In medical practice, muscle pain is commonly referred to as "myalgia". Such unpleasant sensations are familiar to many people. Muscles can hurt not only when stressed, but also at rest.
It should be noted that in most cases, myalgia does not pose any danger to the patient's life, but it significantly complicates his life. According to statistics, approximately 2% of the inhabitants of economically developed countries regularly complain of muscle pain. We will tell about their causes and methods of treatment below.
Reasons
Why do all the muscles constantly hurt? Experts say that in most cases such discomfort is associated with the development of persistent muscle spasm. At the same time, the factors themselves that provoke their development may be different.
- Surge and injury. In case of injury, the tense state of muscle tissues is a kind of body response.
- Prolonged non-physiological position of the human body (orpoor posture) often leads to spasms and muscle fatigue. Such people very often complain that they have pain in all the muscles of the body. The reason for this condition can be prolonged sitting at an uncomfortable table or, for example, working in a certain position, carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder, etc. In such cases, the muscles of the body “get used” to a given position, which subsequently leads to metabolic disorders in a certain part of the body.
- Stress or any other emotional tension also leads to musculoskeletal pain. This kind of sensation is noted not only in adult patients, but also in children.
Fibromyalgia pain
The origin of muscle pain can be different. For example, fibromyalgia. At home, it is better not to treat the symptoms of this pathology. After all, it is a fairly common and serious form of myalgia, which is characterized by the occurrence of unpleasant sensations in the tendons, ligaments and fibrous muscles. Such a violation often causes insomnia in patients. In 2/3 of patients who visit a neurologist, muscle pain is constantly combined with morning stiffness and asthenic syndrome.
Fibromyalgia is characterized by damage to the neck, back of the head, shoulders, muscles located near the knee joints and chest. Most of all, representatives of the weaker sex are predisposed to myalgia. Pain in this pathology is aggravated or provoked after emotional or physical overload, as well as with prolonged lack of sleep, hypothermia, the presencechronic diseases.
Primary myalgia and myositis
Why do all the muscles of the body hurt? The cause of this condition may be primary myalgia. This condition is characterized by a violation of soft tissues. The pain is felt in large areas of the muscles, however, when pressing on specific points, it can be concentrated.
Another fairly common cause of muscle pain throughout the body is myositis, or inflammation of the muscle fibers. Such a pathology often develops as a complication after overexertion, severe infections and injuries.
Myositis is characterized by a dull pain in the muscles, which may become more intense during the patient's work.
It is impossible not to say that discomfort in muscle tissues can be the first signs of such serious diseases as polymyalgia rheumatica or polymyositis.
Pain after workout
Muscle pain after exercise can be of two types: bad and good. The latter develops when the muscles are under load. They collect lactic acid, which after training affects the nerve endings and contributes to a burning sensation. Such a process is absolutely harmless to the human body, since the presence of the mentioned substance in the blood has a beneficial effect on it, accelerating all regeneration processes and binding free radicals.
Often the cause of muscle pain throughout the body is too much and uncharacteristic physical activity. In this case, unpleasantsensations may be delayed. Usually they appear in people who have recently been involved, as well as in those who have introduced new exercises into training, increased the length of classes, their multiplicity, etc. Such pain occurs due to microscopic ruptures of muscle bundles. In fact, these are small wounds with hemorrhages.
Why do all the muscles of the body hurt after a workout? We discussed the reasons for this state of affairs above. If, during sports, the pain was provoked by an injury, then it will be strikingly different in its character. Such unpleasant sensations are sharp and aching in nature. In this case, the muscles can "shoot" in the process of working the affected area. There may also be bruising or swelling at the site of the injury. In this case, you should stop the lesson. The same applies to situations where a click or crunch is heard in any joint.
Another kind of pain can come from overtraining. A similar condition develops if heavy training with microtraumas takes place too often and too much. In this situation, the human body does not have time to restore all the damage, as a result of which they accumulate. At the same time, muscle tissue is depleted, immunity is reduced, hormone production is reduced.
Pain in lower limbs
Muscular pain in the legs can occur in the following conditions:
- Flat feet. With such a pathology, the arches of the feet become flat, and the process of walking becomes more difficult (the legs seem to “get heavier”). In this case, pain can cover almost the entire lower part of the limbs.
- Long standing(or sitting) on your feet. If for a long time a person is in a fixed position, then blood circulation worsens in the lower extremities. At the same time, the muscles receive less oxygen, metabolic products accumulate in them, after which unpleasant sensations appear. Aching and dull pain can sometimes turn into convulsions.
- Muscular pain in the legs very often occurs with vascular disease. Blood begins to poorly drain and flow to the tissues, and nerve receptors are irritated, resulting in unpleasant sensations.
- Thrombophlebitis. The muscles of the legs with this disease hurt very much. Unpleasant sensations are jerky in nature. Also, along the affected vein, a pronounced burning sensation is observed. As a rule, pain with thrombophlebitis is constant and it is most felt in the calf muscles.
- With atherosclerosis, the patient feels as if his legs are strongly squeezed by a vise.
- Neuralgia. In diseases of the nervous system (peripheral), attacks last for several seconds or minutes. At the same time, no discomfort occurs in between.
- Obesity. Large body weight significantly increases the load on the lower limbs. This is what causes muscle pain. Those people who have a large weight combined with a small foot size suffer the most.
Pain in upper limbs
Pain in the muscles of the hands can be pathogenetic (with swelling of the tissues and changes in the permeability of the cell membranes that make up the muscle fibers) andinflammatory (with inflammation in the muscles). In addition, similar unpleasant feelings can develop in he althy people after hard sports training or uncharacteristic physical activity. Also, the causes of pain in the hands often become:
- polymyositis;
- various infections (influenza, brucellosis, muscle damage by parasite toxins);
- alcohol and other types of intoxication;
- disruption of metabolic processes in diabetes mellitus, glycogenosis or primary amyloidosis;
- injuries;
- diffuse myalgia (with influenza or Coxsackievirus infection);
- impaired production of certain enzymes;
- muscular rheumatism (in persons over 50);
- peripheral NS disease;
- inflammation of muscle fibers;
- fibromyalgia;
- osteomyelitis.
Back pain
Why do all the muscles of the body hurt? The reason for this condition is often a long stay of a person in a non-physiological position. This very often causes muscle tension and, accordingly, muscle pain in the back. They also affect people who are actively involved in sports or do hard physical work.
Pain in the muscles, including in the back, develops due to poor blood circulation and lack of oxygen. The reason for this may be:
- osteochondrosis;
- disc herniation;
- scoliosis;
- short leg syndrome;
- reducing the volume of half of the pelvis;
- long metatarsus 2;
- short shoulders;
- kyphosis;
- joint lock;
- long-term muscle clamping;
- gynecological diseases;
- diseases of the digestive organs.
Inactivity
Physical inactivity is a pathological condition that occurs as a result of a significant limitation of physical activity. This disease is characterized by disruption of the musculoskeletal system, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, etc.
What happens with physical inactivity? Symptoms of this condition do not appear immediately, but gradually. First, the patient feels growing fatigue, fatigue, sleep disturbance, decreased performance, increased unreasonable nervousness, weight gain, regular headaches, shortness of breath even with little physical exertion. Also, hypodynamia is accompanied by a decrease in strength indicators, a decrease in the volume and mass of muscles, a violation of neuro-reflex connections and back pain.
With a long course of such a pathological process, the patient's bone mass decreases, after which the work of the joints and spine is disrupted. Due to the weakening of the ligamentous apparatus, intervertebral hernias are formed.
Why do all the muscles of the body hurt for no reason? Despite the fact that physical inactivity is not a very common occurrence, it is this condition that can contribute to the development of discomfort in the upper / lower extremities and back.
Which doctor should I contact?
Now you know the main and most common reasonsmuscle pain. The treatment of diseases that cause such conditions should only be handled by specialists. However, not all patients know exactly who to go to for an appointment.
Due to the fact that myalgia can be triggered by multiple causes, you need to contact doctors of different speci alties to eliminate it.
An appointment with an orthopedic traumatologist is necessary if a person is suspected of having muscle inflammation such as myositis. This disease is characterized by aching and dull pains, which are aggravated by hypothermia, movement, weather changes, as well as palpation of the affected muscle.
It is better to contact the same specialist if the patient has inflammation in the tendons (for example, with myoenthesitis, tendonitis or paratenonitis).
You need to go to a traumatologist if a person suffers from kyphosis, flat feet, scoliosis, short leg syndrome, asymmetrical pelvis, too long arch of the foot or short shoulders.
In the event that the pain sensations in the muscles are localized deeply, are boring, bursting and tearing in nature, and also intensify with movements, combined with swelling, tension, redness, temperature, headache and weakness, then you should immediately contact a traumatologist or a surgeon, since all of the above symptoms indicate osteomyelitis.
A traumatologist should be consulted if the patient has signs of a herniated disc.
If discomfort occurs only in the muscles near the spine orany joints, it is likely that a person develops osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. In this case, you need to contact an orthopedic traumatologist.
A neurologist should be consulted if fibromyalgia is suspected, which is characterized by persistent pain or burning sensations in muscles throughout the body. Also, this specialist must be visited if a person develops osteochondrosis with severe pain in the muscles of the neck, back or lower back. In addition, a neurologist treats diseases that cause not only discomfort, but also muscle cramps.
A rheumatologist should be booked if a person develops polymyalgia rheumatica, gout, or polymyositis.
It is necessary to consult a therapist if muscle pain occurs against the background of symptoms of acute respiratory infections, since in this case the discomfort is secondary and is a kind of manifestation of intoxication of the body.
If the patient suffers from metabolic diseases, against which muscle pain develops, then you should contact either an endocrinologist or a rheumatologist.
Treatment
What to take for muscle pain? Experts say that NSAIDs are the most effective drugs for such conditions. Such drugs can not only dull the pain, but also relieve the existing inflammation. However, it should be remembered that with the help of NSAIDs, you can only temporarily alleviate your condition. It is forbidden to use such medicines too often, since they have a massside effects.
Most commonly used to treat diseases that cause muscle pain:
Cold and warm. For injuries and pains that cause damaged tissues, ice is very good. It should be applied to the affected area, previously placed on a terry towel
Warm compresses for an injury can only be done 72 hours after the injury. These can be baths, a heating pad, or rubbing with a warming ointment.
- Massage (use if muscle pain is idiopathic).
- Tight bandage (used for pain in the arms or legs).
- Therapeutic exercise.
- Topical drugs (for example, Finalgon, Ketonal, Fastum, Voltaren, etc.).
