Muscle pain can be debilitating and difficult to deal with daily. This is especially true when your daily activities require different levels of physical robustness. Muscle pain doesn’t all feel the same, which can make it difficult to identify what’s causing it.
Muscle tension is the most common cause of muscle pain, and can develop anywhere in the body. Typically, this is brought on by reduced blood flow that can be caused by stress or anxiety. Stress and anxiety constrict blood vessels which prevent blood from reaching the muscles and tendons. Staying physically active can alleviate muscle tension, as this improves circulation, providing fresh healthy blood to the tensed muscles.
Oftentimes, pain in the muscles is caused by overuse of them while working, exercising, or performing different types of activities each day. Due to the wear and tear of the muscles, a person can start to feel achy and sore, which usually leads to injury. Since the muscles don’t have much of a chance to repair themselves, this can prevent blood from flowing to the muscles leaving tightness and pain in the long run.
For this with nutrient deficiencies or those who are low in magnesium, muscle cramps can also cause muscle pain to be triggered. Cramping can also be a result of too much physical exertion or spending a lot of time in warm temperatures.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain and spinal cord process painful and nonpainful signals.
Dr. Shahbaz Farnad, M.D. is a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist. He is a graduate of UCLA, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies. He earned his Medical Degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr Farnad completed his residency in Anesthesiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL and went on to complete his training as a Fellow in Interventional Pain Management at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. He was Board Certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and subsequently earned his American Board of Anesthesiology subspecialty certification in Pain Medicine.
