Contents
What is Myalgia?
Myalgia means “muscle pain” and is a symptom of many diseases and disorders. The term myalgia is composed of the Greek words myos for muscle and algos for pain. The pain may be focused in a specific area or it may be all over your body. The pain may range from mild and manageable to severe and debilitating.Recovery Time
Diagnosis is done based on the physical examination of the affected muscle and by medical history. Further investigations such as ultrasound or X-ray, help to confirm the diagnosis of the suspicion
- Blood test
- Ultrasound (Sonography)
- Cutting image method such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Electrophysiological study (electromyography)
- Muscle biopsies (tissue samples from the muscles)
Diagnosis
Muscle pain (myalgia) ranges from mild to severe. It takes about 48 hours for a muscle to heal from minor overuse. If the pain is mild it usually goes away in few days i.e. 2-3 days by proper home remedies. If the pain is severe it takes months to recover by a proper treatment.FAQs prepared by doctor
Q1. What is myalgia?
Myalgia means “muscle pain” and is a symptom of many diseases and disorders. The term myalgia is composed of the Greek words myos for muscle and algos for pain. The pain may be focused in a specific area or it may be all over your body. The pain may range from mild and manageable to severe and debilitating.
Q2. When should I see a doctor?
Usually myalgia regresses by its own, but one should consult doctor if:
- Severe pain which persists beyond 3 days
- Numbness and tingling sensation in your legs
- New or increasing back pain
- Loss of bowel and bladder control
- Unusual pain that wraps around your waist or chest area
- Swelling or redness at the affected area
Q3. How does heat therapy treat myalgia?
Heat creates higher tissue temperatures, which produces vasodilation that increases the supply of oxygen, and nutrients and the elimination of carbon dioxide and metabolic waste.
Thereby its useful for muscle spasms, myalgia, fibromyalgia, contracture, and bursitis.
Because heat is a vasodilator, it should be avoided in tissues with inadequate vascular supply, in case of acute injury, in bleeding disorders (because heat would increase bleeding), in tissues with a severe lack of sensitivity, in scars.
Q4. I am on a statins, cholesterol lowering agent. Will it cause myalgia?
Most people who take statin drugs tolerate them very well. But some people experience side effects.
The most common statin side effects include:
- Headache
- Difficulty sleeping
- Flushing of the skin
- Muscle aches, tenderness, or weakness (myalgia).
- The risk increases if statins are added to fibrates, another cholesterol lowering agent. The myalgia produced by such drugs is due to elevation of CPK enzymes.
Q5. Why rashes associated with myalgia are seem to be dangerous?
Rashes associated with myalgia seem to be in direction of Eosinophilic myalgia syndrome, due to high contamination of L-TRYPTOPHAN present as an adulterant in rapeseed oil. Such syndrome epidemics happened in 1989 in UK and spain. The disease though not fatal
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