Muscle Pain For No Apparent Reason – Sore, tired, and sore muscles are often caused by too much exercise, and they usually feel better over time. But if you haven’t exercised recently, aching muscles for no reason could be an indicator of a disease or other health problem.
Here, New York-based spine and orthopedic surgeon Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD, explains why you may experience muscle pain for no apparent reason and when it’s time to see a doctor.
Muscle Pain For No Apparent Reason
Muscle soreness after exercise should be felt. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness – or DOMS – usually appears about 24 to 72 hours after a workout. It can cause mild or very severe muscle pain that can make daily activities difficult.
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However, if you haven’t exercised recently and you have muscle pain for no reason or pain that lasts for more than three days, it’s time to see a doctor to rule out underlying medical conditions.
Here’s why: “The immune system sends out white blood cells to fight infection and inflammation can result, leaving muscles stiff and sore,” he explains.
Fix it: To relieve sore muscles caused by infection, Dr. Okubadejo recommends drinking plenty of water and broth and getting enough rest. You can also take Tylenol and use a heating pad to manage symptoms while your body recovers, he says.
If you have back and shoulder pain, headaches and body aches, stress may be the source of your muscle pain.
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“If you’re constantly stressed, your muscles have no chance to relax,” says Dr. Okubadejo. This is because your muscles are shifting into self-preservation mode.
“Your muscles have their own self-defense mechanism and tend to contract to avoid injury when under stress,” says Dr. Okubadejo.
Fix it: “Once relaxed, the muscles will relax again,” says Dr. Okubadejo. The best way to relax tight muscles is to exercise and stretch. Any type of exercise will help, but swimming and yoga are especially great options, he says.
Sleep is a stellar healing environment. Give your body the time it needs to recover from the day’s events, activities, and stresses, says Dr. Okubadejo.
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Believe it or not, sore muscles can be a sign that you’re not drinking enough fluids. When you’re dehydrated, you interfere with normal body processes, such as getting oxygen to the right places and digesting food, says Dr. Okubadejo.
Essentially, muscle discomfort or pain is your body’s way of alerting you to dehydration and telling you:
Fix it: Aim to consume eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (more if you exercise or run long distances) and drink Gatorade to quickly replenish lost electrolytes, says Dr. Okubadejo.
Certain vitamin deficiencies can also lead to the body. For example, hypocalcemia — a condition where people have low amounts of calcium in their blood — can trigger tension in your muscles, Dr. Okubadejo says. That’s because muscles (and kidneys) depend on calcium to function optimally, he explains.
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Surprisingly, sometimes the underlying cause of hypocalcemia is vitamin D deficiency, because your body needs enough vitamin D to absorb calcium, adds Dr. Okubadejo.
Similarly, if your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells, you’re most likely anemic, and that can also strain the body and muscles, he says.
Fix it: See a doctor who can test you for these or other impairments and help determine appropriate treatment, says Dr. Okubadejo.
If you suffer from muscle aches in addition to unusual headaches, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating and severe exhaustion that has lasted for six months or more, chronic fatigue syndrome – also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) – could be to blame.
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ME/CFS is a serious chronic disease that affects different parts of the body (including muscles and joints) and is not improved by bed rest, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
​Fix it:​ If you think you have ME/CFS, see your doctor, who can perform an examination and diagnostic tests. Although there is currently no approved cure or treatment, your doctor can help you develop a plan to manage your symptoms.
Muscle and joint pain can also be an indication of Lyme disease, a tick-borne disease caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi.
“Early in the disease, patients may report musculoskeletal pain ‘traveling’ to muscles, bones, joints, or tendons,” he adds.
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Fix it: See your doctor, who can assess Lyme disease with diagnostic tests and treat with antibiotics. Your doctor may also recommend topical anesthetics such as lidocaine or anti-inflammatory agents to help relieve muscle pain, says Dr. Okubadejo.
“Those who suffer from aches and pains for a long time without a known cause can [have] fibromyalgia,” says Dr. Okubadejo.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease of the nervous system that causes pain and tenderness in muscles and joints, according to the American College of Rheumatology.
Worse, the constant discomfort also makes it difficult for people with fibromyalgia to get enough rest, leading to sleep deprivation, which we know plays a role in sore and sore muscles, says Dr. Okubadejo.
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Fix it: “The cause and cure for fibromyalgia are unknown,” says Dr. Okubadejo. “If you think you have fibromyalgia, see a doctor for help treating this condition.”
According to the American College of Rheumatology, a healthcare professional can prescribe medication along with regular exercise, diet, a good sleep routine, and cognitive behavioral therapy to help relieve symptoms.
Is it an emergency? If you have serious medical symptoms, check the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs that you need emergency medical attention or call 911. Pain is a normal part of life. But when these pains become very frequent and cannot be explained by exercise or injury, they can become extremely frustrating and distressing. Sore muscles are one of the effects of living with anxiety. This article will explore the causes and solutions for these types of sore muscles.
Sore muscles are an example of an anxiety symptom that causes more anxiety. When you wake up and are faced with pain, you start worrying about the causes of that pain and its impact on your life. You are also less likely to be active and more likely to succumb to stress.
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This is why you need to stop your anxiety at its source if you want to take control of your future stress and anxiety levels.
Anxiety can lead to many changes in our lives, some of which can contribute to the development of sore muscles. Examples include:
These are just a few of the many explanations why anxiety can create muscle tension and ultimately sore muscles. Anxiety can also make you more in tune with your muscles. In some cases, you may feel normal pain from the way you sit or stand, but the anxiety makes you feel like the pain is extreme or caused by something more serious than just anxiety.
Although anxiety causes muscle pain, this pain can be treated the same way you treat normal pain:
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You should also do your best to avoid putting extra strain on your muscles. Do this by maintaining good posture, sleeping well, and getting up and moving occasionally if you’ve been sitting too long. These are basic muscle soreness prevention strategies, but they’re important for making sure the symptoms don’t lead to more anxiety.
All of the tips above only work when you are already in pain. But what about strategies to prevent muscle soreness in the first place? Therefore, you have to deal with the anxiety that causes your muscles to strain so much. Take action today to address your underlying anxiety to improve your quality of life.
Do you have a specific question that this article has not answered? Send us a message and we’ll get back to you!
The answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.
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Question: Where can I go to learn more about the Jacobson Relaxation Technique and other similar methods? – Anonymous Patient Response: You can ask your doctor for a referral to a psychologist or other mental health professional who uses relaxation techniques to help patients. However, not all psychologists or other mental health professionals are familiar with these techniques. Therapists often add their own “twist” to the techniques. The training varies depending on the type of technique they use. Some people even buy progressive muscle relaxation CDs and DVDs and let the audio guide them through the process. – Timothy J. Legg, PhD, CRNP
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