Do you know what myalgias are? Maybe you have them

There is a saying that says “You will not go to bed without learning something new”, and it could perfectly apply to this article. We have started without knowing what myalgias are and we will end by knowing how they are treated and prevented. And it is that, surely that more than one occasion in the last 3 years we have suffered myalgias and we did not know it, and forgive us, but it will not be the last time we suffer them.

Let’s not panic, myalgias are not serious, although their name sounds like a venereal disease, they are just muscle aches, but they have a series of causes that is what causes them to arise, they have a diagnosis, a very effective treatment and we know some guidelines to prevent its appearance.

What are myalgias?

The important thing is to define what a myalgia is, and then enter the bulk of the topic that we will divide it into several sections so that everything is explained clearly and concisely.

Myalgia is known as muscle pain and is not serious , unless the pain is very sharp, intense and does not allow mobility in the area. These muscle aches occur in almost any part of the body and this is because the muscles help the body to maintain itself and are organs that allow mobility, these same muscles contract and relax to allow movement. So far so good, except when those properties of the muscles are altered and pain arrives, that is, myalgias.

They are characterized by the presence of pain in a specific muscle area, in addition, they are sometimes accompanied by other symptoms such as heaviness or headaches in the case of myalgia in the cervical area. Although, it is true that they can appear in any muscle of any part of the body, but they are very common in the neck, back, shoulders, arms and legs.

In summary, myalgias are muscle aches that suddenly appear and we do not know why, but they do have a cause and that is what we have come to explain along the lines that make up this text.

Main causes of myalgias

As we have already said, myalgia is muscle pain, but it is not always related to physical effort or poor posture, but can sometimes be a sign that we may suffer from fibromyalgia . The main causes of the appearance of myalgias are:

• Overexertion of the muscle.
• Sitting or lying down for a long time.
• Bad postures.
• Muscle tears
• Sprains
• Swelling of the area and rash.
• Infections and colds like the flu.
• Taking certain medications.
• Fibromyalgia
• Lack of movement of that muscle.

From what we see, myalgia can attack us at any time, in addition, it could be indicative of suffering or being prone to fibromyalgia. If you have family members with this condition and are aware that we suffer from myalgia from time to time, it is advisable to put ourselves in the hands of a specialist and that they tell us how to proceed.

Diagnosis and treatment

Only a medical professional can evaluate our case and determine that they are myalgias, what they are due to and if they lead to some type of disease or not. We have seen that myalgia can be the result of a muscle tear, physical overexertion, a sprain, something like that, so we must first rule out options. In addition, those areas that have suffered in the past tend to reflect pain from time to time, for example, if we have broken a bone, over time we feel that that area hurts from time to time.

If the doctor determines that we suffer from myalgia, the best treatment is to go to a physiotherapist , since there is also the option of taking analgesics and painkillers, but we always recommend leaving medications as a second option or as the only way when there is no other remedy.

The physiotherapist will perform techniques and methods to relax the area through therapeutic massages, heat therapy, electrotherapy, stretching, he will help us re-educate our postures, etc. Anything to improve our situation and help us heal that pain

This is how myalgias can be prevented

Yes, we can prevent myalgia, but it is not easy, since it is more a job of cutting certain routines and becoming aware of ourselves at all times, than of making a simple decision such as choosing whether to drink cool water or hot water.

• If we work sitting down, we have to get up every hour, walk, stretch fully, and do some quick activity such as jumping jacks.
• Do some physical activity with moderate intensity quite regularly.
• Always stay hydrated, even if we are not thirsty .
• Incorporate warm-ups and stretches into our training sessions.
• Avoid sedentary lifestyle.
• Eat a varied and balanced diet.
• Practice relaxation techniques.
• Take care of our posture at all times, whether it is studying working, in the car, on the sofa, in the cinema, etc.
• Do stretching, even if we don’t exercise that day.
• Rest a lot and very well, to help the body prepare and heal the tissues of our muscles.

As we can see, everything always involves doing moderate exercise several times a week, eating a varied diet rich in vegetables, greens, legumes, fruits, cereals, seeds, etc. and staying as far away as possible from ultra-processed foods, prepared foods, sugary drinks, pastries, and negative vices such as tobacco, alcohol and other prohibited substances.

We also recommend a punctual check-up every year or a maximum of 2 years , this can help us prevent a multitude of problems, be it weight, sugar, vision or hearing, allergies, heart problems, consequences of stress, of a dermatological nature such as dermatitis seborrheic, acne, allergies, skin infections, etc., cholesterol, infection, joint problems, osteoporosis, etc.