Myalgia is the medical term used to describe muscle pain. Although usually mild and only occurs in one particular muscle, muscle pain can also be felt in all parts of the body and is very excruciating.
Actually, muscle pain is not a disease, but a symptom of a disease or condition. The causes are very diverse, ranging from improper posture or sports movements, muscle injuries, infections, to side effects of drugs.
Muscle pain can occur in any part of the body, such as the back, neck, arms, thighs or calves. This pain is experienced by everyone.
Symptoms of Muscle Pain
Muscle pain can be described as stiffness, cramping, pulling, heaviness, or weakness in the muscles. Muscle pain tends to appear during or after certain activities. For example, hand muscle pain from lifting heavy objects, or neck and back muscle pain from sitting in the wrong position for too long.
Sometimes muscle pain can involve more than one muscle, it can even be felt throughout the body. In some cases, muscle pain can be very severe and last for a long time, it could be weeks or months.
In severe cases, muscle pain tends not to improve even after a person is resting, even causing difficulty with activities. For example, severe muscle pain in the fingers makes it difficult for sufferers to snap their fingers or open bottle caps.
Muscle pain can also be accompanied by other symptoms, such as swelling in the painful area, fever and chills, and weakness.
When to go to the doctor
Muscle pain is usually harmless and will go away on its own. However, consult a doctor if muscle pain is accompanied by the following conditions or characteristics:
- Fever.
- Swelling or redness appears in the painful area.
- Pain appears suddenly for no known reason.
- Pain appears after taking drugs.
- The pain still doesn't go away after a few days.
Be alert if muscle pain is accompanied by the following symptoms, because muscle pain could be caused by a dangerous disease. You need to go to the emergency room at the nearest hospital immediately if you experience the following symptoms:
- Urination
- Unable to move body parts.
- Stiffness in the neck area.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Hard to breathe.
Causes of Muscle Pain
Muscle pain is often caused by muscle overuse, muscle injury, and muscle strain in one or more parts of the body. These conditions can occur when:
- Falling, bumping, or having an accident.
- Lack of warming up before exercise and cooling down after.
- Perform repetitive movements, whether in sports or other activities.
- Poor posture, for example a sitting position that is not upright or the wrong body position when lifting heavy weights.
- Incorrect exercise technique, for example too fast or too long in doing a movement.
Please note, the cause of muscle pain is not only due to excessive physical activity, but can also occur due to a number of diseases or conditions, such as:
- Fibromyalgia, which is a disease characterized by pain throughout the body.
- Chronic fatigue syndrome or chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, dermatomyositis, and polymyositis.
- Thyroid diseases, such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Dystonia or uncontrolled muscle contractions.
- Rhabdomyolysis or muscle damage.
- Compartment syndrome
- Viral infections, such as polio and the flu.
- Bacterial infections, eg Lyme disease.
- Electrolyte disturbances, such as hypokalemia (potassium deficiency).
- Blockage of blood flow to the legs due to peripheral arterial disease.
- Side effects of statin cholesterol drugs and ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure.
Diagnosis of Muscle Pain
Diagnosis is done to find out whether muscle pain is caused by certain diseases or just the result of excessive daily physical activity.
First, the doctor will ask the patient's medical history, including a history of injuries, illnesses, and medications taken. Then, the doctor will observe the painful body part to find out if it feels stiff or weak. The doctor will also observe the patient's posture and the way he walks.
To find out if there is inflammation or damage to the muscles and if there is an underlying disease, the doctor may run blood tests and scans, such as an MRI.
How to Overcome and Eliminate Muscle Pain
Muscle pain usually does not require medical treatment. Patients simply apply a few simple steps at home to relieve symptoms, such as:
- Enough sleep.
- Manage stress well.
- Rest the body part that feels pain.
- Massaging or stretching the sore muscles.
- Compress the sore muscle with a warm or cold compress.
- Avoid lifting heavy weights, doing strenuous exercise, or activities that require a lot of muscle work until the muscles are fully recovered.
- Doing yoga or meditation to help relieve tension in the problematic muscles.
- Taking pain relievers, such as paracetamol.
In addition to the steps above, sufferers can also do light exercise, such as walking, cycling, and swimming. Mild exercise can help restore muscle strength. However, start exercising lightly and slowly, then increase it gradually.
Muscle Pain Prevention
Muscle pain caused by excessive physical activity can be prevented by taking the following steps:
- Exercise regularly to maintain muscle health.
- Warm up and cool down before and after exercise.
- Stretch before and after physical activity.
- Drink lots of water to meet the body's fluid needs, especially if you often do strenuous physical activities.
In addition to the steps above, stretch regularly even if you are working. For example, get up from your seat for a short walk if you work behind a desk for a long time. Do it at least once an hour.
As described above, muscle pain often resolves with simple therapy. However, if muscle pain is caused by a serious injury or serious illness, medical attention should be sought. This is because some causes of muscle pain, such as infections or autoimmune diseases, can lead to complications.