Myalgia: what is it? Causes and treatment of muscle pain

Hypertension of the muscles and the pain that accompanies this state is a problem faced by many people of different ages. So why is myalgia, what is it, and what are the symptoms of the disease? What methods of treatment exist? What is dangerous for this disease? These issues are very relevant.

Myalgia: what is it?

In the translation, the very word "myalgia" means "muscle pain." A similar condition is accompanied by a strong spasm of one or at once a group of muscles, which leads to the appearance of severe pain and stiffness in the movements. To date, it is common to distinguish several forms of this disease:

• Fibromyalgia is accompanied by hypertonicity and muscle soreness, especially when pressing on the affected area of the body. Muscle fibers of the waist, shoulder girdle and occiput most often suffer from this form of the disease.
• Myositis is accompanied not just by spasm, but by inflammation of muscle tissue. This condition is extremely dangerous and requires the hospitalization of a sick person.
• Poliomyositis is accompanied by inflammation of the muscles, and in the absence of treatment leads to their dystrophy.

If a few tens of years ago, mainly mature and elderly people suffered from muscle pain, today the disease is much "younger" - often with teenagers appearing with such complaints in the doctor's office.

Myalgia: what is it and why does it appear?

In fact, muscle spasm can be caused by the impact of completely different factors. After all, there is a myalgia of rheumatic and non-rheumatic genesis. For example, quite often fibromyalgia and myositis occur against the background of infection - the cause can be flu, cold. In addition, hypertonic muscle may be associated with diseases of the spine, in particular, radiculitis, spondyloarthritis, etc.

An attack of muscle pain often occurs against a background of physical overstrain, especially when it comes to a person who is not used to stress and leads a sedentary lifestyle. To risk factors also include injuries of muscle tissue (stretch, bruises), severe stress, local hypothermia.

Myalgia: what is it and what are its symptoms?

In this case, the main signs depend on the form and severity of the disease. For example, fibromyalgia is accompanied by acute pain in muscles, joints and ligaments, which are amplified by sudden movements or by pressing the affected muscle group. Along with this, there is fatigue, increased irritability, insomnia. But with myositis the symptoms are more severe - each, even the simplest movement, responds with severe pain. In some patients, along with muscle spasm, migraine attacks, nausea, and sometimes hyperthermia of the joints are observed.

Immediately it is worth noting that such a state can be dangerous. In the absence of treatment, spasm passes into inflammation, and the inflammatory process provokes dystrophy. The complications include intervertebral hernia, osteochondrosis and osteoarthrosis.

How to treat myalgia?

To begin with, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of muscle spasm. Along with this, symptomatic treatment is also carried out , which involves the use of pain medications - Imeth, Pentalgin and Indomethacin are considered effective. Anti-inflammatory drugs are also used, in particular, "Fastum-gel", "Finalgon". A good effect gives electrophoresis with novocaine. Well relieves spasm massage. To eliminate symptoms, methods of manual therapy and therapeutic gymnastics are used.