injuries, lifting weights without prior warm-up, etc.). Also, muscle pain can occur spontaneously, that is, without any external causes. By nature, they can be pulling, aching, can be localized in different parts of the body. Pain can be felt on touch and on movement. Sometimes myalgia can manifest itself in the form of painful spasms (convulsions).

Causes of muscle pain

The main causes of muscle pain include:

injuries (stretching or tearing of muscles and ligaments)¹;
excessive physical activity, training;
viral diseases, such as the flu¹;
hypothermia¹;
chronic stress, neurosis;
sedentary lifestyle;
rheumatoid diseases (conditions in which violations of the status of the immune system occur and the destruction of muscle cells by the immune cells of one’s own body occurs).

Treatment of muscle pain

Muscle pains are most often found in the shoulders and neck (collar zone), in the lower back, in the lower and upper limbs and can be of a different nature (pressing, aching, pulling)². In viral infections, such as the flu, the pain usually spreads throughout the body.

Often, muscle pain can occur against the backdrop of a change in weather. Patients are concerned about decreased ability to work, fatigue, cramps in the limbs. There may also be a violation of motor abilities in the form of subjective muscle weakness.

With inflammation of the muscle, or myositis, the pain is localized in one muscle and may be accompanied by swelling and redness in the area of the affected muscle². Pain with myositis is aggravated by movement, exposure to cold, an attempt to strain the muscle. Also, the intensity of the pain syndrome increases significantly with a sharp change in temperature (from the steam room to plunge into a tub of ice water, etc.). With the progression of myositis, muscle atrophy may develop.

Diagnostics

If muscle pain occurs, it is imperative to consult a doctor, since the cause of complaints can be completely different conditions: from harmless and effectively treatable to serious diseases with serious consequences and complications, up to oncological pathology.

The doctor, on the basis of clarifying the nature and localization of complaints, clarifying the history of the disease and a thorough examination, will prescribe the necessary list of instrumental and laboratory research methods.

For a more accurate diagnosis, special studies are performed – ultrasound, X-ray, CT, MRI, electroneuromyography, general clinical blood and urine tests, laboratory tests of liver and kidney function, blood glucose levels, systemic inflammation factors and muscle cell breakdown. Laboratory diagnostics (along with instrumental) is mandatory to establish the correct diagnosis. The appointment of adequate treatment and the prognosis of the disease depend on this. Often, it would seem that banal muscle pains can be the first symptoms of serious diseases leading to disability or the most unfavorable outcome.

Legs

Muscular pain in the legs may be associated with trauma, diseases of the joints, spine, blood vessels or muscles of the lower extremities². Pain can occur at rest, while walking, or after exercise.

Dull, aching, stabbing pains in the legs can often be caused by sitting or standing work.². With prolonged immobility, pain occurs due to stagnation of blood in the veins of the lower extremities.².

Another cause of pain in the legs is vascular disease (veins and arteries). With damage to the veins of the lower extremities, as a rule, arching pains occur in the lower legs, accompanied by swelling of the soft tissues and redness of the skin. In diseases of the arteries (atherosclerosis, endarteritis), pain in the legs increases while walking, and usually decreases at rest.

With muscle pain in the legs associated with overstrain, it is necessary to limit movement in the limbs, since the resulting uric acid leads to softening of the muscles and ligaments. With continued excessive loads, serious injuries up to ruptures can occur, which may require surgical treatment and long postoperative rehabilitation.

In case of acute pain in the lower extremities associated with thrombophlebitis, you should immediately consult a doctor. Doing any rubbing, massage, applying leeches is contraindicated. The formation of blood clots in the veins of the lower extremities in the absence of timely treatment can lead to pulmonary embolism, which is a life-threatening complication.

Back

Muscular back pain can be caused by diseases of the spine, as well as muscle strain, mechanical injuries, myositis. Persistent back pain often occurs in office workers due to a long stay in one position (sitting position, which is the most unphysiological for the spine)².

Chronic overload (regular weight lifting) while performing professional duties or exercising in the gym can also cause chronic pain in the back.

The cause of pain in the muscles of the back may be an unprofessional massage or manual therapy session in unexamined patients, for whom these methods of treatment may be contraindicated.

Also, the cause of back pain can be biomechanical disorders due to anatomical features, such as flat feet, congenital asymmetry of the pelvis, shortened lower limb, etc.

If you experience back pain (especially if it is accompanied by fever), you should immediately consult a doctor! Immediately it is necessary to ensure functional peace. It is not recommended to strain your back and move “through force”. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be taken to temporarily reduce the intensity of the pain syndrome.².

Self-medication in this situation is categorically unacceptable, because the causes of back pain can be completely different, up to severe purulent-inflammatory and oncological diseases.

Neck

Pain in the muscles of the neck can be both constant and associated with movement and occurring when turning or tilting the head. In any case, pain in the neck muscles cannot be ignored. They can be associated with problems in the spine (osteochondrosis), muscle strain, injuries, infectious and oncological diseases, inflammation in the joints of the cervical spine². Also, one of the causes of sudden and acute pain in the cervical spine and occipital region can be severe brain damage (meningitis, intracranial hemorrhage).

With the exception of diseases requiring emergency hospitalization in a hospital and surgical treatment, severe pain in the muscles of the neck and back, painkillers, drugs that help relieve muscle spasm, physiotherapy, functional rest are prescribed.³. In acute pain syndrome, immobilization (immobility) of the cervical spine is used with special orthopedic fixators³.

Arms

Pain in the muscles of the hands is most often associated with muscle tissue injuries – tendon sprain, inflammatory processes, rheumatism. Also, pain in the hands can occur with infectious diseases, such as influenza.¹.

In case of pain in the muscles of the hands associated with an injury, the limb must be immobilized until the diagnosis is clarified. Only on the basis of a doctor’s examination and diagnosis can the correct treatment be prescribed.

How long can the pain last

By the nature of pain in the muscles can be unbearable, for example, in case of injury. In this case, you must immediately immobilize the injured limb, take painkillers and immediately consult a doctor. In case of damage to the lower extremities, it is unacceptable to continue independent walking. An ambulance call is required.

Pain associated with overexertion and physical training can last up to several days¹. In the absence of treatment in old age and concomitant diseases, pain can become chronic³. Chronic pain syndrome is difficult to treat.

Can I take medication on my own?

For muscle pain, self-administration of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, is possible. You can independently apply an anti-inflammatory gel or balm based on diclofenac, ketoprofen. However, if the pain does not go away within 5 days, you should consult a doctor. The doctor will exclude serious damage, establish the cause of the pain and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

What folk remedies are effective

Often, athletes use folk remedies to treat muscle pain associated with exercise. For this, special ointments are made based on turpentine, apple cider vinegar, badger fat, as well as honey compresses. Ointments and compresses are applied at night on a sore spot and wrapped in a blanket. For pain in the muscles during physical exertion, baths with sea salt are recommended, but steaming in the bath is less effective.

Unfortunately, folk remedies do not replace modern treatment, are less effective and can cause side effects.

Prevention of muscle pain

Prevention of muscle pain includes limiting heavy physical and emotional stress, timely treatment of infectious diseases, and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Exercises to keep muscles in good shape

In order to prevent pain during subsequent workouts, it is important to keep the muscles in good shape. For this, regular physical activity on certain muscle groups and physiotherapy exercises are recommended.

How to relieve muscle pain

The treatment of pain in the muscle area can be completely different. It depends solely on the correct diagnosis, on the basis of a doctor’s consultation and a comprehensive examination. For example, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve acute pain before seeking medical help. In case of severe pain or injury that does not allow you to move independently, you must call an ambulance team.