It is likely that at one time or another you have handled muscle aches. You can tell that troublesome sensation that truly makes you understand how critical, and how often you use that aching muscle is in everyday life. It�s similar to injuring one of your fingers, in that you did not appreciate how central that one digit was until you were required to live without it. A number of factors can lead to aching muscles. They can be separated into the following 3 categories:
- Muscle aches from overuse
- Muscle aches from illness, disease, or disorders
- Muscle aches from medications
Muscle aches caused by overuse.
Muscle aches are most commonly caused by overexertion. Maybe you simply pushed yourself too hard at the gym, moved your couch, or biked an extra 5 miles. If you just overused a muscle the pain should go away in a few days. This muscle pain is also known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), because the aching comes on 24-72 hours after the physical activity. These aches mostly manifest themselves in a single, or a few specific muscles. It is straightforward to locate the cause of bicep pain if you upped your dumbbell weight at the gym the day before, or the particular quadriceps, hamstring, and gluteal pain from a hard set of squats and lunges. The exact cause of DOMS is still an ongoing debate, but two main theories rule. The first theory is that lactic acid buildup in the muscles causes the soreness. The second, and newer theory, is that the pain is caused by the muscle actually repairing itself. Many ascertain that overstrain causes tiny tears in the muscle fibers. Fluid then enters the tears and causes the muscle cells to swell thus causing the aches. The treatment for this muscle pain is the same no matter which theory you believe:
- Rest and relaxation
- Warming up and cooling down when exercising
- Plenty of sleep
- Ibuprofen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Alternating between hot and cold treatments directly to the muscle
- Drinking lots of water
This type of muscle ache should dissipate within 3-5 days. If the muscle pain continues it could be a symptom that there is a graver problem, and could require medical attention. The more critical condition could be a strain, sprain, torn muscle, or dislocated disk or joint. If you suspect that your muscle pain could be more serious than simple overuse you should contact your doctor right away.
Muscle aches from illness, disease, or disorders.
If you have muscle pain with no identifiable cause it could be caused by a medical problem. You should call a doctor right away if your muscle pain continues beyond 3-5 days, it suddenly becomes severe and sharp, if you note a rash or any sign of infection around the sore muscle, or if you become nauseous, commence vomiting or experience a stiff neck or high fever. General muscle aches could purely be a side effect of having the flu, or might be signs of a more serious medical condition. Muscle aches might be a symptom from:
- Infections, such as: Influenza, an abscess in the muscle, Lyme disease, Trichinosis, Malaria, Polio, Rocky Mountain spotted fever
- Fibromyalgia
- Arthritis
- Thyroid disorders
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Dermatomyositis
- Polymyositis
- Polymyositis rheumatica
- Lupus
- Diabetes
- Circulatory disorders
- Electrolyte imbalances
These are just a handful of the many conditions that could lead to muscle aches. Your doctor can decide the proper treatment to handle these conditions.
Muscle aches from medications.
It is also possible that your muscle aches may be a side effect of some medications. If the aches manifest shortly after beginning, or modifying a medication regimen, you should contact your doctor to ask if it might be a side effect of your medication. The most common types of medications that can cause muscle aches are statins for lowering cholesterol, and ACE inhibitors for lowering blood pressure. It is also possible that you might experience muscle pain after getting a vaccination.
Entries (RSS)