Muscle Aches?
It is likely that at one time or another you have experienced muscle aches. You can identify that pesky sensation that truly makes you appreciate how important, and how often you use that aching muscle is in everyday life. Its parallel to injuring one of your fingers, in that you never appreciate how central that one digit was until you were forced to function without it. A number of factors can cause aching muscles. They can be divided into the following 3 categories:
- Muscle aches as a result of overuse
- Muscle aches as a result of illness, disease, or disorders
- Muscle aches as a result of medications
Muscle aches as a result of overuse.
Muscle aches are most commonly caused by overexertion. Maybe you simply pushed yourself too hard at the gym, rearranged your living room, or helped a friend move into a new house. If you just overused a muscle the pain should diminish in a few days. This muscle pain is also known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), because the aching begins 24-72 hours after the overuse. These aches commonly manifest themselves in a single, or a few specific muscles. It is simple to identify the cause of bicep pain if you increased your dumbbell weight at the gym the day before, or the unmistakable 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 lead. 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 believe that overstrain causes tiny tears in the muscle fibers. Fluid then enters the tears and causes the muscle cells to swell thus causing the pain. The remedy for this muscle pain is the same no matter which theory you believe:
- Relaxation and rest
- Warming up and cooling down when exercising
- A good night�s sleep
- Ibuprofen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Alternating between hot and cold treatments directly to the muscle
- Drinking lots of fluids
This type of muscle ache should stop within 3-5 days. If the muscle pain continues it could be an indicator that there is a graver problem, and could require medical attention. The underlyimg condition could be a strain, sprain, torn muscle, or dislocated disk or joint. If you question that your muscle pain could be more serious than simple overuse you should contact your doctor asap.
Muscle aches as a result of illness, disease, or disorders.
If you have muscle pain with no identifiable cause it could be a symptom of a medical problem. You should call a doctor right away if your muscle pain continues beyond 3-5 days, it abruptly becomes severe and sharp, if you see a rash or any sign of infection around the sore muscle, or if you become nauseous, begin vomiting or experience a stiff neck or high fever. General muscle aches could only be a side effect of having the flu, or may be signs of a more serious medical condition. Muscle aches may be a symptom as a result of:
- 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 sample of the scores of conditions that could cause muscle aches. Your doctor can decide the proper treatment to handle these conditions.
Muscle aches as a result of medications.
It is additionally possible that your muscle aches might be a side effect of certain medications. If the aches start shortly after starting, or changing a medication regimen, you must contact your doctor to ask if it may 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 may feel muscle pain after receiving a vaccination.
Tanya Wiseman
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Scott Wiseman writes articles for:
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