Muscular Pain

The medical name for muscular pain is myalgia. There is also a type of muscular pain known as myolitis, which refers to a muscle that has become inflamed due to infection or injury.

In common usage, "muscular pain" is a term that includes muscle strains, muscle spasms, muscle cramps, and muscle tears, but it can also cover more than muscles. When someone has joint, ligament, or tendon problems, they sometimes describe their condition as muscular pain.

Arthritis may also seem like muscular pain, even though it originates in the joints. Pain caused along the pathways of nerves, such as sciatic pain, might also be mistaken for muscular pain.
 

Categories of Muscular Pain 

Generally, muscles become painful due to one of the following reasons.

Muscle spasms A muscle spasm is an involuntary, unexpected, sudden and often painful contraction of a muscle. It can be caused by one of the reasons listed below, or a combination of several reasons. Click on muscle spasms for more detailed information. Also see muscle cramps.

Improper use We all know we should "warm up" before exercise. Stretch those muscle and get loose, right? Sure, we all know we should, but many people don't. Muscular pain results.

Repetitive use of the same muscles over extended time periods will also cause problems.

Lifting, pushing, or pulling something that's beyond our capability is another reason for muscular pain.

These are all ways of using our muscles improperly, and pain is usually the payoff.

Injury or trauma These include sprains, strains and pulls. Even if you warm up properly and don't push your muscles beyond their limits, accidents and injuries are bound to happen. You can pull a muscle reaching down to pick up something from the floor. You can tear a ligament stepping off a curb. Then, of course, there are sports related injuries that occur in the course of athletic competition. These things are bound to happen.

Tension, stress and anxiety When we're anxious, our muscles don't relax normally. Over a period of time (it varies from individual to individual), this heightened of state muscular tension can cause muscles to become sore.

Physical disorders related to conditions or diseases. "Body aches" which are often actually muscle aches, are a symptom of the flu, pneumonia and many other ailments. Lupus, which is a disorder of the connective tissues, feels like aching muscles. Fibromyalgia appears to be caused by something in the brain (although no one knows for sure), but the pain is felt in the muscles and soft tissue.

Chemical and mineral imbalances in the body (especially involving potassium or calcium), can cause muscular pain. These imbalances may occur naturally (as with aging), or they may come from prescription medications like statins (for controlling cholesterol) or ACE inhibitors (for lowering high blood pressure).

Illegal drugs like cocaine can cause muscular pain.

Other Causes

It's impossible to list every possible cause of muscular pain here. But below you'll find a short description of the most common.

An abscess in the muscle.

Fibromyalgia - pain can range from mild to severe.

Infections - influenza, pneumonia and other illnesses caused by germs.

Lupus - an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissue.

Lyme disease - a serious disease transmitted by ticks. Symptoms include a rash followed by fever, joint and muscular pain, and headaches.

Malaria - usually transmitted to humans by a mosquito bite. It can cause fever, shivering, joint pain, vomiting, anemia, and convulsions.

Polio - now rare in industrialized countries. Polio causes muscles not to work and attacks the nervous system of the human body.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever - another disease caused by a tick bite. Muscular pain is one of its trademark symptoms.

Trichinosis or roundworm - causes muscular pain associated with breathing, chewing, or using large muscles.

Summary

As you can tell, there are dozens of possible causes for muscular pain. It's important to describe your symptoms as specifically as possible to your doctor so he or she can make the proper diagnosis as quickly as possible.

Muscular pain is usually not serious, but as this article demonstrates, it can be a symptom of many other dangerous disorders and conditions that need professional medical attention.