Everyone experiences muscle pain at least once in their life. These pains in various parts of the body cause a decrease in the quality of life. Experts emphasize that persistent muscle pain should not be considered unimportant. Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Specialist Dr. Emine Bukan Arıca noted that in a person who feels muscle pain, it is necessary to determine whether the complaint is a regional or widespread pain first, and the underlying cause of muscle pain should be investigated and treated, not neglecting it.
PAIN COULD BE A HIGHLIGHT OF TYPE 1 DIABETES OR CANCER
Dr. Stating that he sometimes complains of muscle pains that affect the whole body, apart from the muscle pain seen in a single area, Arıca said, “While the location of the pain causing this cannot be determined exactly, it appears in the form of pain or burning. These pains, which can sometimes spread to other parts of the body, can even be the harbinger of serious diseases such as cancer or Type 1 diabetes.
MINOR PAINS CAN BE TREATED AT HOME
Dr. Emine Bukan Arıca stated that muscle pain caused by minor injuries, stress or exercise can mostly be relieved with simple treatments that can be applied at home, adding, “However, muscle pain caused by severe injuries, hereditary reasons or some systemic diseases usually requires serious medical care. The most common causes of muscle pain are tension, stress, overload and minor injuries.
STRENGTHEN THE MUSCLES BY STAYING AWAY FROM A sedentary life
Stating that modern life conditions have accustomed people to a sedentary life, Dr. Emine Bukan Arıca said, “One of the body systems most affected by the sedentary lifestyle is our muscles. Because muscles can only maintain their strength when they are used and serve us without any problems. For this reason, we need to acquire habits that will use our muscles and strengthen them in our daily lives. Otherwise, muscle pain occurs. Such weakness of the muscles is defined as ‘non-inflammatory rheumatic diseases’. The second group includes ‘inflammatory rheumatic diseases’ and these can cause permanent damage to the muscles. In such cases, complaints such as pain, muscle fatigue, cramps, burning and tingling are experienced.
THESE DISEASES CAUSE MUSCLE PAIN
Stating that some diseases other than the two groups mentioned rheumatic diseases can also have negative effects on the muscles, Dr. Arıca gave examples of Type 1 diabetes, thyroid diseases, infections, some types of cancer, fatty liver and COPD, and stated that these diseases consume the body’s energy and cause the muscles to tire more easily and become weak.
TREATMENT CHANGES ACCORDING TO THE CAUSE OF PAIN
Explaining that before the physical therapy applications to be applied in muscle pain, it is necessary to know the cause of the pain and to detect an underlying systemic disease, Dr. Emine Bukan Arıca said, “After the differential diagnosis is made, a special treatment is planned for the patient. As the first step in rheumatic diseases, the event is prevented with the help of drugs. Since these diseases cause permanent damage to the muscles, it is necessary to try to restore the remaining structures to their former strength with physical therapy and rehabilitation. In regional muscle pain, the onset time of the pain and whether it is related to any trauma are checked. Traumas can be a major trauma such as a blow to the muscle or a fall, as well as unit traumas, which are defined as micro-trauma, resulting from the accumulation of repetitive small movements. In such a case, rest and cold application are recommended first and the patient can be followed. If there is no decrease in pain within 3-4 days, a suitable physical therapy and rehabilitation program is prepared for further treatments. In rheumatism caused by lifestyle, the only thing that can be done is exercise.