Muscle pain is often referred to as myalgia. It is sometimes serious, but it's also a common occurrence for those who are very physically active. For example, any athlete knows what it means to have muscle pain. It can also occur after stress or a minor injury. There is no need to panic if you experience muscle pain. Simply be proactive about your health care. Consider the reasons it's wise to see a doctor to be on the safe side.
Consider This: Muscle Pain May Not Resolve with Self-Care
Although you may want to nurse your muscle pain yourself, it's not always possible to treat your own muscle pain and expect a fast recovery. If you try do-it-yourself methods that you find online, you can do more harm than good. Consult your doctor's office for advice if you want to try to heal yourself.
For one thing, if you want encourage healing without pursuing immediate medical attention, try to rest. That's part of a commonly recommended treatment called R.I.C.E. (That acronym stands for the instructions: rest, ice, compression, and elevation.) In this case, resting means you should stay off your feet and try not to stress the muscles that are causing you pain. Try to put an ice pack on the affected area. You may opt to put a compression bandage on the affected muscles. In some situations, elevation may help, too.
Consider This: Muscle Pain is Sometimes a Symptom of an Underlying Condition
Remain calm and see a doctor if your muscle pain is troubling you. Sometimes muscle pain is a sign of a medical condition or a disease. For example, sometimes muscle pain is caused by fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, dermatomyositis, lupus, or Lyme disease. Sometimes it's also caused by less serious things such as a sprain, strain, or muscle cramp. The sooner you know, the sooner you can empower yourself to do something about it.
Consider This: Muscle Pain May Be a Warning Sign of an Infection or Inflammation
Sometimes muscle pain can be a sign that you have an infection in your body. It may also be the first sign you have of inflammation. That inflammation may be caused by a variety of conditions such as arthritis or gout. When these conditions are diagnosed, treatments may help alleviate or at least minimize the pain and other symptoms.
Finally, see your doctor right away if your muscle pain is accompanied with a high fever, difficulty breathing, or feelings of extreme weakness. Your doctor can help you determine whether the muscle pain may be treated or simply needs to heal on its own. For more information, check out Muscle Activation of Tampa.
