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myalgia
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
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Myalgia is a symptom accompanied by pain in the muscles (diffuse or in a specific group), which occurs both spontaneously and upon palpation.
Myalgia is inherent in a large number of pathological conditions caused by inflammatory processes and edema. Most often, myalgia occurs acutely with hypothermia, trauma, overload, but can also be observed in diseases of the veins, arteries, lymphatic vessels, and innervation disorders. It is an initial symptom of the development of myositis and polymyositis, in particular, rheumatoid, which are characterized by constant pain, increasing weakness and hypotrophy of the muscles of the neck, shoulder girdle, moving to the pelvic girdle and lower limbs.
Myalgia differs from neuralgic pain by diffuse muscle soreness on palpation, absence of typical Balle pain points: in places where nerves pass, but soreness at the points of muscle fiber attachment, no sensitivity disorders and characteristic symptoms of nerve tension (Lasega, Neri, etc.). In differential diagnostics with radicular syndrome, Bragar's technique can help - with a patient lying on his back, the leg straightened at the knee joint is raised up until pain appears and dorsal flexion of the foot is performed - with radicular pathology, the pain will increase, with myalgia it does not increase.
ICD 10 code
Each disease has its own unique classification. Thus, myalgia refers to muscle pain. M00-M99 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. M00-M25 Arthropathies. M30-M36 Systemic connective tissue disorders. M40-M54 Dorsopathies. M60-M79 Soft tissue diseases. M80-M94 Osteopathy and chondropathy
M95-M99 Other disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue.
M60-M79 Diseases of soft tissues. M60-M63 Diseases of muscles. M65-M68 Disorders of synovial membranes and tendons. M70-M79 Other diseases of soft tissues
M70-M79 Other soft tissue disorders M70 Soft tissue disorders related to stress, overuse and pressure M71 Other bursopathies
M72 Fibroblastic disorders M73 Soft tissue disorders in diseases classified elsewhere M75 Shoulder disorders M76 Enthesopathies of lower limb excluding foot M77 Other enthesopathies
M79 Other diseases of soft tissue, not elsewhere classified M79.0 Rheumatism, unspecified M79.1 Myalgia 79.2 Neuralgia and neuritis, unspecified 79.3 Panniculitis, unspecified M79.4 Hypertrophy of (popliteal) fat pad M79.5 Residual foreign body in soft tissue M79.6 Pain in limb M79.8 Other specified soft tissue disorders M79.9 Disease of soft tissue, unspecified
Causes of myalgia
Myalgia most often develops as a result of myositis: inflammatory, neuromyositis, polyfibromyositis, ossifying and professional myositis; acute, subacute, chronic. Morphologically, they are accompanied by the development of alterative, exudative and proliferative inflammation (muscles are not susceptible to purulent inflammation, they can only be affected by anaerobic microflora, or they are affected secondarily with vascular changes in them with necrosis in subfascial phlegmon).
The main cause of this disease can be spasms in muscle tissue. They provoke compression of nerve endings, thereby provoking pain. Often the problem arises against the background of constant fatigue. This condition leads to the accumulation of under-oxidized metabolic products in muscle tissue, which contributes to the development of chronic pain.
Myalgia can be accompanied by neurological symptoms. This indicates that there is an imbalance in the nervous system. In particular, the problem can go hand in hand with sleep disorders, as well as emotional stress.
Emotional overloads lead to muscle spasms, which are the disease. In addition, overloads significantly affect metabolic processes in the body, disrupting them. The problem may also be hidden in rheumatism, which occurs against the background of infectious diseases.
Pathogenesis
Perhaps the most interesting thing is that the carrier of the infection is still a person. After all, viruses enter the body through the mucous membranes and the digestive tract. It is enough to simply eat something wrong or have contact with a sick person.
All this can lead to the development of diarrhea, pharyngitis and other diseases. After negative microelements accumulate in the body, some pathology begins to manifest. This process is characterized by damage to internal organs and other body systems. After the disease, the body becomes weak, the immune system does not fully perform its protective functions. Therefore, general malaise is possible, constant muscle pain is observed. Perhaps, this is the pathogenesis of the pathology. It is difficult to say for sure how the pathological process proceeds. After all, everything depends on the reason for which it began to develop.
Myalgia due to inflammatory myositis
Myalgia is spontaneous or occurs during palpation and active movements, often accompanied by cramps, the places where muscles attach to bones are sharply painful. During palpation, muscle fibers are tense, in subacute and chronic cases - hypotrophic. The mobility of the affected area of the body is limited. Sometimes, during palpation, swelling is detected, in the thickness of the compaction from a millet grain to the size of a bean (Cornelius symptom), these compactions can change shape and size when pressed (Müller symptom). In the depth, elongated jelly-like compactions can be palpated - myogelosis. Hyperesthesia may be noted.
Polymyositis is an infectious-allergic process in a wide variety of inflammatory diseases, most often respiratory and viral infections, drug disease, hormonal changes, especially during pregnancy. Accompanied by moderately expressed myalgia of a diffuse type, with muscle weakness and the formation of Erb's myodystrophy. In the late stages of the process, tendon contractures develop.
Rheumatoid polymyositis is characterized by nagging, "flying" pains that intensify at night and with weather changes. In chronic cases, moderate atrophy develops. When joints are involved, the functions of the limbs are impaired. "Dry" Sjogren's syndrome may occur: dry mucous membranes, skin, myalgia, dry "crunchy" polyarthritis with severe pain. Rheumatoid polymyofibrositis (Govers syndrome) may occur, characterized by diffuse or localized pain, the presence of eight zones with pain points (1st - anterior intervertebral spaces of the IV-VI cervical vertebrae; 2nd - the place of articulation of the II rib with cartilage; 3rd - the area of the medial fold of the subcutaneous tissue of the knee joint; 4th - the middle of the upper edge of the trapezius muscle; 5th - a point located above the spine of the scapula; 6th - a point located above the lateral condyle of the ulna; 7th - the area of the interspinous ligaments of the IV-VI lumbar vertebrae and sacrum; 8th - a point located in the upper outer quadrant of the gluteal muscle), when pressed, there is a sharp pain, increased fatigue, a specific sleep disorder (they sleep like a "princess" on a pea") and neurological disorders.
Myositis can be caused by a specific infection: tuberculosis, subfascial cold abscesses, syphilis, brucellosis, some parasites - trichinosis, cysticercosis, toxoplasmosis. They proceed as polymyositis, but are accompanied by the formation of pseudocysts, calcifications, which is established by radiography.
Neuromyositis is characterized by the fact that along with such a condition as myalgia, neuralgia is also noted, due to the involvement of muscle nerve fibers or trunks in the process. In this case, the pain is very sharp, the symptoms of both myositis and neuralgic syndrome, myalgia, are revealed.
Polyfibromyositis is a systemic disease of connective tissue with the formation of fibrous changes in them. This is accompanied by limited mobility, the development of contracture, thickening of muscles, and myalgia. Joints are often simultaneously involved in the process.
Ossifying myositis (Muncheimer's disease) is a metaplastic process in muscles with calcification of connective tissue. As a systemic disease, it develops in boys as a result of dermatomyositis. After 20 years, it is most often a consequence of injuries with the formation of muscle hemorrhages. Tendons may be involved in the process with the formation of spurs - heel, elbow or osteophytes - Pellegrini-Stieda disease.
Toxic myositis develops with some chronic intoxications, most often alcoholism and drug addiction during the period of abstinence. Accompanied by sharply painful muscle edema, paresis and myoglobinuria with secondary renal failure. Often combined with withdrawal psychoses.
Symptoms of myalgia
The symptoms depend entirely on the type of disease. Thus, the most common type of disease is fibromyalgia. It is characterized by the manifestation of pain in the muscles and tendons. Often, the pain syndrome is localized in the lumbar region. The cervical and shoulder regions are also affected. This type of pathology includes a couple more varieties. Thus, it is divided into primary and secondary fibromyalgia.
The first type is characterized by painful sensations that are clearly expressed during palpation. This condition is accompanied by manifested asthenia and sleep disorders. The problem occurs exclusively in women. But only in those who are constantly exposed to the negative influence of stress and anxiety. Overloads can cause increased pain. The second type is most often found in men. This phenomenon is caused by excessive physical exertion.
Myositis is another form of myalgia. It is characterized by inflammation of muscle tissue. It develops as a complication after some diseases, including flu. The causes of development can be heavy loads. The pain syndrome is aching in nature, the main localization is the limbs and trunk. It intensifies with movement.
Polymyositis is another type of myalgia. It causes muscle weakness, which is accompanied by pain in the neck muscles. Sometimes the disease can lead to muscular dystrophy. In this form, a person complains of headache, nausea, and a feeling of tension in the joints.
A separate type of the disease is epidemic myalgia. The pathology develops when the Coxsackie virus enters the body. It causes vomiting, chills and high temperature. The pathology bothers a person for 3-5 days, sometimes a week.
Myalgia of the leg muscles
This phenomenon is one of the most common. The main reason for the pathology is the presence of vascular diseases. Usually, this process is accompanied by swelling and fatigue of the legs. Moreover, the pain is of a "dull" nature. Eventually, varicose veins may develop. Pain in the leg muscles is often associated with the spine. Many of its pathologies cause this unpleasant symptom. In this case, any pain in the spine may be completely absent.
During this disease, muscles can hurt so much that a person simply cannot move normally. Because the pain syndrome only intensifies. Myositis develops due to injuries, physical overexertion. Sometimes it is a complication after a person has had the flu.
Fibromyalgia can affect the hip area and cause a number of inconveniences in the "area" of the knee joint. This pathology is often found in women. This occurs against the background of living in damp conditions, with strong physical stress and injuries.
Myalgia of the neck
The main causes of this condition are metabolic problems. This is usually due to diabetes, intoxication of the body, injuries and cooling. As you can see, the factors influencing this condition are quite diverse. Usually the problem has only one symptom, which is the manifestation of muscle pain.
Thus, the phenomenon is based on changes in the chemistry of muscle tissue. This leads to a disruption of the normal sequence of the entire process. Everything can manifest itself simultaneously both during movement and at rest. It is possible that symptoms will appear gradually.
Cooling of the cervical-occipital region leads to painful symptoms in the muscle area. This can lead to the development of reflex pain sensations from the internal organs. Therefore, you should not ignore the symptoms, but it is best to prevent the development of the problem. So as not to encounter complications in the future.
Myalgia of the back
There are plenty of reasons why pathology develops. Often, it is caused by problems with the spine. As a rule, existing osteochondrosis contributes to the development of the disease. Dystrophy is quite painless, but complications are manifested by increased sensitivity, severe pain. Excessive muscle strain causes myalgia.
The problem may also be hidden in the curvature of the spine. It can be both structural and non-structural. Type I scoliosis is characterized by changes in the spinal column. Non-structural development is caused by pathologies of the pelvic bones. All these conditions entail increased muscle sensitivity and significant pain syndrome. This develops against the background of skeletal defects.
Myalgia is not always associated with pathologies of the spine itself. Quite often, pain can be associated with bronchitis, colds, and pneumonia. This occurs against the background of increased work of the back muscles, which occurs during coughing. Even a common injury or tumor can contribute to this condition.
Intercostal myalgia
This condition is accompanied by persistent pain syndrome. It is felt in the hip area and is not at all associated with possible chest injuries. The main cause of the problem may be compression of the nerve roots where they originate from the spinal column. This often occurs in the presence of osteochondrosis. It is not so easy to detect the presence of the problem, even extremely difficult.
Therefore, specialists first study possible causes and then begin diagnosing. It takes a lot of time to identify the true cause. The patient undergoes more than one examination. The disease is really serious, especially this type. It requires the right course of treatment.
The main symptoms are pain along the intercostal spaces. Excessive muscle tension can be bothersome. This is especially common when coughing, sneezing, and physical exertion. Factors that provoke the disease: pathologies of the spine and lungs. The condition can arise due to a large accumulation of salts.
Rheumatic myalgia
For a long time, there was an opinion that the rheumatic type of pathology is not capable of proceeding complexly. This fact to some extent attracted many researchers. As it turned out, women are more prone to the disease than men. Usually, it affects the fair sex in age. The onset of infection is facilitated by an infection in the body.
As for the etiology, it has not been clarified. The mechanism of development originates in the vascular lesion. The disease begins acutely, pain syndromes bother in the collar zone, as well as the shoulders. They can spread to the hips and shins, not bypassing the elbow joint. Symmetrical damage to the zones is possible.
When palpating, the pain is especially pronounced on the back. Movement in the joints is limited. Inflammatory processes in the joints are not excluded. Perhaps this is the most unpleasant course of the disease. Because it significantly reduces a person's capabilities and forces him to give up many of his usual things.
Chronic myalgia
This is a fairly common phenomenon that causes symmetrical pain throughout the body. The main symptoms are sleep disturbances, difficulty waking up, excessive fatigue and weather dependence. The last factor is quite interesting. It means that pronounced symptoms appear during weather changes. The muscles react to this with painful sensations.
A person may be bothered by headaches and excessive stress. Convulsions are common, and concentration is impaired. Depression and mood swings are also often considered symptoms. Low mood is not always associated with pain. Psychological deviations are not excluded.
It is almost impossible to get rid of the pathology at this stage. It was necessary to eliminate everything at the first symptoms. Now it is just worth maintaining your own condition. The pains do not appear as often and as a result of the influence of special factors.
Epidemic myalgia
This disease is characterized by a sudden onset. Usually, its development is provoked by the presence of flu, an acute infectious disease. It manifests itself as pain in the upper abdomen. Often, the pain goes to the sternum, accompanied by headaches and fever.
Everything is complicated, the temperature can reach 40 degrees. Everything is accompanied by paroxysmal pains in the upper parts of the abdomen. Children often complain of pain in the tummy, adults - chest. The attacks are acute, lasting for 5-10 minutes. Sometimes they are repeated in an hour or a couple of days. A person feels a rapid heartbeat, as well as breathing. As soon as the fever reaches its peak, it disappears until another attack.
Often the illness lasts for 3 days. Half of the victims complain of a strong second wave of attacks. Often all this can be accompanied by serious meningitis. If the disease occurs in a child, he suffers from severe headache and discomfort in the muscles. The lesions are painful upon palpation. No pathologies are observed during radiography. Leukocytes are normal.
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Myalgia of the shoulder
It occurs due to hypertonicity of muscles. All this manifests itself both in a relaxed state and in a tense one. Therefore, what kind of activity a person is engaged in is absolutely not important. The phenomenon can occur not only in mature people, but also affect teenagers. This pathology has no age restrictions.
There are several main causes of the phenomenon. Everything can be connected with hypothermia, severe muscle strain, as well as increased activity. The presence of injuries and bruises often lead to myalgia. Infectious diseases of a cold nature can affect it. Increased blood sugar, diseases of the musculoskeletal system - all these are the main causes of pathology. Even a sedentary lifestyle is one of them.
As for the symptoms, their main manifestation is nausea, dizziness and weakness. Nagging pain in the joints and heart rhythm disturbances are not excluded. The person may sweat heavily.
Diffuse myalgia
This is probably the most pronounced type of myalgia. It occurs in the presence of inflammatory processes. The main cause is the presence of polymyositis. This disease is systemic and mainly affects connective tissue. All this leads to symmetrical muscle weakness and partial atrophy. The process is accompanied by painful sensations.
The etiology has not been determined. The pathology manifests itself in the form of a change in gait. A person cannot just get up from a low chair, he needs help. It is also impossible to climb a high step. Raising the head from the pillow is difficult.
Muscle weakness simply does not allow living a normal life. If the disease affects the throat, dystonia occurs, the esophagus - dysphagia. Over time, atrophy of the muscles of the shoulder girdle may appear. The late stage is characterized by contracture of the joints. The pain syndrome is pronounced. When palpated, the muscles become denser. Static tension leads to severe pain.
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Myalgia of the knee joint
Everything develops against the background of existing inflammatory processes. Professional myositis and neuromyositis can affect everything. Everything is accompanied by the development of inflammation, but purulent discharge does not affect the muscles.
Due to inflammatory myositis, pain is felt during active movements. Sharp pain syndromes manifest in the muscles located near the bones. Muscle fibers are very tense. The affected area has limited activity. Sometimes palpation is accompanied by pronounced swelling.
Muscle weakness is also possible. Tendon contracture is observed in the later stages. If the course is chronic, then the joints are also involved in the process. Dry Sjogren's syndrome also occurs. The mucous membrane is dry, there are crunchy polyarthritis. This is characterized by severe pain.
The disease can occur against the background of tuberculosis, syphilis and toxoplasmosis. It is also accompanied by neuralgia. The problem can affect a person's movement. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with the disease.
Myalgia of the chest
The condition is accompanied by pain localized in the rib area. This is not related to chest injuries. The only cause of the pathology is the compression of nerve roots. This situation is typical for the presence of osteochondrosis. It is not so easy to determine the presence of pathology. Therefore, specialists try to find the reasons for the occurrence of the disease.
Diagnostic procedures take a lot of time. Therefore, it is not so easy to quickly determine the disease. After all, it is complex and does not proceed so easily. The symptoms are extensive, mainly characterized by pain syndromes of the intercostal spaces.
A person is bothered by severe muscle tension. What is most interesting is that it occurs against the background of a debilitating cough. Factors that provoke the problem: diseases of the spine, lungs. Even infections and injuries can lead to this pathology. Excessive accumulation of salts also provokes pain syndrome.
Eosinophilic myalgia
The syndrome occurs against the background of taking medications based on tryptophan. These are Japanese drugs, they are now out of production. They had a negative effect on the lungs and led to the development of darkening in them.
A systemic disease of this type often affects the skin directly, as well as internal organs. Usually the course is chronic. Fatal cases are not so common. Initially, it was difficult to determine the etiology. After it became known that the problem was in tryptophan, it became possible to identify the main factors. Thus, the drug caused the activation of eosinophils, as well as toxic proteins.
The disease is accompanied by pronounced outbreaks. The main symptoms include weakness, cough and wheezing. Severe damage is observed in the lungs. A person is plagued by fatigue, weakness and swelling. All cases are caused exclusively by the negative effect of tryptophan. Elimination of the disease can be both fast and slow. In any case, it must be started immediately, because the mortality rate, although not high, still exists.
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Post-exertional myalgia
Excessive muscle strain leads to the appearance of pain syndrome. In most cases, discomfort is associated with certain factors that provoke it. The disorder occurs due to heavy load. Most likely, the cause is hidden in the receipt of microscopic ruptures. This leads to neurochemical damage.
Any load, even if excessive, can lead to this phenomenon. Even strong clenching of the teeth leads to strong activity and entails myalgia. This happens especially often against the background of constant chewing of gum.
At night, the problem occurs unconsciously. Moreover, the symptoms can be both pronounced and moderate. Much depends on the emotional state of the person. Therefore, the patient is not always able to independently explain what happened to him. There is nothing terrible in this, it is enough to simply reduce the level of emotional and muscular overstrain.
Myalgia in children
A baby may complain of pain after an active day of play. Usually, the shoulders, arms or legs suffer. This may be due to swimming or running. Irregular pain syndromes are sometimes associated with the active growth of the child. This is not a cause for concern at all.
Muscle pain can occur in both an active and a calm child. It is enough to give the baby a relaxing massage and he will feel much better. The pain has a varied nature, from moderate to severe. Usually, after a few days of rest, it goes away on its own. There are also cases when the child does not feel better. On the contrary, the symptoms are supplemented by new signs. High temperature and swelling of the joints begin to appear. Usually this indicates a serious injury.
Spasms can occur in absolutely everyone. But most often they are observed in children who are actively involved in sports. The development of the problem can be caused by a lack of important elements in the body. We are talking about calcium, magnesium and vitamins belonging to group B. It is important to replenish their deficiency.
Myalgia during pregnancy
This happens due to abrupt changes in the woman's body. The most common cause of pain is in the abdomen. This is because before pregnancy, skeletal muscles supported the abdominal muscles and formed them. Now, their main task is to hold the uterus, which is rapidly increasing in size.
The pelvic muscles work directly during the birth process. They expand significantly. The back begins to hurt due to the shift in the center of gravity. After all, now the spine is under increased load. The chest hurts due to hormonal changes, as well as increased blood circulation.
Groin muscles ache due to overexertion or the influence of a special hormone - relaxin. In the vagina, pain syndrome occurs against the background of increased vascular load. After all, the elasticity of tissues begins to decrease, pain appears. There is nothing terrible in these processes. This is quite normal and will pass as soon as the woman gives birth.
In some cases, the problem lies in the presence of pathological processes. These include cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, neuralgia, inguinal hernia and varicose veins. It is also necessary to pay attention to the nature of the pain. Additional symptoms may indicate the presence of gallstone disease and even indicate a possible miscarriage.
Consequences
Painful sensations can cause only discomfort to a person. In addition, he is constrained in movements, which leads to the impossibility of normal life. It is worth noting that some processes are irreversible.
Muscle pain often occurs against the background of existing osteochondrosis. This may occur due to complications such as hernia and protusion. This indicates that treatment should not be postponed. It should be understood that osteochondrosis and its complications in many cases lead to the development of disability. Pain should not be tolerated under any circumstances; it must be eliminated.
Blood vessels are compressed during spasms, so metabolic processes are disrupted. This occurs in the spine. As a result of this action, dystrophic drying of the intervertebral discs develops. This leads to the appearance of an intervertebral hernia.
Other consequences include deterioration of innervation of tissues and internal organs, the appearance of energy blocks. Ordinary back and muscle pain can lead to the development of serious diseases. An inflammatory process is not excluded.
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Complications
People who face this problem know firsthand how much discomfort it causes. Back pain is accompanied by difficulty in movement and interferes with normal, fulfilling life. All this can be prevented with proper treatment.
It is important to understand that muscle pain is not normal. If a person does not actively exercise and is quite mobile, the problem most likely lies in the presence of a disease. If spasms occur in the back, then this is osteochondrosis. It can lead to serious complications. Treatment should not be postponed under any circumstances.
Often, an intervertebral hernia develops, even disability is possible. This mainly concerns spinal lesions. But the fact is that the problem can really get out of control. Inflammatory processes of an infectious nature are not excluded. All this, once again, confirms the fact that myalgia is not something to joke about.
Where does it hurt?
Diagnostics
Diagnostic procedures are carried out exclusively by a rheumatologist. There are several basic methods that are constantly used. So, first of all, a visual examination of the patient is carried out. It is necessary to listen to his complaints, assess the condition.
Then more serious diagnostic methods begin. Thus, a person should take a general and biochemical blood test. After that, rheumatic tests are taken. For accurate diagnosis, electromyography and radiography are performed. Thanks to this method, the doctor receives a picture on which changes can be seen.
CT and MRI play an important role in the entire research process. They help to get a complete picture of what is happening. CT allows you to get a layered image to assess the condition. A biopsy is also prescribed, which entails a histological examination. A consultation with a neurologist and other doctors is carried out (depending on the cause of the pathology). It is advisable to undergo a comprehensive examination.
Tests for myalgia
To get the best picture of what is happening, it is necessary to take special tests. Usually they consist of biochemical and general blood tests. Thanks to this method, it is possible to track the ESR content. In the presence of diseases, it increases significantly. The level of proteins in the blood also changes. This is especially noticeable during the active phase of the disease. Mild anemia is observed.
In order to check for rheumatoid arthritis, it is necessary to give blood for the presence of rheumatoid factor. Lupus cells are subject to examination. Usually, they are not observed with myalgia. If the inflammatory process has affected the knee joint, a synovial fluid analysis is taken. It will reveal the presence of aseptic inflammation. These analyses are not enough to create a complete picture of what is happening. Usually, after examinations, instrumental diagnostics are prescribed.
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Instrumental diagnostics
This diagnostics includes several basic methods of examination. Initially, a person is sent for radiography. This will allow changes in the muscles to be seen, thanks to obtaining an X-ray image. But, this is not always enough. Therefore, the patient may be additionally sent for computed tomography and MRI.
CT allows you to get a layered image and perfectly study the affected area. It is this technique that gives a complete picture of what is happening. In fact, CT is the same radiography, but more detailed. Studying the layers will allow the specialist to identify not only the presence of the disease itself, but also the causes that provoked it.
MRI. Allows you to study internal organs and changes in them. Usually, one X-ray and blood test are enough. But if the problem cannot be diagnosed, they resort to the help of almost all available methods.
Differential diagnostics
This research method involves obtaining laboratory data by donating blood. The patient is required to take a general blood test. Here the presence/absence of anemia is checked. The ESR indicator is also checked. If there is a disease in the body, it increases sharply.
In addition to the general analysis, a biochemical analysis is also taken. Here the level of alpha2 and y-globulins is checked. In case of pathology, they are at a high level. The level of sialic acids and seromucoid is checked.
Blood tests for RF and LE cells are actively used. The result should be negative. Otherwise, myalgia occurs. Differential diagnostics include muscle biopsy. It should not show any pathologies.
Laboratory tests are very important in determining the causes of myalgia. But without instrumental diagnostics, they are not enough. Therefore, all tests are carried out in combination.
What do need to examine?
Who to contact?
Treatment of myalgia
Here are some common treatments for myalgia:
- Rest and limitation of physical activity: In case of myalgia, it is important to give the muscles time to recover. Avoid unnecessary physical activity and try to rest.
- Applying cold and heat: Cold compresses can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain, especially in the first 48 hours after myalgia occurs. Later, applying heat (hot compresses, hot showers, heating pads) can help relax muscles and improve circulation.
- Stretching and Strengthening: Stretching and strengthening exercises can help improve muscle flexibility and strength, preventing myalgia. It is important to perform exercises under the supervision and guidance of a professional.
- Massage: A professional massage can help relax tense muscles and reduce pain.
- Pain medications: If myalgia is associated with pain, analgesics such as paracetamol or non-narcotic anti-inflammatory drugs (eg, ibuprofen) may help reduce pain and inflammation.
- Physical therapy: Your doctor may recommend physical therapy to treat myalgia, especially if it's associated with more serious conditions such as fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis.
- See a Doctor: If myalgia becomes chronic or is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, numbness, or weakness in the limbs, be sure to see a doctor for a more detailed evaluation and diagnosis.
Treatment for myalgia can vary depending on its cause, so it's important to see your doctor to determine the best treatment plan for your specific case.
More information of the treatment
Prevention
Preventive actions can be both primary and secondary. The primary type includes activities aimed at eliminating emotional and physical overstrain. It is necessary to avoid psycho-emotional stress, fight stress, and not let emotions constantly "absorb". It is advisable to exclude excessive physical activity. Hypothermia also has a negative effect on the general condition of a person, so in the cold season you need to dress warmly. It is important to give up bad habits, lead a healthy lifestyle, and do physical exercise.
Secondary preventive measures include slightly different methods. They include taking medications and performing physiotherapy procedures. It is worth noting that secondary measures are used exclusively after the disease has been suffered, in order to prevent a relapse. Secondary methods include limiting heavy loads, following a diet, and limiting exposure to the sun and cold.
Forecast
It is worth noting that treatment usually involves eliminating all tryptophan-based drugs. After all, it has a negative effect on a person's condition and causes a number of side effects. It is advisable to exclude glucocorticoids. As soon as they are eliminated, the person will recover. The prognosis in this case is favorable. Treatment can be both slow and fast. It all depends on the person's condition. Despite the fact that the disease is not serious, there have been cases of death. There are few of them, but, nevertheless, such things happened.
If a person seeks medical attention in time or begins to eliminate the problem on their own, the prognosis will be positive. However, folk methods can be particularly dangerous. It is dangerous to treat without knowing the cause of myalgia. There is a risk of harming your own health and causing complications. Naturally, the prognosis in this case is clearly not positive. Compliance with all the rules and strict adherence to the doctor's recommendations will lead to a speedy recovery.