Body aches can result from tiredness or exercise and commonly occur with infections such as the flu. But, they can also be a symptom of an underlying condition, such as fibromylagia, arthritis, or lupus.
Common causes of body aches include: Stress: Exposure to prolonged stress can trigger widespread inflammation, muscle tension, and pain. Lack of sleep: Regular sleep deprivation can contribute to the development of chronic pain. Sleeping gives your body a chance to repair and recuperate from your daily activities.
What is fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes pain and tenderness all over your body. Unlike arthritis, this isn't because you have problems with your joints, bones or muscles.
Simple, everyday activities like walking, swimming, gardening and dancing can ease some of the pain directly by blocking pain signals to the brain. Activity also helps lessen pain by stretching stiff and tense muscles, ligaments and joints.
Fatigue and arthritis
Fatigue can be linked to many types of arthritis and related conditions. It's commonly a symptom of autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis and lupus. In autoimmune conditions the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy tissues.
Body aches are a common symptom of viral infections, such as influenza and COVID-19. But other types of infections can also cause whole body aches, including Lyme disease (a bacterial infection transmitted through tick bites) and malaria (caused by a parasite).
Aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) are examples of OTC NSAIDs. If OTC medicines don't relieve your pain, your doctor may prescribe something stronger. Many NSAIDs are also available at higher prescription doses. The most powerful pain relievers are opioids.
Green, black and white teas are all rich in polyphenols – compounds from plants that have strong anti-inflammatory effects. You'll find the highest polyphenol levels in green and white teas.
Aches and pains after a night's rest can be due to a variety of reasons, including an old mattress, a heavy workout the previous day, or even a recent injury. If that's the case, there may not be much you can do to change the morning aches. However, there could be other underlying health reasons you're unaware of, too!
If you don't have a fever or other symptoms, and you experience body aches often or for prolonged periods of time, make an appointment with your PCP. It could be a sign of a drug reaction or a more severe and chronic underlying medical condition, such as an autoimmune disease.
Proper hydration can help reduce pain and protect your joints and muscles by keeping the cartilage soft and pliable. Dehydration pulls fluid out of your tissues, which causes overall body aches and pains. One of the easiest ways to reduce pain is to increase your daily intake of clean water.
Paracetamol is a commonly used medicine that can help treat pain and reduce a high temperature (fever). It's typically used to relieve mild or moderate pain, such as headaches, toothache or sprains, and reduce fevers caused by illnesses such as colds and flu.
Furthermore, there is strong evidence that having short or disturbed sleep can cause hyperalgesia (i.e., an increased sensitivity to painful stimulation) and the development or exacerbation of spontaneous pain symptoms (e.g., muscle pain, headache) [2].
“Naproxen [Aleve] and ibuprofen are better for inflammation and muscle strains. A bonus of Naproxen is you can take it twice a day versus every 4 to 6 hours like with acetaminophen. This can be more convenient for many people.”
An ache is usually not extremely strong, so you can try to ignore it. Pain is usually stronger, more sudden, and more difficult to ignore. You would feel pain when you cut yourself or hit your head on something. If you exercise and you injure yourself – break a bone or tear a muscle – you would feel a sudden pain.
Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed based primarily on having pain all over the body, along with other symptoms. Currently, there are no specific laboratory or imaging tests for fibromyalgia.
Several rheumatic diseases can mimic fibromyalgia. These include sero-negative rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Lyme disease, polymyalgia rheumatica and lupus. They have symptoms of widespread pain along with joint involvement. Most rheumatic diseases are treated with medication and physical therapy.
dizziness and clumsiness. feeling too hot or too cold – this is because you're not able to regulate your body temperature properly. an overwhelming urge to move your legs (restless legs syndrome) tingling, numbness, prickling or burning sensations in your hands and feet (pins and needles, also known as paraesthesia)
Foods that cause inflammation
refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries. French fries and other fried foods. soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages. red meat (burgers, steaks) and processed meat (hot dogs, sausage)
1. Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids , which are abundant in fatty fish such as salmon or tuna, are among the most potent anti-inflammatory supplements. These supplements may help fight several types of inflammation, including vascular inflammation.