Myalgia means "muscle

Muscle

Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...

 pain

Pain

Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...

" and is a symptom of many diseases and disorders. The most common causes are the overuse or over-stretching of a muscle or group of muscles. Myalgia without a traumatic history is often due to viral infection

Virus

A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...

s. Longer-term myalgias may be indicative of a metabolic myopathy

Metabolic myopathy

Metabolic myopathies are Myopathies that result from defects in biochemical metabolism that primarily affect muscle. They include:1- Glycogen storage diseases2- Lipid storage disorder3- Phosphocreatine stores disorder- External links :* - eMedicine...

, some nutritional deficiencies or chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...

.

Causes

The most common causes of myalgia are overuse, injury

Injury

-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...

 or strain

Strain (injury)

A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon in which the muscle fibres tear as a result of overstretching. A strain is also colloquially known as a pulled muscle...

. However, myalgia can also be caused by diseases, disorders, medications, or as a response to a vaccination

Vaccination

Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...

. It is also a sign of acute rejection after heart transplant surgery.

The most common causes are:

• Injury or trauma, including sprains, hematoma
• Overuse: using a muscle too much, too often, including protecting a separate injury
• Chronic tension

Muscle pain occurs with:

• Rhabdomyolysis
  Rhabdomyolysis
  Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle tissue breaks down rapidly. Breakdown products of damaged muscle cells are released into the bloodstream; some of these, such as the protein myoglobin, are harmful to the kidneys and may lead to kidney failure...
  
  , associated with:
  • Viral
    Viral
    The adjective or adverb viral and the noun virality may refer to any viral phenomenon, that is, an object or pattern that is able to induce some agents to replicate it, resulting in many copies being produced and spread around....
    
    
  • Compression injury
  • Drug-related, esp fibrates and statins, occ ACE inhibitors, cocaine
    Cocaine
    Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
    
    , some retro-viral drugs
  • Severe potassium deficiency
• Fibromyalgia
  Fibromyalgia
  Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure. It is an example of a diagnosis of exclusion...
  
  
• Infections, including:
  • Influenza
    Influenza
    Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
    
     (the flu)
  • Lyme disease
    Lyme disease
    Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
    
    
  • Malaria
    Malaria
    Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
    
    
  • Dengue Fever
    Dengue fever
    Dengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
    
    
  • Hemorrhagic fever
  • Muscle abscess
  • Polio
  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever
    Rocky Mountain spotted fever
    Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States. It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas. Some synonyms for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in other countries include “tick typhus,” “Tobia fever” , “São Paulo fever” or “febre...
    
    
  • Trichinosis
    Trichinosis
    Trichinosis, also called trichinellosis, or trichiniasis, is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game infected with the larvae of a species of roundworm Trichinella spiralis, commonly called the trichina worm. There are eight Trichinella species; five are...
    
     (roundworm)
• Auto-immune disorders, including:
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus
    Systemic lupus erythematosus
    Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
    
    
  • Polymyalgia rheumatica
    Polymyalgia rheumatica
    Polymyalgia rheumatica , abbreviated as PMR, is a syndrome with pain or stiffness, usually in the neck, shoulders, and hips. The pain can be very sudden, or can occur gradually over a period of time...
    
    
  • Polymyositis
    Polymyositis
    Polymyositis is a type of chronic inflammation of the muscles related to dermatomyositis and inclusion body myositis.-Signs and symptoms:...
    
    
  • Dermatomyositis
    Dermatomyositis
    Dermatomyositis is a connective-tissue disease related to polymyositis and Bramaticosis that is characterized by inflammation of the muscles and the skin.- Causes :...
    
    
  • Multiple Sclerosis
    Multiple sclerosis
    Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
    
     (this is neurologic pain localised to myotome)

Overuse

Overuse of a muscle is using it too much, too soon and/or too often. Examples are:

• Repetitive strain injury
  Repetitive strain injury
  Repetitive strain injury is an injury of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems that may be caused by...
  
  .

Injury

The most common causes of myalgia by injury

Injury

-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...

 are: sprains and strain (injury)

Strain (injury)

A strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon in which the muscle fibres tear as a result of overstretching. A strain is also colloquially known as a pulled muscle...

.

Autoimmune

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...

(neurologic pain interpreted as muscular), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Myositis

Myositis

Myositis is a general term for inflammation of the muscles. Many such conditions are considered likely to be caused by autoimmune conditions, rather than directly due to infection It is also a documented side effect of the lipid-lowering drugs statins and fibrates.Elevation of creatine kinase in...

, Lupus erythematosus

Lupus erythematosus

Lupus erythematosus is a category for a collection of diseases with similar underlying problems with immunity . Symptoms of these diseases can affect many different body systems, including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart, and lungs...

, Familial Mediterranean fever

Familial Mediterranean fever

Familial Mediterranean fever is a hereditary inflammatory disorder. FMF is an autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations in MEFV, a gene which encodes a 781–amino acid protein denoted pyrin....

, Polyarteritis nodosa

Polyarteritis nodosa

Polyarteritis nodosa is a vasculitis of medium & small-sized arteries, which become swollen and damaged from attack by rogue immune cells. Polyarteritis nodosa is also called Kussmaul disease or Kussmaul-Maier disease...

, Devic's disease

Devic's disease

Neuromyelitis optica , also known as Devic's disease or Devic's syndrome, is an autoimmune, inflammatory disorder in which a person's own immune system attacks the optic nerves and spinal cord. This produces an inflammation of the optic nerve and the spinal cord...

, Morphea

Morphea

Morphea is a medical term for localized scleroderma. The disease involves isolated patches of hardened skin - there generally is no internal organ involvement.-Background, nomenclature, classification & codification :...

Metabolic defect

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency is a metabolic disorder characterized by an enzymatic defect that prevents long-chain fatty acids from being transported into the mitochondria for utilization as an energy source....

, Conn's syndrome

Conn's syndrome

Primary aldosteronism, also known as primary hyperaldosteronism, is characterized by the overproduction of the mineralocorticoid hormone aldosterone by the adrenal glands., when not a result of excessive renin secretion. Aldosterone causes increase in sodium and water retention and potassium...

, Adrenal insufficiency

Adrenal insufficiency

Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in which the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, do not produce adequate amounts of steroid hormones , primarily cortisol, but may also include impaired aldosterone production which regulates sodium, potassium and water retention...

, Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is the term for overactive tissue within the thyroid gland causing an overproduction of thyroid hormones . Hyperthyroidism is thus a cause of thyrotoxicosis, the clinical condition of increased thyroid hormones in the blood. Hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis are not synonymous...

,
Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone.Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide but it can be caused by other causes such as several conditions of the thyroid gland or, less commonly, the pituitary gland or...

Other

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...

 aka Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Hypokalemia

Hypokalemia

Hypokalemia or hypokalaemia , also hypopotassemia or hypopotassaemia , refers to the condition in which the concentration of potassium in the blood is low...

, Exercise intolerance

Exercise intolerance

Exercise intolerance is a condition where the patient is unable to do physical exercise at the level or for the duration that would be expected of someone in his or her general physical condition, or experiences unusually severe post-exercise pain, fatigue, or other negative effects...

, Mastocytosis

Mastocytosis

Mastocytosis is a group of rare disorders of both children and adults caused by the presence of too many mast cells and CD34+ mast cell precursors in a person's body.- Classification :Mastocytosis can occur in a variety of forms:...

, Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is the term for damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of or trauma to the nerve or the side-effects of systemic illness....

, Eosinophilia myalgia syndrome, Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure. It is an example of a diagnosis of exclusion...

, Barcoo Fever

Barcoo Fever

Barcoo fever is an illness once common in the Australian outback that is now virtually unknown. It was characterised by nausea and vomiting exacerbated by the sight or smell of food and, unlike the usual gastro-intestinal infections, by constipation rather than diarrhoea. Fever and myalgia were...

, Herpes, Delayed onset muscle soreness

Delayed onset muscle soreness

Delayed onset muscle soreness , also called muscle fever, is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed or strenuous exercise. The soreness is felt most strongly 24 to 72 hours after the exercise. It is caused by eccentric exercise...

, AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

, HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

, Tumor-induced osteomalacia, Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome

Post Orgasmic Illness Syndrome

Postorgasmic illness syndrome is a condition characterized by debilitating symptoms following orgasm that last for a few hours to several days. The phenomenon was first described in 2002.- Symptoms :...

Medications

Acrylamide

Acrylamide

Acrylamide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula C3H5NO. Its IUPAC name is prop-2-enamide. It is a white odourless crystalline solid, soluble in water, ethanol, ether, and chloroform. Acrylamide is incompatible with acids, bases, oxidizing agents, iron, and iron salts...

, Aspirin

Aspirin

Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...

, colesevelam

Colesevelam

Colesevelam is a bile acid sequestrant administered orally. It is developed by Genzyme and marketed in the US by Daiichi Sankyo under the brand name WelChol and elsewhere by Genzyme under the tradename Cholestagel.-Clinical use:...

, darbepoetin, darunavir

Darunavir

Darunavir is a drug used to treat HIV infection. It is in the protease inhibitor class. Prezista is an OARAC recommended treatment option for treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced adults and adolescents. Developed by pharmaceutical company Tibotec, darunavir is named after Arun K...

, daptomycin

Daptomycin

Daptomycin is a novel lipopeptide antibiotic used in the treatment of certain infections caused by Gram-positive organisms. It is a naturally occurring compound found in the soil saprotroph Streptomyces roseosporus. Its distinct mechanism of action means that it may be useful in treating infections...

, ezetimibe

Ezetimibe

Ezetimibe is a drug that lowers cholesterol. It acts by decreasing cholesterol absorption in the intestine. It may be used alone , when other cholesterol-lowering medications are not tolerated, or together with statins when statins alone do not control cholesterol.Even though ezetimibe decreases...

, ibandronate sodium, ibuprofen

Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for relief of symptoms of arthritis, fever, as an analgesic , especially where there is an inflammatory component, and dysmenorrhea....

, imiquimod

Imiquimod

Imiquimod is a prescription medication that acts as an immune response modifier. It is marketed by Meda AB, Graceway Pharmaceuticals and iNova Pharmaceuticals under the trade names Aldara and Zyclara, and by Mochida as Beselna. It is also referred to as R-837.- History :The original FDA approval...

, interferon

Interferon

Interferons are proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens—such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites—or tumor cells. They allow communication between cells to trigger the protective defenses of the immune system that eradicate pathogens or tumors.IFNs belong to...

s, isotretinoin

Isotretinoin

Isotretinoin, INN, is a medication used mostly for cystic acne. It was first developed for brain, pancreatic and other cancers. It is used to treat harlequin-type ichthyosis, a usually lethal skin disease, and lamellar ichthyosis. Its effects are systemic and nonselective...

, procainamide

Procainamide

Procainamide INN is a pharmaceutical antiarrhythmic agent used for the medical treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, classified by the Vaughan Williams classification system as class Ia.-History:...

, quinupristin/dalfopristin

Quinupristin/dalfopristin

Quinupristin/dalfopristin is a combination of two antibiotics used to treat infections by staphylococci and by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium....

, statins, sumatriptan

Sumatriptan

Sumatriptan is a triptan sulfa drug containing a sulfonamide group. It is used for the treatment of migraine headaches. Sumatriptan is produced and marketed by various drug manufacturers with many different trade names such as Sumatriptan, Imitrex, Imigran, Imigran recovery.-Approval and...

, tasigna, tiotropium

Tiotropium

Tiotropium bromide is a long-acting, 24 hour, anticholinergic bronchodilator used in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . Tiotropium bromide capsules for inhalation are co-promoted by Boehringer-Ingelheim and Pfizer under the trade name Spiriva...

, vardenafil

Vardenafil

Vardenafil is a PDE5 inhibitor used for treating erectile dysfunction that is sold under the trade names Levitra and Staxyn.-History:...

, zolmitriptan

Zolmitriptan

Zolmitriptan is a selective serotonin receptor agonist of the 1B and 1D subtypes. It is a triptan, used in the acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura and cluster headaches....

, zocor.

Withdrawal syndromes

Sudden cessation of high-dose corticosteroids, opioids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, or alcohol

Alcohol

In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....

 can induce myalgia.

See also

• Delayed onset muscle soreness
  Delayed onset muscle soreness
  Delayed onset muscle soreness , also called muscle fever, is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed or strenuous exercise. The soreness is felt most strongly 24 to 72 hours after the exercise. It is caused by eccentric exercise...
  
  
• Myopathy
  Myopathy
  In medicine, a myopathy is a muscular disease in which the muscle fibers do not function for any one of many reasons, resulting in muscular weakness. "Myopathy" simply means muscle disease...
  
  
• Myelitis
  Myelitis
  Myelitis is a disease involving inflammation of the spinal cord, which disrupts central nervous system functions linking the brain and limbs. The name is derived from Greek referring to the "spinal cord", and the suffix -itis, which denotes inflammation....
  
  
• Muscle correction therapy

External links

• NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE CENTER Washington University a more comprehensive list