Muscle or body pains are caused by tension, overuse, or muscle injury from exercise or physical work. Body pain can result from fatigue or exercise or be a symptom of an underlying condition. Muscle or body aches are frequent.
The pain and aches in the muscles can range from mild to severe. Muscle pain can have causes, not due to underlying diseases, including exercise, prolonged sitting or lying down, new physical activity for the first time, sprains, or strains.
Although body or muscular aches are usually harmless, it helps to understand what causes them and when to see a doctor. Aches can vary in intensity and frequency. People can describe them as sharp, intermittent or dull but persistent pain. People can often identify and treat muscle soreness without seeing a doctor. Sometimes, however, they may need medical help.
If the body aches are due to a medical condition, a person may also experience other signs. Recognising other signs can help a person identify the cause and decide whether to see an orthopedic doctor.
Some common signs that occur alongside muscle soreness are:
Body Pain within a specific part of the body, weakness, tiredness, chills or changes in body temperature, cold and flu are a few common signs that occur alongside muscle soreness.
The diagnosis of muscle pain begins with a detailed history and physical examination. Below are the various types of diagnoses made for body pain.
Your doctor will ask several questions during your appointment to pinpoint your diagnosis. Questions may include:
During your physical exam, orthopedics may press various muscles to assess sensitivity. They may also inspect the skin and surrounding tissue for swelling, warmth, redness, or changes.
If your doctor suspects myofascial pain syndrome, they will check for potential trigger points. Likewise, if fibromyalgia is suspected, your doctor will examine various tender points.
Blood tests help in diagnosing specific causes of muscle pain. For example, polymyalgia rheumatica will have an elevated inflammatory marker, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). With rhabdomyolysis and statin-induced myalgia, levels of creatine kinase (a muscle enzyme) will be high.
Other relevant laboratory tests may include the following:
Your physician may order one or more imaging tests during the diagnostic process. Examples include Ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and others.
Depending on the condition, your doctor may need to do other tests to confirm a diagnosis. For example, to diagnose compartment syndrome. Where the doctor will insert a thin needle or tube into the affected muscle to assess its pressure, taking a compartment pressure measurement, a muscle biopsy may be done to diagnose inflammatory myopathy. Finally, urinary myoglobin will be prescribed if rhabdomyolysis is suspected.
A physician will guide treatment for any underlying condition that causes muscle soreness or body pains. But a person may also try the following cures to help ease the discomfort:
Body pain can be treated with simple home remedies without an underlying medical condition.
Applying ice to the affected part of the body slows the nerve impulse to that area, thus relieving pain. Cold compression effectively reduces inflammation and joint pain, even in patients with arthritis.
We have all soaked our feet in hot salt water after a vigorous workout or a long hike at some point in our lives. There is solid science behind it. Soaking the feet in saltwater reduces osmosis edema, and the heat of the water loosens the knots of tired muscles against sore muscles.
Massaging your body with hot mustard oil can help relieve pain. Studies have shown that the allyl isothiocyanate compound present in mustard oil helps reduce inflammation in the body.
Scientists have compared ginger's action to that of ibuprofen. Ginger helps reduce pain and inflammation in the body.
The curcumin found in turmeric has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and wound-healing properties that help relieve pain in the body.
People with peripheral neuropathy often experience pain in their hands and feet. Studies have shown that cherry juice contains anthocyanin pigments, which help treat this pain.
A person should see a physician if they experience:
Other signs that may accompany muscle aches may require emergency medical attention. These include:
The doctor can diagnose the cause of the muscle aches and determine if treatment is needed.
If a person experiences body aches for over two weeks and does not know what is causing it, they should see a doctor whether other signs appear.
Muscle pain that affects a small part of your body is usually caused by overuse, such as arm pain from lifting boxes all day. It could also be a minor injury, like a bruised shoulder after a fall. But when your whole body hurts, it is more likely caused by an infection, illness, or medicine you've taken.
Usually, muscle aches are caused by physical work like lifting weights, exercising, etc. It takes 2 to 5 days, and there is no need to take any medications. If you are feeling whole-body pains, then it is advised to consult a physician.
Here are some foods and drinks that help to reduce sore muscles or body aches/ body pains:
People can feel hot without a fever for many reasons. Some causes may be temporary and simple to identify, like eating spicy foods, living in a humid environment, or experiencing stress and anxiety.
Cold and flu are other viral infections that cause body aches. These viral infections attack your body, and your immune system tries to fight them. Pain can be painful, especially in the throat, chest, and lungs. The rest of your body may hurt, too, as your body works hard to fight the infection.
